DrunkWooky’s Crystal Ball Spec!

Variants are great, exclusives are nice, but we all know that what’s inside make a comic last. This column is about the meat between the shiny incentive cover and the final full-page ad on the back for a toy you’re a little to old to admit to owning! What is going on inside that is going to be a big deal? This is where we guess. This is DrunkWooky’s Crystal Ball Spec!

“This week is all about things we pretend to hate, but love! First, the rumor mill. Second, cross-overs!

With blockbuster films from the big two taking our money with regularity and indie books being optioned for TV every other day, the rumor mill has pumping hard these past 18 months or so. We complain that it is all unfounded and that they circulate purely as “click-bait”, but who here is glad they picked up What If… #10 before Thor took off her helmet? When the speculation is low price and the reward is potentially high, why not have some fun?

Recently, rumors have been circling that Chris Pine (Captain James Kirk in Star Trek (2009); Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013) is up for the role of Hal Jordan in Warner Bros Green Lantern reboot. What’s so interesting about this rumor is the new comic releases this week. Which brings me to the next thing we pretend to hate, but really love; cross-overs!

Archie vs. Predator
Archie vs. Sharknado
Star Trek/ Planet of the Apes
Ghostbusters Get Real

Is there no end to the cross-over madness!? NO! And we hope it never ends! I refuse to stop reading at least issue #1 of every cross-over until I see Furby vs. Mothra! I look forward to my regular pulls, sure! I like carrying on the story where we left off last month. But, when a cross-over comes out, something inside me gets giddy and I can’t wait to see what madness awaits me within a comic willing to tear down the walls of intellectual property rights!

At any rate, Star Trek/Green Lantern: The Spectrum War #1 comes out this week. In the preview we see Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk likeness investigating a Rogue Planet where Mogo, the last Green Lantern has just been slain. Mogo leaves behind the full spectrum of lantern corps rings. Will we see Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk take up the mantle as the Green Lantern? Will he join forces with Hal Jordan? Either way, if the rumor of Chris Pine playing Warner Bros’ Green Lantern are true, this would be an eerie coincidence. Owning the first Green Lantern media appearance of Chris Pine’s likeness may have some future value. Then again, it may not.

At a $3.99 cover price, and with tons of great retailer variants, this book could be some fun spec to add to your pulls this week! I’m partial to Francesco Francavilla’s cover work, and this minimalist cover is no exception. This should be among your Local Comic Shop’s direct market variants.

Along with the regular direct market variants, there are a number of retailer exclusives which look awesome, too. We’ve got Hastings, Books-a-Million, Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, and Newbury Comics exclusives among others. My personal favorite, again, is the Francesco Francavilla ComicBlock exclusive which seems like an alternate take on his direct market variant.

Worst case scenario:
Chris Pine wants nothing to do with the role of Hal Jordan. Then you have a great cross-over with some pretty fantastic interior art. The novel cross-over story should be worth the $3.99 price of admission alone.

Best case scenario:
Chris Pine ends up playing Hal Jordan and the Star Trek fan boys and girls start clamoring for this perhaps overlooked #1.

Happy speculating!