Space Marines vs Arnie's Special Ops: Who ya got?

A few weeks ago my wife and I were having a serious discussion that eventually made its way to my Facebook page, and while there were advocates on both sides of the issue I never really felt like the thing was resolved. The mission was not over.

Nothing is over!

So I put it to you, Internet pals! In the great history of alien-ass kicking soldiers, who's tougher:

the Delta Force squad of Predator,

or the Colonial Marines from Aliens

Any way you look at it, it's a tough call; as someone pointed out to me, the Predator guys not only have Arnold Schwarzenegger at his peak, they've also got the former governor of Minnesota and MF'n Apollo Creed! On the other hand, Aliens features the craziest chola I've seen since La Smurf back in '85.

Do you think one squad has got it all over the other? Let me know in the comments, and vote for your favorite (and freedom) in the handy poll over on the right while you're at it.

Fall in!

Some random thoughts about comics, and the greatest thing you'll see this week

Over on its blog The Source, DC just announced writer James Robinson and artist Mark Bagley will be taking over as the creative team for Justice League of America in October. I think that's good news; I've been enjoying Robinson's work on Superman, and of course he's the author of an amazing run on Starman, so I've got my fingers crossed that he'll be doing something interesting with the JLA.

I do feel a little bad for current JLA writer Dwayne McDuffie, though. He just found out he was getting the boot a few weeks ago, and even though he's apparently been less than happy during his tenure it still seems he had some ideas he wanted to explore. That said, I haven't read a JLA book in a long time, including McDuffie's. Maybe a change will do the title some good.

Personally, it'd be great to read Justice League again. I miss the chemistry of a team book, and I was always more a JLA man than an Avenger's guy. As a matter of fact, let's make that a poll! And let's keep it simple: JLA or Avengers, who ya got? Vote for your favorite in the sidebar, and be sure to stump for your team in the comments.

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As long as you're answering questions, let me ask another: Have your buying habits changed?

This week, between the special issues and newly higher-priced titles, I definitely had to be more choosy about what I picked up. As a matter of fact, I had to leave a couple of books behind because it didn't fit into my weekly budget (keep in mind it's fairly modest compared to some). I'll still be picking them up sometime in the future, but that's when — and if — it fits into the expense account. Is anyone else feeling the effects of higher cover prices?

•••

Speaking of this week's comics — was the wrap-up for Mysterius The Unfathomable awesome or what? Sure, it was slightly unfathomable itself thanks to a lot of threads that had to be stitched together all at once, but it's nothing a quick re-read of past issues won't fix. And in any case, this is a series worth re-reading anyway. If you weren't getting this in single issues (shame on you), be sure to get it when it comes out in trade — it's great work from Jeff Parker and Tom Fowler, whose artwork I want to make sweet, sweet love to.

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And now, as promised, the greatest thing you'll see this week:


Panel from Captain America #600 (originally published in Captain America Comics #16)
Stan Lee, writer; Al Alvison, artist

Rebirth: New life for the old Flash could be good for everyone

When Flash: Rebirth #1 is released tomorrow, it will be something of a family reunion for me.

Like most comic book geeks, I have "my" versions of legacy superheroes, and in the case of the Flash, Barry Allen is mine. Barry Allen — square, straight-arrow, "boring" ol' Barry — is the first Flash I experienced. He was the one I grew up with. The one I pretended to be when I'd try to snatch something out of the air before it could hit the ground.

But this doesn't mean I don't have any room in my personal Flash Museum for Wally West and Jay Garrick (though I could never warm up to Bart Allen). When Barry sacrificed himself in Crisis on Infinite Earths to save the universe ... well, it made sense. It was exactly the sort of thing the character would do, and it also made perfect sense that Wally — who had been Barry's protégé as Kid Flash — would carry on in his fallen mentor's place.

I especially appreciated the way Wally was distinct from Barry, rather than just a carboard plug-in used to fill a suddenly empty speedster slot. Where Barry was the classic selfless hero, Wally was usually just fun — and more than even Barry, Wally seemed to cement the idea of a Flash Family.

I'm hoping Wally doesn't suddenly become marginalized by Barry's return — but as a fan, I'm willing to risk it. Does that make me a typical fanboy? I hope not. But I can't deny I'm excited to see what Geoff Johns does with the resurrection of the Silver Age Flash, particularly since I thought he already pulled off the impossible by bringing back Hal Jordan as Green Lantern (again, my GL).

Which brings me to what I would most like to see in the Flash reboot; more Flashes. When Johns brought Hal back from the hell that was the Spectre storyline, he didn't suddenly jettison Guy Gardner, John Stewart and Kyle Rayner. If anything, he helped further define those characters, and then expanded on the whole GL Corps concept. I don't see why something similar can't be done for the Flash Family. Ever since Barry met Jay, there really hasn't been just one Flash in the DCU — why should there only be two?

It may not be obvious, but I'm not one of those comic book fans who thinks things were better back in the day. As I said, Barry's death made sense and I was perfectly content to let him stay dead. And if it was almost any other writer than Johns, I'd most likely be a lot more suspect than enthusiastic.

But as it is, I'll be happy to welcome back Barry Allen tomorrow — as long as it doesn't mean saying good-bye to anyone else calling themselves the Flash, too.

What do you think of Barry Allen's revival? Let me know in the comments, and be sure to vote for your Flash in the sidebar poll. And while you're at it, take a look at Ron Richards' "6 Questions That Flash: Rebirth Needs to Answer" at iFanboy for some interesting thoughts on the Scarlet Speedster's return.

But does HYDRA have a dental plan?

So I was sitting at my desk, facing a growing stack of work that needs to be taken care of before the holidays, and I thought: Which subversive group bent on world domination is better, A.I.M. or HYDRA?

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that living in the Marvel Universe gives would-be fascists, anarchists and other various nut-jobs three main options in gainful employment. And I'm talking about the full-on, global conspiracy, sleeper-agents-everywhere type of organization; gangs and groups with one specific enemy in mind don't count. I'm looking for an association with vision, man. Here are the choices:

HYDRA: HYDRA has been causing trouble in the Marvel U since the end of World War II, and was founded by fugitives from the Nazi German and Imperial Japanese governments. These guys are such bad news that S.H.I.E.L.D. was created specifically to deal with the threat they posed. Thanks to that, they have a serious hate-on for Nick Fury and Captain America, but have really mixed it up with pretty much every hero to put on spandex. Also, they have an awesome motto and a kick-ass logo! Check it out:

That Madame Hydra's not bad, either. But the breakout agent would have to be Bob, a HYDRA field operative who was kidnapped by Deadpool and then just kept hanging out.

HYDRA has credibly threatened to destroy the world or major world cities countless times, and are always a sure sign of trouble. Plus, do you know what HYDRA stands for? Nothing. It's not an acronym at all — HYDRA is just so damn evil that it always spells its name in all caps.


A.I.M.: A.I.M., on the other hand, does stand for something — Advanced Idea Mechanics — which may be the coolest and nerdiest name for a terrorist group ever. It makes sense, since A.I.M. is a splinter group that was originally the technological arm of HYDRA. Cut off from HYDRA, A.I.M. nonetheless survived on its own and went on to become the most evil R&D department ever with the goal of overthrowing the world's governments with SCIENCE! Some of its achievements include the reality-altering Cosmic Cube, the Super-Adaptoid android, and best of all, MODOK. When the Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing went online it worked perfectly, killing the leader of A.I.M. and taking over the group itself. Sadly, the A.I.M. agents are little harder to take seriously thanks to their beekeeper uniforms.

But there's always one guy who can make even the silliest clothes work, and in this case that would be Karl, the most laid-back covert operative in history.

Karl is like one of those cool guys who is so relaxed you're amazed anything gets done, but Karl is Taking Care of Business. Karl's the kind of guy I want to work with, especially if things are getting conquery.


The Hand: The group known as The Hand is a little different from the first two, putting a lot more emphasis on honor, demon-worship and old-school swordplay. Essentially a super-yakuza, The Hand are both a league of assassins and organized crime outfit with roots in the 16th century. It's also more of a cult than a cartel, with a membership made up of occult ninjas who turn to dust when they're dealt mortal wounds. One thing they do share with HYDRA and A.I.M. is a tendency to fight en masse ... bad news for Daredevil, Iron Fist and mostly any hero who's ever taken a karate lesson. Their red uniforms are pretty standard, but still impressive when there are suddenly a bunch of crimson ninja swarming over rooftops.

The Hand is especially fond of suppressing individuality, but there's still one mercenary who rises above the rest. Kirigi is super-strong, an expert in all sorts of ninja weaponry and kind of a zombie who was raised from the dead.

Yes — DEADLY ZOMBIE NINJA.

You can see my dilemma. Still, I don't think I have the flexibility for the acrobatics of The Hand, or the fashion sense to pull off the A.I.M. uniform. Besides, I'm a sucker for a solid history and a catchy jingle, so I think I'd find myself leaning toward the boys in green and yellow.

So which nutty, would-be world dominators would you hook up with? There's a survey in the right-hand column, and I'd like to hear your reasons in the comments.

HAIL HYDRA!

Poll: Bends, folds and other comic crimes

If you were to walk through any room in my home and poke around a little bit, it's practically guaranteed that you would find a comic book floating around.

There are literally comics all over my house; hidden in drawers, stacked on shelves and teetering in piles in bathroom cabinets. And except for what I consider concessions to re-readability more than a fanboyish urge for everlasting preservation — not putting them where they can get wet or where one of the cats can get to them — I don't really take very good care of my comics.

Once upon a time I used to bag and board 'em all before stowing them in a longbox, being careful to make sure they were packed well enough to stand up straight but not so tight that they couldn't "breathe." But now longboxes are mostly a way to contain comic-creep. Somewhere along the way the bags-and-boards became just bags, and now my comics run wild and naked like little free-range chickens.

I've always been more of a reader than a collector, but I know this is probably horrifying to some of you out there. And I won't lie — the books tend to get dinged. Sometimes they get outright donged. I feel a little guilty about it sometimes, but I get over it pretty quick. It's always in in the back of my mind that my monthlies will get replaced by trades eventually, and besides, I've got fond memories of reading and treasuring old comics that were worn tissue-thin by being read over and over again. Buying a comic just to hermetically seal it in a plastic slab seems criminal.

Of course if you bend and fold the spine back, I will kill you. Kill you dead.

But that's just me — how do you store your comics? Bags and boards? Slabs? Climate-controlled room or in a steadily curving pile in the magazine rack? Answer the survey, why don'cha, and remember to leave your comments!

Fiduciary Friday: Nickel and dimed

OK, this isn't really going to become a regular feature, but it is a topic I'll probably come back to once in a while because, just as it does with everything else, money makes the comic book world go 'round.

A few months ago I asked the question, "How is the slipping U.S. economy affecting the way you buy comics?" Most of the respondents (as I remember it — I know I saved it, but for the life of me I can't find my copy of the poll results) said that, so far at least, the economy hadn't had any affect on the amount of money they regularly spent on comics.

When the final results were in, I was a little surprised until I realized my buying habits hadn't really changed either. Sure, I was more aware of how much money I was spending, and there were occasions when I would cut a comic from my weekly pile, but for the most part I tended to spend the same amount of money week after week. Things were just beginning to look shaky on the national economic front, but it wasn't enough to have any real, personal daily impact.

That, as they say, was then. Luckily for my wife and I, our lifestyle hasn't changed dramatically, but it has changed a bit. And if we were aware of expenditures before, brother you better believe we're really aware of them now. Aware enough that I found myself wondering last week, "Hm ... does it make sense to spend this money every week when I could save a little cash by buying trades of the stuff I really, really want instead? Am I just wasting my money?" (You'll notice I didn't consider not buying comics at all — what are you, crazy?) I also know I drop titles that I'm iffy about more quickly now, and I've also cut titles to make room for new ones I'm interested in so I can stay within my spending range.

Like of lot of the poll respondents I've got a weekly budget, and at $15 to $20 I think mine is fairly modest (especially compared to some of the buy-lists I've seen on other blogs that regularly have a couple of dozen books listed, as well as trades, hardcover collections and omnibuses). I also know that if the cover price of a comic was to rise in any significant way (which I think could be a distinct possibility), it would definitely mean less comics would be coming home with me.

And that brings me to my question: How much money do you spend on comics every week? How would a price increase your buying habits? And I'd also like to know how you'd answer a familiar question — has the worsening U.S. economy affected how you buy your comics?

There is a caveat (ain't there always?): I know many of you work in comic book shops or subscribe to a pull, so I'd like to know how much you spend with and without the discount because even a small cut in price can make the difference between picking up a particular comic or not. There will be a couple of polls over on the right, and I'd really like to hear your opinions in the comments.

Black and white and dread all over?

When the latest 12 rounds of Friday Night Fights ended about a week ago, ringmaster Bahlactus laid down the ground rules for the next bout by declaring all entries had to be in black and white. This, of course, made me think of Joe.

Joe is a friend of mine who I used to work with at a comic shop here in town. He's a great guy and has some of the best stories I've ever heard, not to mention a mean Schwarzenegger-as-Conan imitation. He's also a big comics fan, and like a lot of us he's got his quirks. His love of Batman is enormous, and his full-on obsession with sidekicks is even bigger. The guy loved him some Spoiler, and he was pissed when DC killed her off.

But the thing that threw me off was his refusal to read anything in black and white.

I'd seen this attitude before, of course. But it surprises me every single time. I don't get it. What is it about black and white comics that makes people — who will otherwise read just about any crap they come across — suddenly and violently allergic?

My theory is a combination of fanboyism and indieism (it's my theory, I can make up words if I want). See, I think a good portion (if not nearly all) of the comic reading population starts out with superhero comics. I know I did. And I'd guess that a chunk of those folks never stray too far from that genre.

(Quick aside: Can we all agree that comics are a medium and there are different genres within that medium? Thanks, that's been bugging me.)

Historically, these comics are in bright and energetic full color, which makes sense considering the stories tend to be cranked up to 11. It fits. So-called indie comics, on the other hand, are often printed in black and white. A lot of that has to do with smaller publishers and printing costs (as a very rough example, consider how much it costs to make a regular black and white copy versus a full-color copy at Kinko's), and sometimes the type of stories many indie comics are telling are better suited to black and white. It helps set the tone for the story.

Here's the crux of the problem, I think: Indie comics have a reputation. Even people who know better tend to think of words like "navel-gazing," "autobiography" and "whining emo-ass" when they hear the phrase "indie comic." They also think "no color." Right or wrong, a lot of people equate black and white with these preconceived notions and reach a simple conclusion: Black and white equals boring.

Which is a shame, because while there are some painfully self-referential black and white books out there (just like there are corny, immature and exploitative superhero books giving the good stuff a bad name), there's some excellent reading these people are missing out on. Just off the top of my head there's the Scott Pilgrim series, the Queen and Country series, Wasteland, The Damned, Pantheon High, Local, Emo Boy, Rex Libris, Phonogram, Action Philosophers and The Nearly Infamous Zango. And those books run from thriller to action to comedy to science fiction and everywhere in-between. Only one could be considered navel-gazey, but you've got to have a balanced diet, right? (Also, it's excellent.)

Don't get me started on the manga-hate out there.

Ultimately, it's a matter of preconceived notions that keep people from reading a black and white comic (and vice versa — it wouldn't kill the hard-core indie contingent to read Superman once in a while). Some comic book readers might think a black and white comic would be boring, but someone's buying all those Essentials and Showcases, right?

Which brings me back to Joe. At some point he got hooked on the Gunslinger Girl anime and tore through all the DVDs he could get his hands on. So one day we're at the counter and I overheard him talking to someone about the series.

"It's really, really good," he said. "But y'know, I read the first book and there was a lot of detail in there that was cut from the anime. There was a lot more about the characters' backgrounds. Really interesting."

My ears pricked up like a dog hearing a can opener: Was Joe saying he read the manga version of the series? The black and white manga version of the series?!

Joe gave me a look that made me think he was going to pat my head like an indulgent uncle.

"Yeah I read the book," he said. "It's good."

I'm curious to know what you think: Do you read black and white comics, or do you have a strict color-only policy? Do you only read black and white? Or are the racks your comics smorgasbord, where you pick up a little bit of everything? There's a new poll you can answer on the right, and I'd love to hear your opinions in the comments.

Poll: Budgeting for comics

Work is piling up, so I just have a quick question: Is the slipping U.S. economy, rising prices for gas and food, and other pinches to the wallet having an affect on how you buy comics?

I know I have a weekly budget that I try to stay within, and for the most part things balance out by the end of the month. But I also know that if things keep going the way they are, I'm going to have to look more closely at my weekly pull list and maybe be a little choosier about what I actually go home with.

Is it just me? Or is anyone else feeling the squeeze? I'd really like to hear your thoughts on this, so I've put a poll up in the sidebar and I also encourage you to leave any comments you might want to share.