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ARTICLE 10
I must have been one of the original consumer purchasers of Previews in the UK. So fascinated was I by comics, I used to buy the single Previews my retailer bought, after she'd finished using it. If she remembered. When Previews started coming out as a consumer edition, I was a very happy man.
A thin thing it was then, with a few ads and meagre listings. And as the comics industry boomed, so did the size of Previews. I collected them as much as I did comics. I remember once, in my student flat, while working out what should stay and what should go as I prepared to move down south to Oxford, that the stack of Previews towered over me. Seven feet of it. It had to go.
From that point on, Previews was as ephemeral to me as it was intended to be. I kept buying it, using it, then throwing it away.
And then one day I stopped buying it all together. Living in London, with four or five comic shops close to my work, the need to preorder had faded. So I stopped reading Previews. Coming back to it at Ninth Art's prodding is a peculiar practice.
Despite the bust that followed the boom, Previews has not shrunk back to its original size. Instead the monster has preserved its massive proportions by allowing companies' listings to expand, and increasing its coverage of comics-related product. (The word 'related' seems to be defined as 'anything that goes in Previews'. I expect to see lawnmowers in there soon.)
So what do I make of all this? What stands out?
The Marvel pullout section, removing Marvel's titles from the riff raff of competitors, seeks to revive the Marvel zombie. The reader who will only buy Marvel and seek not to go elsewhere for their comic thrills. However, it simultaneously puts over a barrier for general comic readers who might find additional thrills from Marvel. As a branding exercise, its not one without danger, but one that Marvel can profit from where, say, CrossGen or Avatar could not.
It is also a possible first step in Marvel pulling out of Previews and going to Client Distribution Services for the direct market as well as the bookstore distribution. More of that this summer.
However the 'free' sample of THE PULSE is entertaining, and firms my position to buy the trade of THE PULSE when it comes out, as I did ALIAS.
I hardly do singles these days. John Byrne, Peter David and others may throw scorn upon me for that, but I make my decisions based on what publishers offer, what my own reading tastes are like, and what format I prefer. Trades and original graphic novels make for a more enjoyable reading experience, and the consumer is meant to be selfish. That's where supply and demand comes from. There are exceptions, and we'll get to those.
MARVELS 10TH ANNIVERSARY HARDCOVER, by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross
JAN04 1587, Marvel Previews pg 53, $49.99
The reconstructed superhero. The Marvel Universe retold in photo-realistic artwork and from the perspective of a minor powerless participant. One of the great superhero works of the 90s repackaged in a special edition.
X-STATIX VOL 3: BACK FROM THE DEAD, by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred
JAN04 1602, Marvel Previews pg 60, $19.99
Um, okay, this trade collects Princess Diana's revival as a mutant superhero... or it would have, if Avi Avad hadn't gone medieval on Bill Jemas and Joe Quesada's collective double-arse. And if I hadn't given the story to the Daily Mail. Oops.
Gotta say, Dark Horse's profile has been boosted more than any other by Previews. Front of the book, huge minimalist spaces for the listings, they almost look like the real deal!
HELLBOY: THE CORPSE, by Mike Mignola
JAN04 0022, pg 20, $00.25
The HELLBOY 25c one-shot is a great HELLBOY short story, and a wonderful way to grab movie audiences and pull them in to HELLBOY comics. Hopefully retailers and Dark Horse will actually attempt some cinema outreach on this.
I appear to have come across a baseball trading card in Previews. It is of Freddy Garcia, there's a little bit of silver metallic lettering and he looks as if he's just had a bite of the delicious baseball in his hand. Onwards!
CASTLE WAITING: THE LUCKY ROAD, by Linda Medley
JAN04 0033, pg 27, $17.95
THE LUCKY ROAD is a trade paperback of Linda Medley's self-published series, due to be revived by Dark Horse. CASTLE WAITING was a beautifully drawn although not that inspired fantasy series with castles, heroines and horses. Medley dropped WAITING to work on a DC Vertigo series that never saw print. Hopefully, this will kick things off again.
EISNER/MILLER TPB, by Frank Miller and Will Eisner
JAN04 0035, pg 29, $19.95
Frank Miller interviews Will Eisner, while Will Eisner interviews Frank Miller. For 350 pages. This will make those Comic Journal interviews look like something out of Wizard.
Okay, DC. Hmmm. DC's Previews section looks exactly like it did five years ago when I dropped Previews. Dark, moody, full of horrible flashy colours and condensed information to a point where it's easier just to flip past.
IT'S A BIRD HC, by Steven T Seagle and Teddy Kristiansen
JAN04 0295, pg 64, $24.95
Worthy slice-of-life, internal monologue, post modernist look at the impact of the concept of Superman from within his world. Metahuman meets metafiction. By a SUPERMAN writer, looking at his own experiences of coming to grips with the character. And it's going to be fairly heavy as well. The kind of project you think Vertigo used to do, but never really did.
A GREGORY TREASURY VOL 1 TPB, by Marc Hempel
JAN04 0264, pg 81, $9.95
GREGORY is Marc Hempel's finest hour, never bettered, not even by TUG AND BUSTER. Gregory is a child-like character in a mental asylum, who actually likes it there. Plots are imposed on him by the state and the authorities. Narrative is provided by a rat. Gregory just responds. A stunning work that it's wonderful to see DC dig into their back catalogue to revive. How about BEAUTIFUL STORIES FOR UGLY CHILDREN next?
Image's Previews section looks fairly weighty. Shame that little entices. Even SAVAGE DRAGON has skipped this month. Oh, but wait...
HEAVEN LLC, by Wayne Chinsang and Dave Crosland
JAN04 1297, pg 143, $12.95
I have no idea what this original graphic novel will be like. But Heaven run as a corporate body entices me. The cover looks nice, and Dave Crosland's art on PUFFED was super. Sold.
AARDVARK VANAHEIM
CEREBUS #300, by Dave Sim and Gerhard
JAN04 1993, pg 196, $2.25
I like CEREBUS. I still like CEREBUS. I've thought the last few years have been some of the best CEREBUS ever. I know this puts me in a minority. Possibly double figures, if that.
This 6000 page graphic novel is not only a testament to dedication, but to quality. Dave Sim stopped targeting an audience and talked to himself, which made for a much more enjoyable work - for me, anyway. The artwork became beautiful and stayed beautiful. The themes and ideas behind politics, religion, media, art, entertainment, the human condition, have been explored in more depth in CEREBUS than in any other comic. Any complexities in the plots were deflected by the great moments. Dave Sim can do a moment like none other. And despite what the Eisners may say, there is no one who comes even close to being the letterer Dave Sim is - he's a living case for the folly of computer lettering.
And this is where it ends.
Just as I remember as a small child working out how old I'd be in the year 2000, and was it possible for me to be that old, I realised how old I'd be when CEREBUS #300 would come out, and doubted I'd make it. Still no guarantee that I will, of course. Watch out for that bus!
Matt Wagner said that Dave Sim will commit suicide after issue #300. I hope he doesn't.
And I'll be buying this comic book as a single.
THE FACTOR TPB, by various
JAN04 2008, pg 196, $9.95
I drew two chapters of this. That alone should make you seek this outside-perspective-on-a-superhero from Nat Gertler.
And now we're into the mire. I can see why the big publishers with lots of money don't like being in here. Shit comic after shit comic... despite the contraction of the industry, there still seems to be as many terrible comics with women wielding swords and wearing blood and little else on the cover. I want my Mummy!
This is really hurting. Help!
I've reached the Avatar section, and not even NIGHTJAR from Ninth Art's own Antony Johnston is helping (a comic so good, Antony moved hundreds of miles to live where the comic is set after going there on a research trip). I cling to the hope of Mark Millar's UNFUNNIES at the bottom of the page. Must I go on? Must I?
I can't believe it was ever this bad when I used to read it. Did I become numb to this offensive mind-scrubbing bollocks?
There are some moments of joy as I fall through the abyss. The last BONE hardcover. (CROWN OF HORNS, by Jeff Smith. Cartoon Books, JAN04 2210, pg 230, $24.95)
Okay things are looking a little tamer now. The rush to be at the front of Previews by naming yourself Armadillo or Abergavenny or Aaaaaachoo are over. There's still a lot of nonsense, but I can cope with it. Just. At least all the licensed stuff doesn't offend the eye.
THE COMPLETE PEANUTS VOLUME 1 1950-1952 HC, by Charles Schulz
JAN04 2427, pg 285, $28.95
Bless. A younger, nastier Peanuts. Ultimate Peanuts.
DEATH AND CANDY #4, by Max Andersson
JAN04 2433, pg 288, $4.95
I don't know this comic book. But it has a photo-representation of a Flatland dog on the cover. If only everything in this magazine did.
I'm flipping through the pages now, just relying on visual flashes. Ducks... Dykes... Steven Nile's movie-pitches-as-comic-books...
LUMAKICK #2, by Richard Hahn
JAN04 2548, pg 306, $5.95
I liked LUMAKICK #1. That came out ages ago. Waiting for the trade might kill me. Short stories about an odd professor. Simultaneously minimalist and busy. Neat trick.
THREE STRIKES GN, by Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir and Brian Hurtt
JAN04 2611, pg 312, $14.95
An Oni graphic novel by some Marvel creators who work on a comic I don't read. But this is from Oni, so I'll read it.
JULIUS GN, by Antony Johnston and Brett Weldele
JAN 04 2612, pg 312, $14.95
A graphic novel from Antony Johnston again. And this time it's got a black man on the cover. A London gangland story - and it'll probably be better than SNATCH.
QUEEN AND COUNTRY VOL 5: OPERATION STORMFRONT TP, by Greg Rucka and Carla Speed McNeil
Softcover: JAN04 2613, pg 314, $14.95
Hardcover: JAN04 2614, pg 314, $30.00
More non-glamorous espionage stuff. Keeping the TPB series going nicely. And sits nicely next to 100 Bullets on the bookshelf. Until the whole shelf keels over...
STONEHAVEN GN, by Kevin Tinsley and Phil Singer
Hardcover: JAN04 2674, pg 320, $38.95
Softcover: JAN04 2675, pg 320, $19.95
Some kind of magical realism, modern fantasy thing. Maybe it'll be a bit like NIGHTWATCH or ANGEL or something. Maybe it'll be shit. In that case, the wife will love it. Okay, let's give this a try.
CLASSIC DAN DARE: VOYAGE TO VENUS VOLUME ONE HC, by Frank Hampson
JAN04 2684, pg 322, $19.95
The quintessential sci-fi comic book that fired the imaginations of British children and built a generation of scientists. This comic book is to blame for the failure of the Beagle 2 Mars Lander, and for that it should be celebrated. The British Empire takes to the stars, and it's something to read while you're waiting for MINISTRY OF SPACE. In fact, you may decide to stick with the original and not bother with issue #3.
Ah, TokyoPop. Lots of girl-friendly, kid-friendly, mass-public graphic novels that will sell in their hundreds and thousands in bookstores, yet will be lucky to shift a single copy in most comic stores. I'm not surprised, they're mostly terrible - there's a lot of fluffy versions of the women with bloody swords - but a lack of quality doesn't stop all those other comics being in the Top 100 comic store sales.
VAN HELSING'S NIGHT OFF, by Nicholas Mahler
JAN04 2750, pg 328, $12.95
Horror movie archetypes given the indie comics twist.
WARBURGER ANTHOLOGY, by Stripburger
JAN04 2752, pg 330, $24.95
Stripburger is a continually stunning East European anthology featuring some of the world's most talented artists and writers. And so what does Marvel do? Stripmines them to work on CABLE. Anyway, this volume looks at war. Something they've had first hand contact with fairly recently, and as a result, they're in an expert position to offer commentary and advice on the situation in Iraq.
See TokyoPop.
And we're only half way through Previews. Quick flickflickflickflick, magazines... toys... statues... lawnmowers... clothes... games... ha ha ha ha, an AUTHORITY role playing game ha ha ha ha... videos... DVDs... and... I'm out.
Please don't make me go back.
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