Marvel Comics On-Sale 7/20/11

Here's the list of Marvel releases for this week!  Am I the only one who thinks that they are KILLING us with Fear Itself tie-ins???  Its just getting ridiculous.

AVENGERS #15 FI

AVENGERS ACADEMY #16 FI

CAPTAIN AMERICA CORPS #2 (OF 5)

DAREDEVIL #1

FEAR ITSELF DEADPOOL #2 (OF 3) FI

FEAR ITSELF FEARSOME FOUR #2 (OF 4) FI

FEAR ITSELF FF #1 FI

FEAR ITSELF HOME FRONT #4 (OF 7) FI

GENERATION HOPE #9

HERC #5 FI

HULK #37 FI

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #506 FI

IRON MAN 2.0 #7 FI

MARVEL UNIVERSE VS WOLVERINE #2 (OF 4)

SKAAR KING OF SAVAGE LAND #5 (OF 5)

SPIDER-ISLAND SPOTLIGHT

THOR HEAVEN AND EARTH #1 (OF 4)

ULTIMATE COMICS FALLOUT #2 (OF 6) DOSM

UNCANNY X-MEN #541 FI

VENOM FLASHPOINT #1

X-FACTOR #222

X-MEN #15

10 Things to Look For When Buying/Grading Back Issues

When you go out to your local comic store and you're looking through the back issues (especially those $1 or 50 cent bins that I love so dearly).  It important to keep in mind that there's possibly a good reason that this particular issue is being practically given away.  Now for the most part the issues you find in there aren't anything special and there's millions of them in circulation and that all the reason there is....BUT if you find some rare exquisite gem hiding in a box of cheap comics you may want to take a second look!  Of course there's always the chance they threw it in there by accident and by the standards of the American Economic System, that tough for them and you just got a crazy cheap and wonderful issue, but chances are there is some sort of defect or problem with the issue even if you don't readily see one.

So here I have compiled a list of some key things to look for when you are stocking up on back issues for awesome prices.  These are also some great pointers if you are trying to learn about grading comics.  There is, of course, much more to it but follow some of these pointers and you'll be on your way.

1. Creases/Tears in  Cover and Pages - Obviously the easiest thing to look for is glaring rips in the pagesor cover, but also look a little closer for damages that might not be so prevalent.  I've seen people buy an issue that comes with a bag and board only to get home and take it out to find the large pieces of the back cover missing or pages that have been folded inside the comic for years, leaving a crease that will likely never go away.
2. Stains/Watermarks - Another, typically glaring, type of damage to look for is stains or water marks.  These are sometimes harder to find as they can show up anywhere on a perfectly clean page.  So if you casually flip through a book it can be easy to miss a spot where someone's drink or food may have spilled on the page really close to the spine on or the back 
3. Writing - This is honestly a new problem for me, but its happened more then once recently so it seem worth mentioning.  I have recently buy several older issues of original X-men and found that the cover has been written on (i.e. the title letters traced or filled in) or the inside has initials (marking ownership by someone who didn't care much about their comics condition.  I know to most of the people reading this, it seems like sacrilege to write on an issue, but it DOES happen so if you start buying cheap back issues in bulk like I did you should be watchful of it.
4. Loose/Missing Staples - This is just something that happens sometimes when comic are printed.  Either the staple misses or doesn't go in right or whatever, but occasionally you get an issue where one of the staples is only half in or missing completely.  A lot of times the rest of the comic is just fine and for the one or two times you are going to read it, just be a bit extra careful.
5. Missing Pages Cover - This sort goes along with tears and creases that I mentioned in the first item.  It really pays to take the time and look through an issue before you buy it (many local stores will allow you to look briefly through an issue to check for damage, NOT READ IT).  I've found entire pages or the back cover missing.  Easily avoidable and will save you MUCH frustration later.
6. Discoloration of Pages - This another one that simply happens over time.  You'll find this problem a lot when you buy older issues like the 60's or early 70's, as a book ages the pages begin to yellow a bit and the coloring fades.  Not really a big deal and most collector or graders know to expect it, so its just a matter of does it bother you.
7. Spine Wearing/Rolling - This can be caused by age, poor handling, or just bad printing, but sometimes you'll notice that the spine is severely creased, the top and bottom are worn and about to split, or even (in the case of many Annual issues, where the book isn't folded but glued with a real spine) that the "spine writing" is somehow more on the front then the side. A lot of times you'll find that the pages inside are in fine condition and then its a judgement call about how much M/NM condition really means to you.
8. Adhesives - This is right up there with writing on the book.  Sometimes you'll find little price stickers or colored dots or even, god forbid, scotch tape.  DON'T PANIC! Breathe.  Scotch tape is often a lifelong problem especially if its an older issue where the tape has been there for a long time but I often find that with prices stickers or colored dots that if you SLOWLY AND PATIENTLY peel them back, they remove just fine.
9. Corners/Edges - These isn't one specific things to look for here, just keep a general eye on the corners and edges of the issues you are buying.  Often you'll find the corners of issues or blunted, torn off or folded over while the edges are very prone to tiny nicks, or dents.  Most of the time these are very superficial damage
10. Deformed Copies of the Issue - Once again, this just happens.  When you print millions of copies of ANYTHING there is bound to be some mistakes and mechanical errors.  Often you'll find issues that are brand new (within a few weeks) in a cheap box of comics because a page has a piece that wasn't cut right or is folded  over and then was cut like that.  Could be anything, and often these issues were supposed to cost $3-$10.  So unless you are super OCD and need a perfect pristine copy of every issues, these are often a good deal if you just want storyline.

These are just a few things to look for when you are buying older back issues, especially if you are raiding the bargain bins.  If you are a serious collector then you have your books that are important and have to be perfect but you probably also have runs of books that you just want completed, that are maybe a bit less important and some of these tips will help you find the difference while you are shopping around.

A Fantastic Cameo - Review Iron Age #2

I'm torn on what I think of this series...

On the one hand they marketed this series ALL WRONG!  This series was advertised as the "Return of Dark Phoenix" with all the excitement that comes with such an exciting proclamation.  However, aside from a lackluster appearance in Iron Age: Alpha where has our little celestial ginger been?  NO WHERE TO BE SEEN, that's where.  Now admittedly she looks to be showing up next issue finally so maybe ther is hope...but let me just say, when Marvel markets the real Dark Phoenix, those of us obsessed with the Phoenix expect to see THE PHOENIX.  I mean, I know that she was technically there but we are 3 issues into this storyline and all we've seen is her getting manhandled by a few Doombots and then destroying the world.  Now forget that those Doombots should be slag, but, by destroying the world and sending Tony into the past, she went from amazing cosmic return to convenient storyline gimmick just get us to read and get Iron Man to the past.

Now on the other hand...it was heartwarming AND heartbreaking to see Johnny.  And not smooth super hero Johnny from right before his death, no no no we got old (early 70's) Johnny Storm, rife with all his insecurities and still unsure of his place on the Fantastic Four.  It was also nice hearing Tony's regret about not know Johnny as well as the other members of the FF (a common theme with Tony as he is flung through time, Tony's regrets throughout his past).  One almost wonders if, in the course of history, this interaction is part of what made Johnny strive to be a better hero, and he just always thought he was keeping this moment between him and Iron Man private (whereas secretly the current Iron Man of that present had no idea).  This theme of Tony addressing past mistakes was laso present in the first story with Luke Cage (in all his bright yellow Power Man glory) and Iron Fist, as he remembered his mistakes and also helped reunite PM and IF with Misty and Colleen.

Overall, I have to say I DO like this story a lot...as an Iron-Man-confronts-his-past story.  However, with the way that this story was marketed as a return of Dark Phoenix story left huge shoes to fill and I don't feel like its lived up to the hype.  Now there's still issues #3 and Omega, and perhaps we will get lots of Phoenix-y goodness and we fanatics will get what we were hoping for...stranger things have happened...

My Weekly Pull List - 7/13/11

ALPHA FLIGHT #2 (FI)

BLACK PANTHER MAN WITHOUT FEAR #521 (FI)

FEAR ITSELF SPIDER-MAN #3 (FI)

FF #6

GHOST RIDER #1 (FI)

JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #625 (FI)

NEW AVENGERS #14 (FI)

NEW MUTANTS #27

X-MEN SCHISM #1 (S)

Edit: Also I picked up Iron Age #2 while I was at the store...how could I forget!

Yet another week of MANY Fear Itself tie-ins, thank god these have been pretty good for the most part because if these tie-in's were like the Chaos War tie-in's I have been QUITE upset.

Make sure you're checking out Comic-Page!

The new Comic-Page site is coming along really well.  So far I have added all members of the X-men, X-Factor, Excalibur New Mutants, and X-Force.  Coming soon you'll see New/Young X-men and then we'll start working on some of the major villain teams.  Also keep an eye out for A-Page and 4-Page soon too! 

Do Comic Book Gimmicks Really Work Anymore?

This may seem like a redundant but with the recent release of Ultimate Spider-man #160 in all its polybagged glory are we going to see the comeback of some of these 90's gimmicks?  After all, when I started collecting 20 years ago that where I started!  First appearances, foils covers, holograms, embosses, cut out and the infamously polybag just daring you to open it and see what goodies came inside.  Now while the others would incite most collectors back then to purchase a copy of a book they wouldn't normally buy, the polybag gimmick was especially effective in its time because collectors would buy not just one copy to own but, sometimes two and three copies (like my three copies of Adventures of Superman #500 which, at the time, promised to be QUITE the collectors item): 1 to keep closed, 1 to open and (for the die hard fanatics) 1to sell in the future when it invariably became worth a fortune.  As the 90's closed we saw the demise (for the most part) of these sparkly shiny gimmicks and the promises of priceless issues that came with it, and, as the 2000's opened, we all discovered that they were worth nothing because of the way they were FLOODED to the market during their release.  Que sera sera!

But Alas!  What have we here...Ultimate Spider-man #160 featuring the death of Ultimate (not to be confused with the real) Peter Parker...in its own opaque polybag.  So did this much hyped storyline and polybagged conclusion gain the extra readership and boost sales the way it was supposed to?  Not according to Gary Loring of Gary Comics and More who told the New York Post that the specific issue sold less then even a typical issue of Ultimate Spider-man.  The cause of this is cited that people would come in and ask for the issue but would be dissuaded by the polybag because they could see the issue or contents before buying.

So let this be a lesson to you Marvel.  There is a reason comics took a down turn in the 90's and all the gimmicks and tricks used during that time were more or less abandoned.  Not to mention that collectors are a little savvier now (with less younger collectors and most having collected for aroudn as long as I have) and aren't likely to fall for such blatant marketing tactics anymore.  Now granted instead we get multiple tie-ins to every story and variant covers to EVERYTHING, but at least we get more story or different artists instead of just a flashier cover.

Marvel Comics On-Sale 7/13/11

OK everyone with Schism FINALLY getting underway this week, its your last chance to take part in my poll!  Which side are you on? Team Cyclops or Team Wolverine? Vote Now!  Schism Poll

ALL WINNERS SQUAD BAND OF HEROES #2

ALPHA FLIGHT #2 (FI)

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #665

BLACK PANTHER MAN WITHOUT FEAR #521 (FI)

CAPTAIN AMERICA #1

DAKEN DARK WOLVERINE #11

DEADPOOL #40

DEFENDERS FROM MARVEL VAULT #1

FEAR ITSELF SPIDER-MAN #3 (FI)

FF #6

FORMIC WARS BURNING EARTH #7

GHOST RIDER #1 (FI)

INCREDIBLE HULKS #632

JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #625 (FI)

KA-ZAR #2

MYSTERY MEN #3

NEW AVENGERS #14 (FI)

NEW MUTANTS #27

PUNISHERMAX #15

SUPER HEROES #16

ULTIMATE AVENGERS VS NEW ULTIMATES #6 (DOSM)

ULTIMATE AVENGERS VS NEW ULTIMATES #6 HITCH VARIANT (DOSM)

ULTIMATE COMICS FALLOUT #1 (DOSM)

UNCANNY X-FORCE #11 2ND PRINTING BROOKS VARIANT     

WOLVERINE #12

X-MEN SCHISM #1 (S)

X-MEN SCHISM #1 BRADSHAW VARIANT (S)

(DOSM) = Death of Spider-man

(FI) = Fear Itself

(S) = Schism

Is the Way Mutant Powers Manifest Reactionary?

Ever notice that some powers manifest in just the exact right way to save or fix a situation?  Even though mutant powers are something that they are born with, they always seem to have just the right manifestation to save the day.   

Take Cannonball for example.  What if he never got trapped in that mine shaft?  In that exact moment he need a cannonball or a wrecking ball or something destructive with forward momentum to save his own life so he became a human cannonball.  However we've now seen in later year that that's not the extent of his power...what if he was in a collapsing building and had tons of debris falling on top of him? Would his power have activated then in the effect of a forcefield (which we now know he can do)?  Or what if Sam Guthrie wasn't the good upstanding person he is and instead got into a drunken fight with someone much larger then him?  Could his power have first manifested in blast field powered punch to save himself in the fight?  These are all powers that he is now shown to have so I would think his powers could easily have activated in those ways first under the right conditions.  Maybe he could only cannonball at first because that's the form his power first catalyzed in so he got stuck (much like mental blocks self-imposed by Rogue's powers and maybe Cyclops' but I don't know that we are sure about that yet).

Another good example may be Karma and her twin brother.  We never saw much of Tran but Shan has often been noted for having such a very specific telepathic ability.  Well when it first manifested it was in a situation where she needed to control somebody to save her brother...so that's how her power manifested.  And since we are talking about psionic twins, its not such a stretch to think they had some link that caused his powers to react the same as her at that moment.  Even with Jean Grey, her abilities first manifested to connect to her dying friend's mind and from then on her telepathic powers always seemed to have a very empathic feel to them, unlike Psylocke's colder more clinical seeming TP powers.  Other psychics who maybe had no traumatic or specific event happen, such as Professor X, seem to have more general and well rounded powers with less specific features to them.

Even Dazzler to some extent shows evidence of this reactionary power pattern.  One could argue that BECAUSE her powers need sound to create light, shes automatically a good singer (much like Banshee's exceptional hearing), but what if its the other way around?   She grew up always being a good singer and wanting to perform so her powers kicked in while singing onstage at a high school dance the lights on her so she started glowing and then she needed to blind the audience to protect herself.  What if she was just born to convert energy from one form to another but based on the situation when it kicked it, her body adapted to the sound = light combo.  

This of course don't necessarily work in all cases.  Some mutants have powers that they are just born with no matter what (for example claws, wings, or blue skin), but I think some mutants aren't born with a specific powers, just the potential for a type of ability.  With this in mind, who knows if Illyana's life might have gone differently if her teleportation potential had activated somewhere where the link to Limbo was less potent?  Maybe she wouldn't have been connected to stepping disc and she would have opened a different type of portal like Ariel or Blink.  

Fear Itself Half-Time Show - Review

There's a lot to say about this crossover so far.  Some of it good, some of it bad, and some of it just "What were they thinking?"  I am going to get my biggest gripe out of the way right off the bat.  TOO MANY TIE-INS! If you read any my blogs pertaining to Chaos War or referencing Secret Invasion/Civil War, then you know I hate extraneous and pointless tie-ins.  That said, this is a huge storyline with pieces that go all over the world so it makes sense that we would need a decent amount of extra limiteds and one-shots, and I will even give it to them that most of these tie-ins are really well written.  But I have to ask...did we need a Wolverine limited AND an X-Force limited, both released on the same day?  And since we saw Iron Man's adventure in Paris, did we really need to have a Black Widow one-shot?  Not that Natasha's brief tale wasn't fun, but in a storyline that legitimately covers books countries and many books, was it really needed?

Also, and again I repeat that this is a halftime show so there is still time for all the storyline points to connect and make sense, I feel like with all the Worthy all over the world and superheroes rushing around in circles trying to keep up, some of the finer continuity points are getting lost.  For example, when I picked up this week's batch of issues I read Uncanny X-men before reading Thunderbolts and at the beginning of UXM Juggernaut lands on the ground and begins his trek towards San Francisco.  Now last I was reading, he was fighting the Thunderbolts so when I picked up that issue, I was expecting it to end with Marko taking off into the sky so then he presumably lands in UXM.  However, at the end of the issue he's still screwing things up in Chicago.  So I totally accept that they will reconcile all of this before the end of the crossover but for now it makes things a bit hard to follow and keep straight.

My final big complaint - the death of Bucky.  I get that Marvel feels like someone has to die during every crossover to make its exciting (i.e. Goliath, Wasp, Punisher) but the way they kill characters lately really bugs me.  I mean, they left Bucky dead for how many decades? Then they bring him back, make him Winter Soldier, break his brainwashing and make him Captain America after Steve dies.  They even bother to go through the whole "Who Will Wield the Shield?" scenario just to reassure us that Bucky is Captain America now.  So now after all that storylining and character redemption and they just go and kill him.  I get that importance that the new Red Skull killed the new Captain America but why bother going throuhg all the troubel of making him Captain America and Steve in "Commander Rogers" only to have it go back to the way it was before in the next big crossover?

Now with all that out of the way, I DO love this storyline.  Odin has always been this untouchable father figure without a real story of his own and now in one fell swoop we get new family members and a true showing of how much he thinks of lesser being like humans.  Although part of me feels like he always has every intention of helping Earth defend itself because otherwise how did he hear Tony Stark plea?  I don't think Tony has an Asgardian pipeline directly to the All-Father like Thor does so I think that for him to have heard Tony's cries and seen his sacrifice (the scene watching him give up his sobriety was excellent) he must have been already listening.  I wouldn't be surprised to find that he was just forcing Earth's people and his son to rally their forces and show that they deserve to be saved.  

At first I wasn't sure how I felt about the Serpent, just seemed like another God of Fear or Demon of Fear to me and havent we really seen plenty of those before?  But as he gets more power and his Worthy wreak more and more havoc across the Earth, not to mention the newly revealed brotherly rivalry and stolen throne, I find that I am more and more into this newly revealed Asgardian royal.  At the end of this I would like to see him defeated depowered but not destroyed (as characters tend to be in big Asgardian stories) so that we can see him come back without some crazy ret-con explanation.  Maybe hes the Asgardian Maximus the Mad?  A new foil to Thor and Odin now that Loki (for now) is just a mischievous child not the God of Lies.

Overall I am enjoying this storyline and can't wait to see how it turns out.  Between this, Schism, and Children's Crusade I think we are in for a really exciting year after 2011 ends!

Illyria vs Magik

In years past a match up like this would not have been necessarily possible, but thanks to the new trend of continuing TV shows in comic book form, we can do anything now!

VS

Illyana Rasputin "Magik"

For the sake of this mash-up I am going to use each of their best forms.  For Illyria, I am using the version of her just after she took over Fred's body but before she went nuclear with power.  For Magik, I am using her current form since its the one with the most mastery and control of her powers.

Illyria

Powers/Advantages

1) Strength - In this form, Illyria is supremely strong.  She \is shown to be strong enough to take on two vampires at once or fight a fire breathing dragon alone and unarmed.
2) Invulnerable - She is also incredibly durable.  While at full power she is able to withstand swords, axes, and dragon breath as well as take blows (if they land) with offense rather then injury.  Her skin, which in most areas is more like armor, is also capable of regeneration and healing itself.
3) Time Distortion - While it may appear that she vanishes from sight and reappears elsewhere, she actually is able to manipulate time in a controlled area.  She has been shown to slow down time for other while she moves past normally but one can guess that she could also speed up time for an intended target.
4) Speed - Having nothing to do with her time abilities, Illyria is also a very quick and agile opponent.  While not fast enough to move as a blur, enemies (and Spike) have been hard pressed to land even a single blow on her.
5) Empathy - She is able to sense the emotions of those around her. 
6) Fighting Skills - According to Spike, who sparred with her to gauge her abilities, she fighting style is a mixture between Tae Kwon Do and Brazilian Ninjitsu

Weaknesses

Illyria doesn't have any real weaknesses in this form.  She is very prone to disorientation due to the stark newness of her surroundings, and it is also possible that her empathic abilities are slightyl overwhelmed by all the raw human emotion around her.  She also has trouble dealing with the emotional remains of Fred within her.

Magik

Power/Advantages

1) Teleportation - Her primary mutant power is her ability to conjure "stepping discs" into the demonic realm of Limbo and then from there she can summon another disc to anywhere in space or time she chooses.
2) Soul Sword - This blade is fashioned from a piece of Illyana's own soul.  It can not hurt normal people or objects but will disrupt or cancel out magical beings, constructs, or spells. 
3) Soul Armor - Whenever she summons her Soul Sword she is also covered by an enchanted armor made of the same material as the sword.  This armor is shown to be able to resist mighty blows and also grants her a measure of super human strength.
4) Magical Prowess - During her time in Limbo Illyana was an apprentice to both Belasco and Storm.  From Storm, she learned all about white magic and its healing effects, but by Belasco she was tutored in the Black Arts.  She uses a combination of these teachings to create many magical effects including: 

• Summoning lesser demons
• Blasts of magical energy
• Necromancy
• Astral Projection
• Possession
• Scrying (using her enchanted mirror)
• Generation and manipulation of eldritch fire
• Magical Force Fields
• Casting magical spells from arcane lore

5) Fight Skills - During the years in Limbo, there was a period where she was taught how to survive on the harsh Limbo terrain by Cat, an alternate version of Kitty Pryde twisted by Belasco's magic.

Weaknesses

Illyana's main weakness is that the majority of her magical abilities are restricted to only when she is in Limbo..  Outside of Limbo she is limited to just the use of her stepping discs and her Soul Sword.  Also, her Soul Armor must by summoned like her Sword so, if caught unaware without it on, she can be injured the same as any normal human.

Fight!

Let's just assume that this battle start in our dimension, the first thing that Illyana would do is try to get Illyria into Limbo so she can access the full array of her sorceress powers.  In years past this would never happen but now that she has fully mastered her stepping disc power there is a much better chance of success.  Now with Illyria's time distortion abilities this is still much easier said then done but between dodging stepping discs and swings from the Soul Sword (which I believe would cause incredible damage to Illyria who is chock full of magical energy) I think that eventually Illyria would misstep and find herself within the demonic realm of Limbo.  As long as they remain on Earth this batlte would pretty much be a game of cat and mouse between the two "women" and if god forbid Illyria caught Magik, she would brutalize her (although the second Illyria took her hands off of her, Illyana would teleport away).

Once the battle made its way to Limbo though the odds change considerably.  First, Illyana would summon the strongest demons under her command to restrain the she-god, which Illyria would promptly tear to shred.  This would give Illyana the moment reprieve she needed to build some of her own mystical energy and unleash an arcane blast of fury at Illyria that would her down for a few moments.  These precious moments would give Illyana the needed seconds to stab her with the Soul Sword.  Short of decapitation, it is doubtful that this would kill Illyria still and coupled with her rapid healing skin she'd be back up on her feet soon enough.  

This battle will predominantly be determined by not just Illyana's ability to stay out of Illyria's reach but also her ability to get Illyria to Limbo.  As long as she is on Earth, she can avoid and dodge Illyria all she wants but she can't do any real damage except, again, to cut Illyria's head off with her Sword which I doubt Illyria's time powers will allow while still on Earth.  In Limbo, Illyana's power greatly increases and she gains the ability to properly damage Illyria with her magic but even still she has to contend with Illyria's constant regeneration.

In the end, I think that Illyria would win in this battle just based on shear endurance.  Even with all of the arcane might at her disposal, eventually Illyana's magical resources would be tapped out and Illyria's "armor" would continue to repair itself throughout the battle.  There is also the chance that Illyana could get killing head shot on Illyria but I really think that would be a slim chance.

New York Comic-Con 2011 - Tickets On-Sale

The New York Comic-Con and Anime Festival is fast approaching in just a few short months!!

Now I am sure that everyone already HAS their tickets but just in case you don't, click this link:

Buy Tickets - New York Comic-Con 2011

The site has all kinds of information on exhibits, panels, guests, and everything else you want to know!

My Weekly Pull List - 7/6/11

FEAR ITSELF #4 (FI)

FEAR ITSELF UNCANNY X-FORCE #1 (FI)

FEAR ITSELF WOLVERINE #1 (FI)

FEAR ITSELF YOUTH IN REVOLT #3 (FI)

HEROES FOR HIRE #9 (FI)

THUNDERBOLTS #160 (FI)

UNCANNY X-MEN #540 (FI)

VENGEANCE #1

X-MEN #14 

I thought about picking up the new Red Skull #1 but it doesn't seem to be a real Fear Itself tie-in so I'm gonna skip it.  I'll get it later if it somehow gets relevant.

Repowering the Mutants: Too Soon?

So at this point the fact that Wanda's returned and may or may not start repowering mutants is no longer news and these aren't spoilers.

I've been reading and posting on several different forums sites and this topic has sparked QUITE the controversy.  Yes even I have succumbed to some sniping with people who have opposing (dare I even say "warring") opinions.

So far opinion has been very split whether or not Wanda should be back and repowering mutants, and, further, what does this mean for M-Day, Decimation, Hope Summers, and the years of gripping stories about the struggling depowered mutants we've been reading?

On one hand, there are those who feel very strongly that it was only a matter of time before not only did Wanda come back but until all the mutants somehow got their powers back.  Now, as of now many high profile mutants have recovered their powers in one form or another (like Professor X, Magneto, Polaris, and Quicksilver to name a few), but the large bulk of the world's mutants remain depowered, and that's not even referring to the countless depowered mutants who lost their lives in the fallout from Decimation (R.I.P. Antonio, Wing, Jay Guthrie, Laurie Collins, and the 27 students who were on the exploding bus).  And let's not forget who we are dealing with here people.  Marvel Comics, as much as I love them to death, are KNOWN for ret-conning their storylines, often in colorful and elaborate ways.  This trend is part of what gives Marvel such an intricate backstory, because half of it got thought up much much later.  That's what one half of the debate is saying.

The other half does not agree.  They are appalled that after giving us years of character growth and development, they are just slipping back into something old and simple.   Some reader weren't happy to see Rictor get his powers back, and felt that it destroyed everything that the writers of X-Factor have built since the character tried to kill himself in the first issue.  Also, its easy to see how Wanda's return and repowering of mutants (even one at a time) could not only nullify Hope Summers' role as Mutant Messiah but also makes her entire journey and struggle to get back to this time somewhat less dire.  There's also, again, the depowered mutants who died, not to mention the ones who lived who wished they hadn't, which all amounts to a degree of genocide that she, whether she repowers mutants or not, is responsible for.  Most of these people think her return and the lifting of her curse could have waited, if it happened at all.

Well, I don't know that there is a right answer, just varying opinions, but lets examine the details.  First let's deal with the Hope thing.  Right off the bat: Wanda's repowering mutants and Hope is fixing the powers of new mutants so its not so much the Wanda would be invalidating Hope's purpose as much as it is Hope just not doing what we expected her to do.  Now if you want to be mad, this is the reason to do it people!  We spent over 2 years and several millenium watching this girl grow up so she could come back and save the mutants, but she only saved and really gives a crap about a handful of brand new mutants (I am sure more then one Utopia resident isn't pleased by that).  Also, back to Wanda, she very clearly isn't erasing Decimation (she said flat out that she can't) so I don't completely understand why people are so upset.  She can't give everyone back their powers, she can't resurrect the dead mutants and she can't undo the damage it all caused.  AT BEST, she can restore one mutant at a time so even IF all the mutants wanted their powers back it would take a very long time.  So really everyone's just upset that Rictor got his powers back...why?  He's proven that he doesn't need them so does that mean he should never get them back?  And isn't this why we read storylines? To see them resolved, right?  I would be upset if Wanda waved her hand and everyone got their powers back and all was well, but that's not whats happening.  This still looks like its going to be a long and arduous journey for Wanda and those around her, which to me makes it just the next chapter in this amazing story Marvel has been telling.

Marvel Comics On-Sale 7/6/11

Here's the list of Marvel Comics On-Sale 7/6/11

ASTONISHING THOR #5

CAP AND THOR AVENGERS #1

CARS 2 #2

DARK TOWER GUNSLINGER BATTLE OF TULL #2

FEAR ITSELF #3 2ND PRINTING VARIANT

FEAR ITSELF #4 (FI)

FEAR ITSELF UNCANNY X-FORCE #1 (FI)

FEAR ITSELF WOLVERINE #1 (FI)

FEAR ITSELF YOUTH IN REVOLT #3 (FI)

HEROES FOR HIRE #9 (FI)

HULK #36 

MARVEL SUPER STARS MAGAZINE #5

MOON KNIGHT #3

OZMA OF OZ #8

RED SKULL #1 

SPIDER-GIRL #8

SPIDER-MAN POWER COMES RESPONSIBILITY #4

SUPER HERO SQUAD MMO MAGAZINE #1

SUPREME POWER #2 (MR)

THUNDERBOLTS #160 (FI)

UNCANNY X-MEN #540 (FI)

VENGEANCE #1

WOLVERINE AND BLACK CAT CLAWS 2 #1

X-23 #12

X-MEN #14 

(FI) = Fear Itself Tie-in

10 Tips to Cheaper Comic Collecting

We all love comics, but the reality of the industry is that they are expensive.  With cover prices now starting at $2.99 and skyrocketing upwards, there is no denying the financial toll that this hobby takes on a collector.  So I put together a quick list of tips to help with the financial burden while you are trying to fill out the gaps in your collection.

1. eBay.  This is the first and best tip I can give you, and here are a few ways to cash in: 
• Lots - On eBay (and similar sites) you can buy your back issues in group or clump of issues.  A lot of seller will sell a specific run of comics or all the issues of a crossover or (as in my case, see my Buying/Selling page) just a random grouping of issues for a set price.  Now here is where a bit of math comes in.  You have to figure out the price per issue to determine if the deal is worth it.  Do this by dividing the total price by the # of issues WARNING: DO NOT FORGET THE SHIPPING!  Some of your trickier sellers will offer you items at an insanely low price and then gouge you with an exorbitant shipping fee.  Do not fall for this, take the extra time to do the math and get the best deal.
• Big stores - A lot of your larger eBay stores (i.e. Mile High Comics, My Comic Shop) will sell a large bulk of their back issue for $1-$1.50 with flat rate shipping regardless of the size of your order.  If you are buying one specific issues, this might not be your best bet but if you are ordering 10-20 issues or more at a time then the savings really add up!
• Don't Buy the First Thing You See - Don't buy an issue the first time you find it. Utilize the Watch and Compare features of your eBay account and take the time to research your product.  Make sure you are getting the best deal possible especially if you aren't dealing in the $1 comics.  You can find some really amazing deals on old and rare issue if you're patient.
2.  Cheap Boxes - Some, not all, comic stores will have several large bins labeled "50 cents" or "$1".  THESE ARE TREASURE TROVES and not to be underestimated.  These boxes are typically FULL of issues that most readers don't want and aren't looking for, but they are also home to that one part of a crossover you missed.  And that last part of the limited series that sold out 5 years ago.  Not to mention all kinds of cool stuff you don't even know you were missing until you see it there.  Definitely worth a look through!
3. Back Issue Boxes - On the saving hierarchy, these rank relatively low, but for the more advanced and experienced collector, who knows what to looks for, this is where you will find most of your issues in the store.
4. Comic Shows - If you have the luxury of living near one of the larger comic book conventions in the world then you know this is the home of deals everywhere!  Here you will find everything I've already listed and more!  50 cent, $1, discounted lots, and 25-80% of issues everywhere.  Its hard to move and not trip over a bargain here.  Spend with caution.
5. No Subscriptions - For some people this is unavoidable, but if you have access to a living breathing comic store then GO THERE.  Mail ordering comics my be convenient but many subscription services do not offer flat rate shipping. So the amount you save on the issues by ordering  through the mail does not cover what you end up spending on the shipping.
6. Buy Supplies in Bulk - This one also requires a bit of math.  When buying your bags and boards (assuming, of course, you as a collector USE bags and boards) buy the packages of 100.  It may cost more at the moment but in the long run you save a good amount and if you are purchasing 8-10 or more issues in a week, these costs add up.
7. Trade with Friends - You will be amazed how many people have comic books just laying around.  Most of your friends probably have comics that were left/given to them or they bought out of boredom, and chances are they don't want them or care about them that much.  Make them an offer!  Most friends, unless its a particularly expensive or rare issue or they are still a collector themselves, will be more then willing to part with it for reasonably cheap (and in some cases free).
8. Know Your Stores - If you're really serious about filling out your collection then knwo the comic book stores in your area.  Know what they have so that you know where to go when you're looking for something.  If you know one store has is more reliable for pulling new issues but another has a better back issue selection then by all means go to both!  There's no law that says you have to stick to one store.
9. Sell! - If you use all the tips above then inevitably you will probably end up with some doubles.  Whether you went nutty at a 50 cent bin (trust me it will seem worth it to spend the 2 quarters rather then miss an issue you aren't sure if you have) or you bought a lot and already had some issues, you will amass a doubles collection.  Sell them!! You don't needs them or they are probably starting to take up space.  Post on eBay, offer them in trades to friends or even (as a last resort) sell them to the local comic store.  You won't get great deals (especially at the comics store, simple fact not opinion) but keep in mind that at a certain point they are just collecting dust.
10. Know What You Are Buying - Be smart!  If you are going to seriously get into collecting know what you are talking about.  Understand about grading, at least the basics.  Know what things are supposed to cost as opposed to what you are paying.  Take the time to do the math on your purchases, you'll be really glad you did.

Happy 4th of July Weekend

What is everyone up to for this holiday weekend??

I hope that everyone is having a fun and safe holiday this weekend.  Drink responsibly and have a great time!

Remember When Comic Books and Fans Were Fun?

Now I have only been actively at this for a few weeks now but I have a few things to say about my recently ventures into community blogging.  I have been on one site, Comic Vine for about 2 years now and I love it there! Its a great community of supportive fans all giving and hearing ideas and commentary about the latest issues as well as old back issues.  Well since I have been trying to promote this site more, I have been going to other comic blog and forum sites to try and get my name and voice out there.

WHAT...A SHOCK TO MY SYSTEM. In the past few weeks I have discovered that not every comic book fan is as open minded as myself and my friends on the Vine.  As I have been interacting with other members of the community and trying to share my thoughts and views, I have been met with a lot of scrutiny and negative feedback.  Now I by no stretch of the imagination think that everyone needs to agree, and I welcome opposing opinions to challenge my own.  I feel that contrasting opinions are what keeps meaningful dialogue going and helps promote deeper thoughts on a topic, but people that just flat out think they are right and others are wrong are just such creative interactions.

When did comic books stop being fun?  Aren't these supposed to be our escape? our release?  I moved past just reading comics and into joining the greater community because I felt like my intense hobby really enriched my life and I wanted to share that with other who felt the same, not for random people to tell me that my opinion is wrong...I get enough of that crap at home :)

Of course this is mostly just one site (which I will not name out of courtesy and respect) but if this is how collectors are getting about their book, thrashing other ideas and hanging artists/writers out to dry, then it begs the question: why bother going online to forums? 

Marvel Anime Trailers

With the Japanese Marvel Animes coming to G4 soon, I wanted to give everyone a look at the trailers for each one.

X-men

Wolverine

Iron Man 

More Mutants! - Avengers: Children's Crusade

OH. MY. GOD!  Well there it is ladies and gents.  The pay off we have been waiting for since the Avengers first Disassembled all wrapped up in a neat little bow.  Now bare with me, we've got a lot to cover here and I don't want to move to quickly...

The Good - We got a few really wonderful moments in this issue.   First, last issue we got Cassie rejoicing the return of her father but in this issue we got to watch him swell with pride to hear not only that his daughter is a superhero but "a good one too".  I personally met Cassie and Scott Lang during their time with the Fantastic Four and always had a fondness for the family so to see them both so happy with love and pride really felt great to read.

There was also the back-to-back action of the double Hawkeyes.  Watching the two glib archers banter at each other in the midst of a very serious situation shows just how much Kate Bishop has earned the name with more then just her eagle eye.

The Bad - I have to say I am hard pressed to find any badness in this series.  The art is flawless and the story has literally left me with tears of excitement more then once.  If I had to have a complaint, it would probably be the bi-monthly release it has going for it.  Now I understand that to everyone else this is all but torture and I completely understand.  I've been using this time in between to build suspense and look forward to the next issue.  With the volumes and volumes of issues that pump out like clock-work every week, I will take a book who's only problem is a longer publication run any day.

And the Wanda - Lets be serious, she gets her own section.  Let me start by saying that I have loved the Scarlet Witch for as long as I have been reading comic books.  Her fiery hair, sassy attitude and "take no s***" personality grabbed me from almost day one.  But I am not someone who needs to see their favorite characters doing the right thing all the time or needs to have them always on the side of the angels.  I was floored by what they did with Wanda during House of M but I loved it all the same and my only concern afterwards was "Where the hell is she?".  Yes we had a few encounters with Beast, Hawkeye, and the Young Avengers but they were all very casual and didnt really tell us anything. 

Well here it all is.  She has her powers, her memories, and most importantly the guilt of murdering several of her teammates including her own husband;  its no wonder that the first thing she tries to do is kill herself.  Enter: Wiccan.  The agitator of this entire series.  When he flew up there to try and talk her down I wasn't sure what was going to happen, but watching the heartfelt scene they both find out the truth of their relationship had my eyes welling up.  It's ironic if you think about it, the entire cause of her meltdown was the realization about the truth of her children and now her salvation is the return to her of those same children (albeit in a bit older).

And who wouldn't understand Madrox's hesitance at putting Rictor at risk, but hearing Rictor talk about losing his connection to the earth its easy to see why he would risk anything.  I really enjoyed Shatterstar's concern over his boyfriend's well being especially since (I was just reading some old X-Force last night actually) in his early appearances he was completely indifferent to the safety of his comrades, even surprising himself the first time he saved Siryn over finishing a fight.

The Concern - This has been one of the best stories that Marvel has put in recent time and I am deathly afraid that, with 3 full issues left in this series, there is still too much time left for Wanda to just be back safe and sound and restoring mutants who want it.  Unfortunately, the "Children's Crusade" seems to be over and there's just enough page space left for them to take back everything they've done in the series.  So I am hopeful that in 6 months (yes thats right, 6 months) when the series ends we still have Wanda and Scott Lang but I worry for their safety.

My Weekly Pull List - 6/29/11

So today I'm adding a new weekly feature: My Weekly Pull List.  Much like on Mondays where I post that weeks releases, this will be what I am picking up for the week.  If I get surprised by anything else I didn't expect to get then I'll let you know later :)

Fear Itself: Black Widow #1
FF#5
Iron Age #1
Uncanny X-men #539
X-men: Prelude to Schism

Sort of a light week for me this week, but that's completely fine with me considering the way they've been killing us with Fear Itself tie-ins.

Hopefully today we will find out what the big menace that's approaching Utopia is...

UPDATE:  How on Earth-616 could I have forgotten Avengers: Children's Crusade!

Captain America : The First Avenger Trailer

Does Magneto's Powers Work on ALL Forms of Metal?

So we obviously know that his powers work on all the normal earth metals like iron, steel, bronze, etc.  And we know that he can manipulate his powers to create gravity fields around non-ferrous objects.  What about the fictional Marvel metals?  Some of them have special properties that could easily lend them to magnetic immunity.

Well we know from the classic X-men (Vol. 2) #25 that it works on adamantium, and I am pretty sure that it works fine on omnium since it is a ferrous alloy.

We also know that it works on that freaky Breakworld metal that Kitty Pryde was trapped in.

But does it work on Uru?  Yeah Magneto can't lift Thor's hammer, but can he grab in magnetically in midair?

What about Vibranium?  With its quasi-mystical properties, does it maybe have a some sort of immunity?

How about Magik and Pixie's Soul weapons and Magik's resultant armor?  Technically they are made of pieces from the girls souls, not metal from a hot forge so theres a very good chance that the magnetic fields don't apply to them.

There are probably instances of Uru and Vibranium being used against Magneto back in his old villain days and I will do some research into it, but I would really like to see the Limbo twins take on the Master of Magnetism if for no other reason then to see his face when his powers fail him against to little girls.  Until of course he finds the nearest most iron-filled boulder and sends it flying into them...

Excalibur...Not Such a Laughing Matter

There are many unsung heroes and series that have fallen by the wayside, either because they never caught mainstream popularity or they were caught short before they were given a proper chance.  Or in some cases, a series is not taken seriously because the general tone of it is simply too silly, this was the case with Excalibur (Vol. 1).  At first it seemed promising with super strong Captain Britain helming a British team with former X-men Shadowcat, Nightcrawler, and Phoenix, but it quickly degenerated into a farcical sit-com with recurring MarvelUK comedic villains like the Crazy Gang and the Technet which kept serious comic reader from taking this X-men spin-off too seriously.  

Now, I just recently completed my set of Excalibur (Vol. 1) and was able to read the entire original 70 issue run (before it became more X and less England).  And while I can say that yes the hilarity of the situations sometimes overwhelms the gravity of them, if you watch these issues really closely you can find some rather important events and stories in this limey bunch.

First and foremost, it brought a whole new selection of characters to introduce American readers to.  Following the trend started with Psylocke in New Mutants and Uncanny X-men, reader were treated to Captain Britain and his lady love, the empathic metamorph Meggan and their host of enemies including Gatecrasher, Technet, Crazy Gang, Sat-yr-9 as well as friends like Courtney Ross and the Queen's W.H.O.  Aside from these new characters to know and love, we also got to watch the agonizing recovery of Shadowcat and Nightcrawler after the events of the Mutant Massacre and the dramatic return of Phoenix (Rachel Summers) after she was kidnapped by Spiral months earlier in Uncanny X-men.

And speaking of the Phoenix, this volume is where we first got our first taste of the Phoenix Force's true nature and history.  It was here that we learned of the mages Necrom and Feron (whose visions gave the Phoenix the firebird form its keeps to this day).  We also learned the truth about how Rachel traveled physically from the future to our timeline as well as the Phoenix Force's effects on the universe around it.  

Last but certainly not least, Excalibur is where the Marvel Universe first got the designation as Earth-616.  Each Earth in the Multiverse is assigned a Captain Britain variation as its protector and in an issues of Excalibur, Omniversal Majestrix Opal Luna Saturnyne references Brian Braddock as Captain Britain of Earth-616, and this numerical reference has since been widely adopted online and by many (but not all) Marvel writers.

Easily written off as a joke book where they sent Kitty and Kurt to die for a while, the first 70 issue run of this comic book is truly a hidden gem and a definite should read for die hard X-fans.

Marvel Comics On-Sale 6/29/11

All-Winner's Squad Band Of Heroes #1 (Of 8)

Amazing Spider-Man #664

Avengers The Childrens Crusade #6 (Of 9)

Captain America America's Avenger #1

Captain America First Vengeance #4 (Of 4)

Captain America Rebirth #1 (One Shot)

Fear Itself Black Widow #1 (One Shot) (FI)

FF #5 (Mark Bagley Regular Cover)

FF #5 (Skottie Young 'I Am Captain America' Variant Cover)

Incredible Hulk And The Human Torch From The Marvel Vault #1 (One Shot)

Incredible Hulks Annual #1 (One Shot)

Iron Age #1 (Of 3)(Joe Jusko 'Captain Britain' Variant Cover) (IA)

Iron Age #1 (Of 3)(Lee Weeks 'Avengers' Regular Cover) (IA)

Marvel Universe Vs Wolverine #1 (Of 4)

Marvel Zombies Supreme #5 (Of 5)

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #160 (Mark Bagley Spoiler Variant Cover)

Ultimate Comics X #5

Uncanny X-Men #539 (Dave Johnson 'I Am Captain America' Variant Cover)

Uncanny X-Men #539 (Simone Bianchi Regular Cover)

Venom #4 (Mike Del Mundo 'I Am Captain America' Variant Cover)

Venom #4 (Mike McKone Regular Cover)

Wolverine The Best There Is #7 (Bryan Hitch Regular Cover)

Wolverine The Best There Is #7 (Michael Kaluta 'I Am Captain America' Variant Cover)

X-Men Prelude To Schism #4 (Of 4) (S)

(FI) = Fear Itself
(IA) = Iron Age
(S) = Schism

Classic Catchphrases

Remember all the hilarious catchphrases your favorite characters used to use before comic writers took themselves too seriously?  I've compiled a great list of the best ones here, click the link below to take a look.

Classic Comic Book Character Catchphrases

Send any suggestions for phrases I've missed to golddustboi09@aol.com subject: Catchphrases.

Psych Profile: Scarlet Witch

So with Children's Crusade more then half over and Wanda with her memory returned, its time to take a look at her mental state.  Read the following letter to Commander Rogers, courtesy of the shrinks at Marvel.com

Psych Ward: The Scarlet Witch