December 2014 solicitations

So, December solicits came out this week and, for me it was a tough one. The reason for this was simple: when picking out comics I went nuts!!!! By the end of my first draft pick I had 23 issues of 19 different titles, an amount I don't think I've EVER had before. However, cooler heads have prevailed and the budgetier has chipped away and my list is the same as prior months.

The full list is as follows:-

Batgirl #37

Earth 2 #29

Earth 2: Worlds End #9-13

Fantastic Four #14

Daredevil #11

Alex + Ada #11

Copperhead #4

Lazarus #14

Of course, this is for a £30 budget and so circumstances may change, especially as my birthday and a Christmas occur in December, gaining me additional funds (or, at least hope they do). Should this extra cash appear then the above list is not all I hope to pick up, but I also intend to try and pick up the following:-

Secret Six #1 - I missed the last run of this book and have been kicking myself since. Well, it's back, Gail Simone is writing it again. I am not making the same mistake twice.

Constantine #20 - Constantine goes to Earth 2. I love Earth 2. Ergo, I'm buying this book (if I can).

Green Arrow #37 - I've heard terrific things about its Lemire run and, though it's got a new creative team, I'm curious to see if the quality has held.

Swamp Thing #37 - Been hearing rave reviews about the Futures End tie in (which I now hope to buy) and so if it is all that, I'd be interested to see what the series proper is all about.

And so, that is that. The second list is more of a wish list while the first is an absolute certainty, but hopefully I'll find some cash from somewhere so that what is on that second list can jump to the first.

Reviewing a bad comic book

So last week was a little gruelling for me as I was sent a recently released comic book to review (see the full review here) and, as much as I didn't really want to, I ending up giving said book a bad write up.

I've got to admit that I really hated doing this review because I didn't have a good word to say and was very tempted to just go to the editor and say "You know what? I can't do this one. Can you give me another?"

The reason for this is simple; I really dislike saying bad things about comic books!!

Now this isn't because all books I read are fantastic (wouldn't that make life simple?) but because it feels, in some way, that I'm berating the people behind its creation. I mean, who am I to discredit something which a writer, an artist, a colorist, a letterer and an editor have spent at least a month working on? It's not like I have 10 books lining the shelves or anything to show I know what I'm talking about.

That said, when I don't like something (and, god, did I not like this particular book) I am allowed, like everyone else, to voice my opinion. I just worry that it will be read and someone will think 'boy, this guy really doesn't like this person'. For me, it's never about the people who are making the books, it's just about what I'm reading.

Of course, that doesn't change my unease at giving a bad review, but then I guess it will never be that easy, though writing it down helps give my thought on the matter form. I just hope that, going forward, all these creators will just do me a massive favour..... and make their books that I review so incredibly fantastic.

Missing Melksham Comic Con is gonna suck!!!

So my honeymoon is over!!! I'm currently at my in-laws for a layover before hitting the M4 and heading home. It's a shame that what is essentially a continuation of my recent wedding has come to an end, but I have to admit I'm looking forward to getting married life proper started, as well as getting back to buying my comics from the local shop (I've so missed the comics).

However, there is one drawback going into this return to normality which is that, due to its close proximity to our return from honeymoon, I have agreed with my (now) wife that I won't be going to the Melksham Comic Con this year.... and, I'll tell you, that is a decision that sucks!!!

In some ways I don't regret this decision as there is plenty Which needs to be done upon returning home.

However, so much is expected to happen at Melksham this year that I am really wishing I could make it there.

The top of this list for me is a panel occurring during the day about mental health in comic books. For me, this is the holy grail of what is coming out of Melksham because, having been a sufferer of mental health issues in the past, I find it so very intriguing what a lot of the local creators think and feel about the concept of mental health issues, if they should appear more in comics and why they don't appear enough up until this point (assuming, of course, that there aren't comics currently available which show mental illness as a major plot point which I don't know about) as well as the views of other comic consumers. If I were to be there, I guarantee I'd be queuing for this panel from the moment the doors opened (I sure hope there is a podcast or something of this for me to download later).

Then of course, there are the comics themselves. Top of this list is part 2 of Jon Lock and Nich Angell's inter-book crossover, The Heavenly Chord. I remember when part 1 came out last year and have been looking forward to part 2 since, even though there's been many reprieves in the form of Afterlife Inc. vol. 3, book of life and the the Everthere short as well as Nich's Cat and Merengue omnibus. Before I started queuing for the panel I'd gladly stop here first and get a copy (and maybe chew the creators ears off as usual).

After this is the book Joe Cape by Swindon creator Sam Webster who, again, I first encountered at Melksham last year. After enjoying his prior books Arcadia and Superheroes Ltd, I recently found out about this new book and that it was at issue 2. This bugs me more than anything because it now means I'm missing both issues and really wanna read them.

And then there are all the other comic creators and their own outstanding titles. In fact, I find these comics are what make cons like Melksham awesome!!! It's not the guests, but the creators who all make fantastic books which always bring something different, and most often better, than what is available by the big publishers.

Of course, writing all this just makes me wish I was going all the more, which hurts all the more because I know it won't happen. I'm accepting of this because I have WAY too much to do. But just because normal life is in the way and should be considered more important, it doesn't change the fact that not going to Melksham Comic Con sucks, big time!!!