Wednesday Open Forum

Wednesday
 
Wednesday, the best day of the week, new comic book day. It is like your birthday in the middle of each week (well, one where you buy your own presents.)
We open things up to hear from you. A free for all.
The 134th edition of the open forum!
PLEASE NOTE: We will be running late with posts tonight as I am on the road. Everything should be up around 8ish, but keep checking back for spoilers, picks, and contests.
As always we also want to hear about your weekly pickups.
So, What were your pick ups?
What had disappeared off the shelves?
What was sitting on the shelves?
What back issue deals did you grab?
Here are my weekly pick ups:

70 thoughts on “Wednesday Open Forum”

  1. So I didn’t preorder pestilence in time for #1 (I know, I know, I’m super forgetful) but I’m all set for #2 and forward.
    I did manage to order a copy of #1 though from my secret hoser online honey hole.
    The rest of my week looks like:
    Batman lenticular
    Black bolt
    Green lanterns
    Justice league
    Manifest destiny
    Nightwing
    Outcast
    Secret empire
    Spiderman/deadpool
    Superman
    The walking dead
    A bunch of short boxes because I really don’t want to move long boxes next month. Thats right, only one month until new house! Woo!

      1. I’ve got tons of books unboxed because I don’t want to lift the long boxes on top of the ones they need to go in.

          1. Yes it is. Lol. I had my collection in my apartment before I got married. I moved my newer stuff with me and my parents let me store a ton of boxes back at their house until I could get a storage facility. Then I moved them again. When you have close to 40,000 books it is a bitch to move.

              1. Lol. I have been collecting for years. Over 30 of them now. I was buying collections and runs in the 90’s which paid off well. A lot of stuff I own are friends old collections. For years I was also trying to get every issue of certain marvel series.

      2. I use short boxes. So much easier to maneuver and handle. I found these BCW short boxes that are about 15% longer than my other short boxes. They hold about 20 more comics. They are so ideal and sweet.

  2. #NCBD
    Pestilence
    Secret Empire
    Stained
    Batman
    SM/DP
    TWD
    Black Bolt (Hip Hop)
    GOTG (Hip Hop)
    Catalyst Prime: Noble #1
    Eternal Empire
    Champions
    Extremity
    The Damned
    Wolf

  3. Definitely Pestilence will be the hot book.
    I preordered 2 copies and I’ll try to get 2 at my LCS tomorrow that one will sell out very quickly.

  4. I will probably pick up at least one copy of pestilence…not sure what else I will get.. the last two weeks were higher volume than usual so this might be a light week.
    On a side note I was going through a couple of boxes that I have not looked through in years..mostly mini series from the eighties and early nineties and such. I did come across two copies of Megaton Explosion #1 (first Youngblood). Both are at least 9.4 and probably a 9.6. I do remember getting one back when Image was about to start publishing but forgot about the second. One still had the price on the bag/board. $12.50. I assume that is what I paid for the second copy. Haven’t looked at the price for it in years…. Was pleasantly surprised to see it has moved much higher than I though it would have. Always nice to find a hidden surprise in the personal collection every now and again. Here is to hoping that Youngblood gets real big real fast! 😉

    1. Pestilence 1 has a Babyteeth preview. Not sure if that enhances the value of Pestilence 1 (assuming Babyteeth is popular when released).

      1. I just read Babyteeth 1 (via ashcan) and it is very good. Very good story. I have no opinion on the art.

  5. Walking Dead, Harley Quinn Cho, Paper Girls, Batman, Pestilence if I see it.
    And Underdog!! Yes!!

  6. Oh, wanted to mention this. Maybe nothing, but after reading the “Button” issues, I think it might be worth picking up Animal Man (1st series) #s 22 to #25. These are the “comic limbo” issues that introduce the alternate realities of forgotten characters & revamped histories, as well as featuring the Psycho Pirate’s mask as the conduit. And #25 has Grant Morrison as the Creator (God if you will?).
    Obviously the Medusa Mask is a key to what’s happening.
    A cheap buy, these are a buck or two apiece… If nothing else, great story & excellent Bolland covers.
    It’s just possible all this Watchmen stuff is a red herring, and the real mastermind is the Earth -Prime Creator?

  7. Looking forward to Batman 22, Extremity 3 and Secret Empire 1.
    II’m actually liking the current run on Captain America and enjoyed Secret Empire 0. I know it’s an unpopular opinion but hey, I like what I like haha. I was never a super big Cap fan before, so that may be part of it. But one thing I really hope that Marvel doesn’t push the “reset button” at the end of Secret Empire and go back to status quo so to say, but even when we do get back regular Cap that some of what happens in this arc has a lasting impact.
    Question for everyone this:
    How long have you all been reading/collecting comics and what was your first comic?
    Guess that’s two questions but humor me here haha.

    1. I read when I was younger, in the late 80s and early 90s. I got back into reading about 2 1/2 years ago. Batman #39 New52 was the book that got me back into reading. I saw that issue in my LCS’ rack when I went in to get a TPB of V for Vendetta. My first comic was G.I. Joe #21. I still have it. Its beat to hell.

      1. That sounds strangely like my situation with comics. I got into them back in the day because I was into GI Joe and also liked the concept of Fantastic Four. I stopped collecting for a while and restarted again a few years ago because of the new Star Wars book’s hype. Batman is my favorite to collect now.

      2. Nice! The first comic I can remember buying is G.I. Joe #18. Still have it, but very beat up. I know I bought some Archie comics when I was even younger, like five or six, but that GI Joe was the first one I can actually remember picking out and paying for at a local drug store. Those were the days! Comics were just pain fun to read!

    2. I wandered into a comic shop right after Volume 2 of the Walking Dead was released in trade. I was really into Tales from the Crypt and started tracking down cheap reprints just so I could read the original stories (I tried to buy originals at first not realizing just how expensive they were). I went looking for comics in the same style but the shop had next to nothing horror related. He eventually pushed Volume 1 of the Walking Dead on me and I loved it. I immediately went back and bought volume 2 and was hooked. I didn’t actually start buying singles however until a few years ago. I’d buy the new Walking Dead volume and the occasional trade over those years but never really became a Wednesday guy. A few years back however I got the bug and looked up some titles that I thought i’d be interested in. I went to an LCS and bought what they had in stock off of my list and opened a pull. What became a pull of 2 books has turned into a $20 a week habit for me.

  8. I’ve been noticing a lot more very small indie presses soliciting books at $4.99. How does everyone feel about that? On one hand I know it costs more for them to put out a book because of scale but on the other hand I really don’t want to see $4.99 become the norm for books. I’ve been refusing to order almost anything at $4.99 but I also like supporting smaller publishers. I’ve been conflicted.

    1. If they are paying their artists, inkers and all those involved better rates because of the higher price I am all for it…If they just want to gouge a little extra than that makes me sad.

      1. I’m assuming with the these little indie presses it’s probably a one or 2 person job. More than likely the creator himself is deciding the price of the books. As soon as I see $4.99 however (unless it’s got extra pages or something) I automatically say no thank you.

  9. Picking up:
    HQ 19 Cho cover
    Back issues:
    CGC 9.8 Lobo 1 to go with my CGC SS Biz Lobo sketch. Prices are finally coming back down on this with no recent movie news.
    Notes:
    I just finished reading “The British Invasion: Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, and the Invention of the Modern Comic Book Writer.” It’s a good analysis of the history of comics about the time I started reading them. There are all sorts of interesting parallels and intersections with these three writers that have influenced what I buy even today. I’m going to look for one of the historically significant books discussed that I don’t yet have: Morrison’s Animal Man 5 – The Coyote Gospel.

  10. My shop gt no books today. Diamond didn’t send them, but they did receive the order because the other locations got their books (the orders were placed together).
    I’ve sourced my lenticular Batman elsewhere and have decided to let my shop have some time to get my other books because they should be easy to find elsewhere on Sat morning if they still haven’t come in yet. (I dont do fcbd at my usual shop, a further shop has better sales and I haven’t already combed through their inventory for what I want/need.

      1. It got sorted out last night and the books have arrived today. They are all accounted for. That’s a relief!

          1. I went with these http://amzn.to/2p9vPId because you can fit the lid in them too. The BCW boxes don’t let you use the lid nor does the “drawer box” brand. I have used both kinds before. It not these. If you watch the spec review video you will see about 20 boxes behind me I am trying to better organize and I hate moving a box every time I need to go down a level to another box.

        1. For those yes. However I have a ton of short boxes I need the housings for. You can also buy them with short boxes.
          Sent from my iPhone
          >

  11. Found a Pestilence 1:10 variant. Also, my lcs set out Valerian preview books for the new movie. Might be worth picking these up if you find them free.

  12. I’ve got
    Postal #20
    Batman #22
    Paper Girls #14
    Shipwreck #4–This is a strange book
    James Bond #3—Somehow I added one James Bond book to my pull and it seems like i’ve ended up with a dozen with their spin offs.

  13. Batman
    Superman
    Extremity
    Missed out on Pestilence
    Pops – picking up Hot topic exclusive Gold Jack Sparrow (http://www.hottopic.com/product/funko-disney-pirates-of-the-caribbean-dead-men-tell-no-tales-pop-jack-sparrow-gold-vinyl-figure-hot-topic-exclusive/10857338.html?cgid=funko#start=1)
    Current Hot topics codes if anyone needs them:
    68HP6M9B $30 off $75
    BAHNSAM7 $20 off $50 (HOT TOPIC GUEST LIST CREDIT CARD USERS ONLY)
    APRBXSTF $15 off $50
    SA2N9CMR $15 off $50
    BDAYGFT4U $10 off $30
    4MAYBDAY $10 off $30

  14. I uploaded a youtube vid of my pickups this week in the Wednesday Open Forum. It does not include the 2 full sets of variants for Heathen 1,2,3 I picked up this past week. Paid cover for them and they are a solid $100 set.

  15. Small new comic book week:
    Pestilence #1 Reg cover X 2
    Harley Quinn (Cho cover-don’t normally read this book but have been picking up his hilarious covers)
    Secret Empire #1 (Campbell variant 1:50 for $25)
    Walking Dead
    PC pickups for this week:
    Batman #635 1st Red Hood (my son and I recently watched Batman: Under the Hood and loved it. Next up to buy is Batman #386 1st Black Mask)
    History of the DC Universe hardcover signed and numbered to 1000 by Wolfman & Perez (going back to pick up the awesome 1980’s Graphitti Design books that I couldn’t afford back then)
    Grendel’s Legacy hardcover signed and numbered to 2000 by Wagner and Pander Bros by Graphitti Designs (Grendel by Matt Wagner has always been one of my all time favorites especially the hard to find #30-#40 storyline).
    Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe #1 1st print
    Good hunting everyone!

    1. The Pander Brothers are local to me. A local tiki bar, the Thatch, commissioned Arnold Pander to paint black velvet tiki paintings for the bar. When the Thatch was sold and reopened as Hale Pele, the new owner sold some of the paintings during the grand opening bbq block party. I picked one up for a steal of a price. It now hangs in my kitchen. It’s companion currently hangs in the bathroom of Hale Pele. That is my Pander Brothers story.

      1. I love the Pander Brothers. Grendel is one of my all time favorite series and the Pander Brothers run on the Early Comico series was fantastic.

  16. I did manage to get two copies of Pestilence #1 and as CHU member “JC” stated it does indeed have a Babyteeth preview. The first shop I went to just opened and only had two copies for sale on the floor, the second only had six…How was distribution overall? Did any shops not order…Did some have a lot left over?
    Outside of that I picked up:
    Youngblood #1
    Damned #1
    Bane Conquest #1
    Batman #2
    Pretty light week.

    1. No one knew or cared until it was too late (most shops that is) they don’t order from the back of Previews and that is a shame.

    2. In my area 2 shops ordered Pestilence, 2 didn’t. One shop, the big one, had an Exclusive Store Variant for Pestilence #1 and about 20 copies of the regular cover, which has sold out. 200 colours for $12 CDN and 100 virgins for $24. I managed to pay for my whole day yesterday by flipping that Pestilence Exclusive in a set with cover A, today.

  17. Just got in Grendel: War Child hardcover signed and numbered and burned through it in one sitting. Does anyone know if the Orion’s saga from the end of the series every got the hardcover treatment? Would love to find something like that.

  18. LCS
    Manifest Destiny 28
    Walking Dead 167
    Pestilence 1 reg cvr
    Batman 22 3d
    Harley Quinn 19 var cvr
    Action Comics 977 var cvr
    Online
    Aliens Defiance #10
    Aliens vs Predator Life And Death #4
    Animosity #6
    Batgirl Vol 5 Annual #1
    Black Widow Vol 6 #12
    Cinema Purgatorio #9 Cover C Code Pru Cover
    Clean Room #17
    Comic Shop News #1560
    Dark Knight III The Master Race #8 Cover A Regular Andy Kubert Cover
    Deadly Class #27 Cover C Vanesa R Del Rey
    Divinity III Stalinverse #4 Cover A Regular Monika Palosz Cover
    Elektra Vol 4 #2 Cover A Regular Elizabeth Torque Cover
    Generation Zero #8 Cover B Variant Leif Jones Cover
    Ghost Rider Vol 7 #5 Cover B Variant Dustin Weaver Venomized Cover
    Hard Case Crime Peepland #5 Cover C Variant Will Conrad Cover
    Harleys Little Black Book #6 Cover A Regular Amanda Conner Cover
    Hookjaw #4 Cover B Variant Tom Mandrake Cover
    Inhumans Prime #1 Cover C Variant Ryan Stegman Venomized Cover (Resurrxion Tie-In)
    Jughead The Hunger One Shot Cover C Variant Robert Hack Cover
    Lazarus #26 Cover B Variant Michael Lark Womens History Month Cover
    Man-Thing Vol 5 #2 Cover A Regular Tyler Crook Cover
    Mercy Sparx Year One #2 Cover B Variant Paulina Ganucheau Cover
    Mindbender #1 Cover B Variant Matthew Dow Smith Cover NEXT WEEK
    Moonshine #6 Cover C Variant Jill Thompson Womens History Month Cover
    Ninjak Vol 3 #25 Cover A Regular Ryan Bodenheim Cover
    Occupy Avengers #5 Cover A Regular Paulo Siqueira CoveR
    Old Guard #2 Cover B Variant Nicola Scott Womens History Month Cover
    Old Man Logan Vol 2 #20
    Orphan Black Deviations #1 Cover A Regular Cat Staggs Cover
    Outcast By Kirkman & Azaceta #26
    Postal #19
    Reggie And Me Vol 2 #4 Cover C Variant Andy Price Cover
    Solar Flare #2 NEXT WEEK
    Spider-Gwen Vol 2 #19 Cover A Regular Robbi Rodriguez Cover
    Street Tiger #2 NEXT WEEK
    Unfollow #17
    Unleash #4 NEXT WEEK
    Vampblade Season Two #1 Cover A Regular Winston Young Cover
    Voracious Feeding Time #4 Cover A Regular Jason Muhr Cover
    X-Files Vol 3 #12 Cover A Regular Menton3 Cover
    X-Men Prime #1 Cover B Variant Kris Anka Venomized Cover (Resurrxion Tie-In)

  19. I had a nice quiet week after a few weeks were I spent way too much. My pick ups this week were:
    Store-
    Batman #22, Lenticular and Sale variant
    TWD #167
    X-Men Gold #3
    Poe #14, SW 40th x2
    Harley #19, A X1, B x2
    Bane #1
    Pestilence #1, reg x2, local store exclusive X1 $12 CDN
    Mail-
    Spawn #226, Hulk #340 Homage $15
    Incredible Hulk #330
    #331
    #333
    #343 newsstand, $9 CDN each

  20. Way to busy at work, so no comics for me today. That sucks. I ordered a couple of things coming out next week, and I called my main shop and told them to put me a copy of TWD in my pullbox.

  21. Busy week, but was able to slip into the LCS and pick up 2 copies of Pestilence (confirmed that I have Babyteeth 1a and 1b added to my pull list), Batman 22 (Lenticular… usually not fan for gimmick, but these covers are just too cool), Croak 1, Spider-Gwen 19 (resurrexion variant … what is the news on this variant?), Secret Empire 1a, Youngblood 1 (Liefeld)… have not had a chance to read anything yet …
    I then jumped over to another smaller shop in the area and snagged 2 copies of Old Guard #1 and 1 copy of Extremity #1 Gold Foil variant covers for cover price … a nice little find.
    … speaking of Babyteeth … which leads to Aftershock … why is it that Aftershock comics (especially #1 issues) seem to flood the market with LCS exclusive covers? .. and how does this impact comic value long term?

  22. Abirato #1
    Batman #22 lenticular
    Guardians of the Galaxy: Breakout #1 (1:10)
    Secret Empire #1
    Solarflare #1
    Spidergwen #19 variant
    Walking Dead #167
    X-Men Gold #3

  23. My pickups this week…
    Aquaman B
    Batman lenticular
    Cyborg A (last issue for me)
    Deathstroke B
    Harley Quinn B
    Justice League A
    Nightwing A
    Superman B
    Black Bolt (Pope variant)
    Bullseye
    Spider-Gwen…checked with 3 shops…none qualified for the Resurrxion variant.
    Spidey Deadpool
    Poe Dameron
    Rogue One variant
    X-Men Gold (Campbell variant)
    Secret Empire (Granov variant)
    Extremity
    Walking Dead
    Stained A…only one shop had copies…cvr B unavailable.
    Pestilence B…also have access to two copies of A if I want them.
    From prior week, also got another Redneck gold foil and some delayed Marvel variants…
    Black Panther (Anka variant)
    Deadpool vs Punisher (Chaykin variant)
    Man-Thing variant
    Darth Maul (all 3 variants – did Marvel really have to do three 1 in 25 variants for this book?)
    X-Men Blue (Ramos variant)
    I passed on the Guardians of the Galaxy (Francis Yu variant), the Iron Fist (JG Jones variant) and the Jean Grey (Stephanie Hans variant)…these 1 in 50 variants were too pricey…and I just wasn’t really excited about them…plus I’m getting tired of all the GOTG relaunches. And did we really need 3 separate GOTG titles this week?…I passed on all of them.

    1. I am going to check out FCBD at my lcs. Are people interested in sharing their free grabs? I’ll post mine tomorrow!

      1. Please do. I will have a review of all the books later tonight. I have pdf’s of all the books. I can say the D.C. Books are weak. Guardians has a new character/race. Some kind of Raptor people. Secret empire has Cap with Thor’s Hammer.
        Sent from my iPhone
        >

  24. FCBD picks at my LCS!
    Thanks Anthony for your quick tips!
    My shop allowed 5 picks for adults and unlimited for kids!
    My picks:
    Avatar (Dark Horse)
    Captain Canuck (Chapterhouse)
    Guardians of the Galaxy (Marvel)
    Secret Empire (Marvel)
    X-O Manowar (Valiant)
    There was 1 Bongo Simpsons left on the table and the kid picked it upon my advice. Woot!
    It was a successful day at my local comic shop! It was busy with parents and kids. Two artists, signing on site; Jay Baruchel and Kalman Andrasofszky for Chapterhouse’s Captain Canuck! It’s looking good!

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