1st issue Challenge

[BobBretall]

Bulletproof Coffin: Disinterred #1 (Image): This was weird. REALLY WEIRD. But I loved it. This told the origin of the "Shield of Justice" in a twisted tale of crime and mistaken conclusions born from the off-kilter mind of a seriously deluded cop.
This is absolutely not for everyone, it's dadaism applied against mainstream super-hero comics. I call it a breath of weird air.

[spid]

Winter Soldier (Marvel): I think it is safe to say if you have enjoyed Brubaker's run on Cap you will enjoy this book. It picks up the threads of the pre-Fear Itself Cap storyline, and moves on from there. Until the very end this book felt more like a gritty spy book instead of a super-hero book.

[abysslord]

Alice in Wonderland #1 (Zenescope): Several people were talking about how much they liked Zenescope so I thought I'd give them another chance. At a minimum I think I need to just call it quits on Raven Gregory, his stories just don't click with me.

Have you tried "The Theater"? I enjoy Raven Gregory so I tried to read the Wonderland stuff, I didn't like it either. I don't know if it's from me not being a big Wonderland fan to begin with or something else, but I avoid all this stuff.

The Theater is much more like Stephen King stories wrapped up in one-shot issues and so far issues 1-3 have been great, with 1 and 2 being really great.

[BobBretall]

Alice in Wonderland #1 (Zenescope): Several people were talking about how much they liked Zenescope so I thought I'd give them another chance. At a minimum I think I need to just call it quits on Raven Gregory, his stories just don't click with me.

Have you tried "The Theater"? I enjoy Raven Gregory so I tried to read the Wonderland stuff, I didn't like it either. I don't know if it's from me not being a big Wonderland fan to begin with or something else, but I avoid all this stuff.

The Theater is much more like Stephen King stories wrapped up in one-shot issues and so far issues 1-3 have been great, with 1 and 2 being really great.

I have not tried the Theater, but given that I've not enjoyed the last 5 or 6 series I've read from Raven Gregory (he seems to write about half the stuff from Zenescope), I'm not inclined to give him another chance. I think I just don't click with his storytelling style.

[BobBretall]

Conan the Barbarian #1 (Dark Horse): Brian Wood did a good job adapting the story, I didn't go back to the original REH text, but while it follows the same basic story flow it's sufficiently different from the Roy Thomas Marvel comics adaption of this same story that it didn't feel like a direct retread. The art was also a complete departure from the John Buscema "burly Conan" mold. I really don't care for Cloonan's interpretation of Conan. That said, it's her take on Belit that was a complete turn off for me. Buscema's Belit was dead sexy for me when I was a lad. Cloonan's Belit is kind of scary, more of a pale-skinned goth chick.
I'll be there for whatever Cloonan does next (hopefully something creator-owned) based on the art, there's no way I'm going to be able to read her take on Conan on an ongoing basis. But that's just personal taste, I can understand other people loving this.

[J. Farrell]

Valen #1 (Boom!): I'm a sucker for a lot of the stuff Michael Alan Nelson writes. I can do with some dark fantasy once in a while, and this scratches my itch for that nicely. A good job with characterization, as usual, and enough to distinguish it from other fantasy stories. I liked the second issue just as much.

Memorial #1 (IDW): I feel like I've read this sort of thing before, in comics like Books of Magic for example, but it's very inoffensive in every way, and the kind of gentle, modern world/magic mix fantasy this story trods is welcome to me right now. The second issue didn't change my mind on either count.

The Strain #1 (Dark Horse): Very, very nearly a green. I've never read the book (books?) this series is based on, but I'm finding it a nice, atmospheric take on the vampire myth so far. Huddleston provides much more workmanlike art than we've seen from him on books like Butcher Baker, but of course, he's still Mike Huddleston. Again, the second issue maintained the quality.

[BobBretall]

Alpha Girl #1 (Image): This is a really quirky tale of a "zombie apocalypse" that doesn't really have zombies, but a neat twist on getting the ravenous baddies. I liked the cartoony art, it lightened the subject matter considerably (wow! our heroine had a really tough life!) but I could see how this would not work for everyone. I liked it as a breath of fresh air that gave me a change-up from other series in this general genre.

Winter Soldier #1 (Marvel): Fabulous book! This was very little super-hero & a lot of spy action, which I really enjoyed. This was a really sweet spot for Brubaker's writing style, this moved up to be my favorite current Brubaker series.

Magic The Gathering #1 (IDW): I havn't played Magic regularly in years, but I know the basic concept of Plansewalkers, etc. from the game. What I didn't get here was a book with any particular feel of the Magic game, which could have been added by comic up with some cool way to indicate that spells being used were tied to some cards players of the game might be familiar with. The story was standard sword&sorcery type of action with far too much running/chasing substituting for other kinds of action. Art was nice, but there was not enough meat on the bone to get me coming back at the $3.99 price tag.

Warriors of Mars #1 (Dynamite): I don't have the interest/touchpoint with Gullivar Jones that I have with John Carter. I read a couple of Marvel comics with the character a long long time ago, but none of the novels. This issue didn't do a good job of getting me interested in him and should have had more interaction between JC & GJ.

[Danscomics]

Magic The Gathering #1 (IDW): I havn't played Magic regularly in years, but I know the basic concept of Plansewalkers, etc. from the game. What I didn't get here was a book with any particular feel of the Magic game, which could have been added by comic up with some cool way to indicate that spells being used were tied to some cards players of the game might be familiar with. The story was standard sword&sorcery type of action with far too much running/chasing substituting for other kinds of action. Art was nice, but there was not enough meat on the bone to get me coming back at the $3.99 price tag.

I personally would give this a yellow because I'm still planning to give this another issue. I agree with you that I wish they had connected the spells to actual cards in the game and there was way too much running. There also wasn't much actual plot development. It really seems like they are just trying to sell this to Magic players so that they can get the promo cards (which they are succeeding at).

I did like the way they packaged it. The shrink wrap with a piece of cardboard in the middle meant that every copy made it to my store in perfect condition. Much better than those useless polybags.

Just a side note: I don't know when you stopped playing, but the concept of Planeswalkers has changed a lot since Time Spiral came out. They pretty much killed off the majority of the original all-powerful Planeswalkers. The second generation have a lot more limitations on them and what they can do.

[BobBretall]

Just a side note: I don't know when you stopped playing, but the concept of Planeswalkers has changed a lot since Time Spiral came out. They pretty much killed off the majority of the original all-powerful Planeswalkers. The second generation have a lot more limitations on them and what they can do.

I stopped years ago. The game stopped being fun when they started pumping out 3-4 expansions per year and people were doing nothing but building "power decks" with multiples of all the most expensive cards.

There was a certain sameness to it since the variety was really low for as long as each "block" lasted, then a rush to build the newest power deck when a new one came out. I couldn't keep up, since I'd rather spend my $ on comics than drop $500+ on each expansion trying to get cards to build a deck that would not get creamed on the 3rd turn.

Anyway, My point was that I had a general interest in & awareness of M:TG and this series was a dud for me. I can't imagine what interest it would hold for people who didn't play M:TG, since it was a completely mediocre sword & sorcery type story. I was rating it as a comic, not as a delivery mechanism for promo cards,which it seemed pretty good at. That card enclosed with the comic seemed pretty good. Cheap cost & lets you churn through cards in your library.

[Danscomics]

Anyway, My point was that I had a general interest in & awareness of M:TG and this series was a dud for me. I can't imagine what interest it would hold for people who didn't play M:TG, since it was a completely mediocre sword & sorcery type story. I was rating it as a comic, not as a delivery mechanism for promo cards,which it seemed pretty good at. That card enclosed with the comic seemed pretty good. Cheap cost & lets you churn through cards in your library.

Yeah, it isn't having a good sell through rate with people interested in it as a comic. It really is selling better to the magic players who want the promo card (which is actually the reason I even gave it a shot). This card actually isn't a particularly sought after card, the one that has the Magic players really pumped is the card that is supposed to be coming with Issue #2. I guess as long as it's selling IDW probably won't care why, but if it doesn't pick up in issue #2 I will probably be joining you in dropping it.

[boshuda]

Anyway, My point was that I had a general interest in & awareness of M:TG and this series was a dud for me. I can't imagine what interest it would hold for people who didn't play M:TG, since it was a completely mediocre sword & sorcery type story. I was rating it as a comic, not as a delivery mechanism for promo cards,which it seemed pretty good at. That card enclosed with the comic seemed pretty good. Cheap cost & lets you churn through cards in your library.

Yeah, it isn't having a good sell through rate with people interested in it as a comic. It really is selling better to the magic players who want the promo card (which is actually the reason I even gave it a shot). This card actually isn't a particularly sought after card, the one that has the Magic players really pumped is the card that is supposed to be coming with Issue #2. I guess as long as it's selling IDW probably won't care why, but if it doesn't pick up in issue #2 I will probably be joining you in dropping it.

Kind of a shame the comic isn't better. It could be a great gateway drug to exactly the type of people that should be buying comics - magic players.

[BobBretall]

Kind of a shame the comic isn't better. It could be a great gateway drug to exactly the type of people that should be buying comics - magic players.

Dan, are the Magic players just opening it for the card and then tossing away the comic, or are they reading it? I'd be curious what some of the players in your shop think of it as a comic (as opposed to as a promo-card-delivery-system).

[Danscomics]

Kind of a shame the comic isn't better. It could be a great gateway drug to exactly the type of people that should be buying comics - magic players.

Dan, are the Magic players just opening it for the card and then tossing away the comic, or are they reading it? I'd be curious what some of the players in your shop think of it as a comic (as opposed to as a promo-card-delivery-system).

I don't know, I will try to ask them and find out. They aren't leaving discarded copies of the comic around the store at least

[IanG]

Lord of the Jungle #1 (Dynamite): I thought this was well done, however I've read the original novel and at least 2 previous comic adaptations of the story, maybe more. Nothing adequately new here for me to get a $3.99 book on an ongoing basis.

I liked Lord of the Jungle #1 but there wasn't enough of a hook to get me to want more. The story was only slightly different that what I've seen before thus far. The art was pretty nice but I think Dynamite relies too much on colored pencils. I wish they would also use inkers or penciler/inkers. They probably can't afford the inking stage with the kind of sales numbers they get for some these titles. I'd pick this up down the road for cheap if it happens.

Warriors of Mars #1 (Dynamite): I don't have the interest/touchpoint with Gullivar Jones that I have with John Carter. I read a couple of Marvel comics with the character a long long time ago, but none of the novels. This issue didn't do a good job of getting me interested in him and should have had more interaction between JC & GJ.

Warriors of Mars #1 was a enjoyable comic but I don't really want multiple Warrior of Mars comic books in my pull list. Hey, if Dynamite keeps offering 99¢ specials through DCBS, then I'll keep buyin 'em. This was worth 99¢ to me, but not the $2.59 each for the rest of the series. Again, I'd pick these up down the road for cheap.

Winter Soldier #1 (Marvel) - I'm jumping on the Winter Soldier band wagon and adding this to my pull list. I had a lot of fun with this issue. Brubaker is really in his element with this spy/superhero thriller story. The two different art styles in one comic that the artist Butch Guice is using is kind of funky, but I like it. It helps that this is a $2.99 Marvel comic and not in any crossovers/events at the moment.

King Conan: The Phoenix on the Sword #1 (Dark Horse)- More King Conan goodness from Dark Horse. I still think this is a better comic than the main Conan title. Tim Truman has a really good handle of Conan's voice and how to tell that story for a modern audience. I love Tomas Giorello's Conan art, his flowing style is just right for sword and sorcery.

[abysslord]

Thief of Thieves (Image): I like the concept and Nick Spencer's writing but I wish this issue had more meat. I don't know what else they could have done because Activity #1 kind of took a different approach to the same idea. They had an entire mission in #1 but you didn't really get to know the characters. Thieves has a tiny mission but you get to know a little of the two main characters. I don't know if either approach was perfect.

A double-sized issue would have been better for both books probably. I'll get the next few based on the concept and Spencer's writing, even though I know they plan on rotating writers.

The art was just okay.

The Ninjettes (Dynamite): I love Jennifer Blood and this title is an offshoot of that. The Ninjettes in the pages of Jennifer Blood were great and this series starts off before that appearance. The art was pretty good and the story was pretty good too, although it's nothing unique.

If you don't like Jennifer Blood or haven't read anything about it, I don't know if this #1 would do much for you. You'd probably have to read the trade.