Comics Weekly
By Pete Kilmer
January 14, 2009
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Well, the Amazing Spider-man issue that features Obama is out this week. Man, what a debacle that has turned into for shops that placed their orders awhile ago. Also, the fact that there was ZERO heads up from Marvel indicating that Marvel Head Honcho Joe Quesada was going to do the news rounds and push the book was really irritating. It's because if the shops knew that Quesada was going to appear on the various news programs and that we might want to adjust orders on the book, it would have been VERY helpful. As it is, people are calling shops across the country looking for the book and are being told in many cases that the Obama cover is unavailable until next week when the second print ships.
The other negative is that in order to get the first print Obama cover, the shops had to match their order amount to a previous issue. The problem there is that sales have been slipping on the Amazing Spider-man book (which is too bad, as it's quite good), and that it just doesn't make economic sense to take a chance and overstock on a book that has its sales slipping and to leave books sitting on the racks. Now if someone in Marvel Publicity had a retailer email list and was able to notify us (because let's face it, Diamond Comics isn't going to do it in a timely manner - you can barely get a rep on the phone) a day or two out that this was coming, things might not have been as messed up for retailers. And this isn't the first time this has happened. Back when Captain America (Steve Rogers) was killed, Marvel did the same round of publicity to alert people that something huge was going to happen to an iconic character and stores were caught short-handed with books.
Look, I am a HUGE fan of Marvel Comics. HUGE. And I think Quesada has done a terrific job there since he took over back in 2000. He's made a lot of smart, smart choices in how comics are created and sold (the trade paperback and hardcover revolution can be credited to Marvel Comics.) And Quesada is great at generating publicity for Marvel and is a terrific spokesman for Comics in general. However, it's that small step of notifying the retailers that he is going to be on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News and the various news outlets has got to be rectified. Because when Quesada's on TV, books will get sold. If the retailers have time to adjust orders to reflect that, then the public will be much better served. I must say that it is to Marvel's Credit the second print of the Amazing Spider-man issue will be out next week - the day after the Inauguration. Hopefully, Quesada will be on TV to talk about that.
DC has a lot of the Faces of Evil books out this week, if you see FOE after a book title that means it's a Faces of Evil book. Have a great week!
Kim's Pick
While everyone else is all excited over Obama's appearance in Amazing Spider-man, for me, the book of the week is Locke & Key Head Games #1. I've talked up Joe Hill's series previously in this space, and I cannot emphasize enough how excellent his work is. The first Locke & Key series was so good that I absolutely hated it when I got to the end of each comic. That series is out in trade, so there's no reason you can't get caught up on that and then buy this first issue in the new Head Games series.
ACTION COMICS #873 (FOE)
ADAM LEGEND OF BLUE MARVEL #3 (OF 5)
AMAZING SPIDER-GIRL #28
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #583
ANITA BLAKE VH LAUGHING CORPSE #4 (OF 5)
ANITA BLAKE VH TP FIRST DEATH
ANNIHILATION CONQUEST TP BOOK 02
ARMY @ LOVE THE ART OF WAR #6 (OF 6)
BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #25
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA CYLON WAR #1 (OF 4)
BIG HERO 6 #5 (OF 5)
BOOSTER GOLD #16 (FOE)
BOYS #26 (MR)
BPRD BLACK GODDESS #1 (OF 5)
CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI 13 #9
CIVIL WAR HOUSE OF M #5 (OF 5)
DEADPOOL #6 DKR
DEATH DEFYING DEVIL #2
DMZ #38 (MR)
DOCTOR WHO CLASSICS SERIES 2 #2
FABLES #80 (MR)
FACES OF EVIL GRUNDY #1 (FOE)
FACES OF EVIL PROMETHEUS #1 (FOE)
FALL OF CTHULHU APOCALYPSE #2 (OF 4) CVR B
FINAL CRISIS #6 (OF 7)
GEN 13 #26
GHOST WHISPERER THE MUSE #2
GHOSTBUSTERS THE OTHER SIDE #4
GI JOE #1
GREEN ARROW BLACK CANARY #16 (FOE)
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #32 (FOE)
HOUSE OF MYSTERY TP VOL 01 ROOM AND BOREDOM
INVINCIBLE #58
JACK OF FABLES #29
LOCKE & KEY HEAD GAMES #1
LORDS OF AVALON KNIGHTS OF DARKNESS #3 (OF 6)
MANHUNTER #38
MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #47
MARVEL ADVENTURES SUPER HEROES #7
MARVEL ILLUSTRATED ODYSSEY #5 (OF 8)
NEW BATTLESTAR GALACTICA GHOSTS #3 (OF 4)
NIGHTWING #152 (FOE)
NO HERO #3 (OF 7)
NOVA ORIGIN RICHARD RIDER
PERHAPANAUTS #5
PUNISHER WAR ZONE #5 (OF 6)
PUSH #4 (OF 6)
RASL TP VOL 01 DRIFT
RESISTANCE #1 (OF 6) (MR)
SIMON DARK #16
SOLOMON KANE #4 (OF 5)
SOULFIRE SHADOW MAGIC #2 (OF 5)
SPIDER-MAN BRAND NEW DAY #4
SPIDER-MAN TP AMAZING FRIENDS DIGEST
STAR TREK LAST GENERATION #3
SUPER FRIENDS #11
SUPERGIRL COSMIC ADVENTURES IN THE 8TH GRADE #2
TERMINATOR SALVATION MOVIE PREQ #1 (OF 4)
TERRY MOORES ECHO #8
TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE TP VOL 02 (MR)
TITANS #9 (FOE)
TITANS OLD FRIENDS HC
TRANSFORMERS ARMADA TP VOL 02
TRANSFORMERS REVENGE FALLEN MOVIE PQ ALLIANCE #2
TRINITY #33
ULTIMATE ORIGINS PREM HC
VIXEN RETURN OF THE LION #4 (OF 5)
WALKING DEAD OMNIBUS HC VOL 02 (MR)
WITCHBLADE #123
WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ #2 (OF 8)
X-FORCE TP VOL 01 ANGELS DEMONS
X-INFERNUS #2 (OF 4)
X-MEN SPIDER-MAN #3 (OF 4)
YOUNG LIARS #11 (MR)
On Fridays we now post the complete list of new releases that actually ships for the week. Books that will actually be in store! So please head over to Downtown Comics and check out the Shipping This Week section!