Welcome once again to another fabulous week of new comic book picks and speculation of what we might be this weeks winners.
May has been kind of a dud for me. Been mostly reader books each week and nothing really as exciting. But let’s not allow that to stop us from doing what we do, spec and drek.
DC/Vertigo Picks
It’s a great cover, another Killer B by Joshua Middleton.
That pick goes to Batgirl #35 (Middleton Variant).
It won’t heat up nor will it cause any mad rushes out to the comic shop this week but it’s still another great cover for the Middleton collection.
The read of the week goes to Martian Manhunter #5 (of 12) which also has another great Middleton Variant cover.
Great series that everyone should read if you’re not already reading.
You don’t even have to be a Martian Manhunter fan to enjoy, as I wasn’t myself when I picked this series.
Marvel Picks
Picked for it’s awesome cover, this weeks pick goes to Venom #14 Lim’s Battle Lines Variant cover.
These themed variants do not heat up or end up being long term spec picks and I expect this to fall into that category, it’s still a nice pick up for the personal collection.
Particularly if you’re a Carnage fan, it’s a definite must. The regular Kyle Hotz cover (Venom #14 Regular Cover) is pretty sweet as well.
War of the Realms Agents of Atlas #2 is already selling out online. We can certainly expect a smaller print run than issue #1 (which you can pre-order the 2nd print which actually has a pretty sweet cover: War of Realms New Agents of Atlas #1 2nd Printing).
So this might not be a bad pickup since Marvel seems to be pushing these new characters into the Marvel Universe.
Indie Picks
Drawing Blood Spilled Ink #1 was a book we mentioned a while back in our Indie Spotlight for Previews.
It’s a mini-series but has been on my check out list since first reading about it myself. Seems some retailers already showing this one sold out and a few listings on the secondary market already putting this a wee bit over cover price.
Kevin Eastman (TMNT) returns to independent comics with a new creation: an inside look at the turbulent life and times of a once-successful cartoonist on the skids, Shane “Books” Bookman. Once upon a time, Books co-created The Radically Rearranged Ronin Ragdolls: a gritty, funny indie comic that became a billion dollar global franchise. Now, years later, the partnership dissolved, the corporate buy-out all spent, Books is struggling to recover from the hit-and-run driver called early success… and looking for the will and the joy to create something new again. Co-created by Kevin Eastman and David Avallone (Elvira, Bettie Page).
Radically Rearranged Ronin Ragdolls One-Shot is the other pick. Both from Eastman Studios. The story within the story. Kickstarter books are doing pretty well on the secondary market.
I like the concept and hope these are great reads to be honest.
From the pages of Drawing Blood and the mind of Kevin Eastman comes the story-inside-the-story: the indie comic about three crime-fighting mutant cats which launched the Ragdolls franchise in 1992, and kicked off Ragdolls-mania! See where it all began, in this thrilling one-shot from co-creators Kevin Eastman (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and David Avallone (Elvira, Bettie Page).
Small Publisher Picks
Invisible Kingdom #3 is my read of the week. Another great story with great artwork. Pick it up if you haven’t done so already.
The book with potential is Ghost Tree #2 and there’s also the Ghost Tree #1 (2nd Printing) hitting shelves this week. The first print saw some great reviews while heating up over cover.
Seems a few listings at time of writing already listing for more than cover price.
Now on with the dreaded “avoid” pick, every writer and artist worst nightmare when it comes to selling their hard work.
It’s a smaller week, so nothing made it to my drek pick for this week. I know, lame. I always tell people, picking a drek is harder than picking the winners.
What do you think of the spec value on Middleton’s Batgirl variants moving forward (meaning the ones he continues to produce in the future)? I have a whole set of everything that’s come out, but I can’t see these having much long term value, especially now that they’re going 4.99 and the covers are always revealed beforehand.
Sadly the spec value has dropped and unless retailers get hit with a surprise hit by not ordering enough, most have caught onto the Killer B game. I almost see the Killer B’s as just personal collection books for the most part, not spec type books.