January, 2010

Welcome once again to another installment of the $40 Pull List Live!

Yes, yes, hello to all our rabid fans! Shout-out to our home fries down in The OC and junk. My name is Brandon Schatz, and with me in the Spam Corporate Annex in the beautiful industrial district of Nanuktuk California is the man behind this madness, the one, the (thankfully) only, Craigerton J. Reade!

Are you trying to get me stoned when I go back home? Oiy!

Anyway, welcome once again to this humble column. This is our the third anniversary of this all-important list, and the first anniversary of Brandon’s triumphant arrival to the column. There are but five titles remaining from the list just a year ago (Jonah Hex, Invincible Iron Man, Green Lantern Corps, Nova, and Avengers), with Jonah Hex being the sole title that has been with us from the beginning. Quite a run that title has had.

Which means we can look forward to it getting cancelled by the end of the year, right? I mean, there’s a movie out in everything!

Also, peace to my chili dogs too. Who are also from The OC.

Why don’t you take your”the” and shove it up your…

Moving on!

JANUARY ISSUES

Jonah Hex #50, $3.99, DC Comics. Due Out 12/02/09 ON TIME
Written by Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti, Art by Darwyn Cooke, Colors by Rob Schwager

Tallulah Black and Jonah Hex begin taking jobs together, and after "celebrating" a successful payday overnight in a bar, Tallulah vanishes in the morning and rides off towards the west. Horace Green approaches Hex on behalf of oil tycoon Arlan Miston with a book of 50 bounties. After some protest, Hex starts working his way down the list.
Meanwhile, Tallulah Black arrives in a town looking for a dress shop, claiming she has left behind her work. She meets with a sheriff who eyes her with suspicion, but eventually welcomes her to the town.

Eventually, the rest of Hex’s targets meet in secret, trying to find a way to end Jonah and save their own skin. They decided that they would be safer in a group – and they set the wheels in motion for trapping and eliminating Hex.

Forward several months, and we see Tallulah Black, remade into a happy woman with child, still being helped by the same sheriff. She buys a plot of land, and with the help of the sheriff builds herself a home on it. By the first snowfall, the house is complete.

Their preparations complete, the bounties spring their trap by sending Eddie Runford to tell Jonah that he overheard that the men were holed up in Silver Springs – the very same town Tallulah now lives, and where she is about to give birth. The "bounties" raid the town, killing the sheriff, and taking it over, as Tallulah is attacked by the whacky fundamentalist dressmaker who wants to cut the child of sin out of her. She succeeds – basically performing a violent c-section, and kidnapped the baby, leaving Tallulah to die on the floor. Hex finds and saves her, and promises to rescue his son. He finally tracks the kidnapper, who has been locked up for murdering the baby. The sheriff tries to protect his prisoner, but eventually decides that Hex should be allowed his vengeance. Hex kills his daughter’s murderer, then goes to complete the list of 50 bounties, before returning his child’s body in a coffin to her mother – departing, as he promised, ending his relationship with Tallulah for her actions.

This issue of Jonah Hex totally reminds me of the episode of Glee, where Shu finds out that his wife was entirely faking her pregnancy – except instead of singing, there’s frontier justice. Come to think of it, Jonah Hex would be much more awesome if the characters occasionally broke out into song. In fact, I want a scene where Jonah wistfully looks off into the distance, as he recites the final stanza of 99 Luft Balloons.

Officially, from here on out, you are not allowed to be reminded of Glee by this title.

This issue was a piece of perfection. It totally broke the usual Hex formula we usually come to expect (and which it would be so easy to slip back into after the Six-Gun War), had some real character development, and was chock full of real story. And the art was fantastic – I want Cooke on this title permanently.

In no way would a musical number make this issue much more awesome.

Or Shipoopi. I want to see Jonah Hex going balls-out Buddy Hackett on alla’ everyone, clicking his heels, singing about love. It would’ve been perfect for this issue.

“Now a woman who’ll kiss on a very 1st date, Is usually a hussy….”

I don’t really think Hex is going to be so tame as to all any deserving woman a mere hussy.

You, sir, do not properly respect the power of Shipoopi.

I certainly do not.

Nova #32, $2.99, Marvel Comics. Due Out 12/03/09 ON TIME
Written by Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning, Art by Andrea DiVito, Colors by Bruno Hang

Nova and Darkhawk, very much alive, fall in the desert before a statue of a sphinx (with a skeleton head). They quickly learn that their lives have been spared by an unlikely hero – The Sphinx, who has saved Richard to serve a specific purpose.

Briefly, for those of you who aren’t familiar with him, The Sphinx was Ramses’ chief wizard – exiled by the Pharaoh after he was defeated by Moses in their "wizards duel." He eventually found the Ka Stone, which granted him nearly god-like powers. After several millennia, he grew bored of his existence and searched for a way to get rid of the Ka Stone, and finally encountered Richard Rider, who he believed held the knowledge that would free him (thanks to his exposure to Worldmind). After a battle with Galactus, a few run-ins with the Fantastic Four (Thing in particular) and the New Warriors, and some time-travel shenanigans, the Sphinx was finally killed by the Puppet Master. At least – so we thought.

The Sphinx alludes to a role he is expected to play in some forthcoming battle – warns that some djinns will come, and on cue they attack under the cover of a sandstorm. The Sphinx is disappointed at their prowess in battle, abandoning them to the sand, but Nova eventually disperses the djinn. The duo finally encounter Reed Richards at a dig near the battle-site and they figure out that The Sphinx has also drawn Reed back in time – this being the Reed Richards from just a month after Nova and the Fantastic Four first met and fought The Sphinx.

The djinn’s attack once more – this time separating Nova and Darkhawk, to battle Darkhawk alone. A version of Black Bolt arrives – and Darkhawk finally returns from his battle, to report that they aren’t on Earth at all, but rather a magical construct of some kind. Black Bolt’s "mummified" companion is unwrapped – revealing an unconscious Narmorita (the original version – not the blue one).

I recognized almost every person in this book – which actually made this fairly boring for me. Normally, when I read space books, I have the internal monologue of fake names I’ve crafted for all the characters in my head. But this pretty much concerned Reed Richards, Darkhawk, Nova, and King Tut. Blah!

That’s not to say that is was bad in any kind of way. It was actually pretty rockin’ and junk. But when you’re used to dudes with ponytails jacking giant planets in the face, it all sort of pales in comparison.

Yeah – as an issue of Nova goes, I have to admit that this one was pretty tame – at least when it came to the cosmic stuff. There is an element of it there, which I have no doubt will be expanded upon this month. For my part – I just love the fact that Abnett and Lanning are going back to the old well of Nova villains to give them a little polish. Maybe we’ll get to see some Condor – or Psionex … something like that, a few months down the road.

It’s also nice to see Reed Richards in this as well. Nova was always closely tied to the Fantastic Four, especially in the early days. Given the right circumstances, that old alliance could make for some decent stories.

Abnett and Lanning used Condor in Guardians of the Galaxy in two of the earlier issues. And fun fact about Psionex, kids: much like old Nova comics, they’re terrible.

Well, since you are totally wrong about old Nova comics, does this make you wrong about Psionex as well?

That’s the thing – Sphinx was pretty horrible too, but here he has a shot. I am still waiting for an upgraded Diamondhead to come back with a vengeance and get a little payback for Nova #2. That would be 40 shades of awesome.

I don’t want Diamondhead to come back, mostly because this site’s content filters would totally black out the fake name I gave him in my head. A silly reason, but we are talking about me here.

My, the mind that came up with *****head is a strange one indeed.

Ghost Riders: Heavens on Fire #5 (of 6), $3.99, Marvel Comics. Due out 12/09/09 ON TIME
Written by Jason Aaron, Pencils by Roland Boschi, Colors by Dan Brown

We open with this dude, who is totally metal standing over the wreckage of heaven, where there’s dead angels and junk littering the streets. Quite obviously, there will soon be a reckoning. But first! It’s zombie bikers (and the All New Orb!) vs. a crap ton o’ nuns with guns and the Ghost Riders! Meanwhile, Purple Hat and Wicker Man get all smacked by the Emo Skank and Pitchfork McGee and the Antichrist opens up the gate to heaven! It was entirely like one of those after school specials, where the answer was inside you all along, only in this case there’s the fate of the world hanging in the balance. Aaaanyhoo, a bunch of people die, and the brothers Ghost Rider all make it up to heaven for the big final battle. Will they win? WILL THEY? We’ll have to tune in next time…

Ah, after two issues of tease – the Gun Nuns were very much worth waiting for. That’s classic funny right there.

Dude, you should’ve been hanging around this book at the beginning, when the machine gun nurses were after Johnny. It all blew up in this big confrontation with a cannibal, a possessed highway, and lots and lots of shooting. Seriously, I don’t know where I’m going to find something this fun once this wraps itself up. Le sigh.

Well, I’d say maybe there is hope for another mini, but knowing Marvel, that isn’t likely. The sales are pretty low… but then, it is a mini, so who knows. It is true that this title is pure fun, and it is safe to say that it is completely unlike anything else on the market right now. Sadly, originality and quality seem to be things that the average comic reader just doesn’t enjoy these days, which means next issue is likely the last. Oh well – the ride was good while it lasted.

Invincible Iron Man #21, $2.99, Marvel Comics. Due Out 12/09/09 ON TIME
Written by Matt Fraction, Art by Salvador Larroca, Colors by Frank D’Armata

We return once again to Tony’s nightmare – only this time, he manages to get it to progress a little farther. Meanwhile Madame Masque has a conversation with Ghost – who she is attempting to hire to kill Tony Stark once and for all. Pepper grapples with her feelings when the newly returned Steve Rogers arrives and spurs everyone to action. Tony undergoes the surgery to bring him back "online," and we see the process by which Pepper and Maria were used to reach this end from the very beginning – and why Captain America and Thor were needed to finish the job.

Fraction has crafted quite the story here. While Tony Stark makes his demands from beyond the grave, he sounds so arrogant – yet at the very same time, he seems to be apologizing to each of them for the mistakes he’s made in the past. All the while, the story moves at that pace, just a few seconds removed into the future, with all its super-heroic tech talk. You know that what’s being said is completely fake, but spoken with such conviction that you’re convinced that such a confluence of events will in fact bring old Tony back to the land of the living. I enjoy the crap out of this book – and hey, would you look at that? It’s not even going to be part of the impending Siege crossover. You really have to give it to Marvel for not forcing these things.

Thank goodness for that. The last thing this book needs is to be shoehorned into another crossover. So many Marvel titles (DC titles too, but that’s another discussion) are badly broken from being crammed into event after event. It’s nice to see that is shaking out, if only a little bit. This title can only benefit from being left out of this next event – it will give it at least 2 arcs to develop and grow on its own. I am looking forward to seeing that.

This arc has been far better than the last one – short, sweet – to the point, and meaningful. Let’s hope Fraction sticks to this formula for the next couple stories.

Spider-Man & The Secret Wars #1, $2.99, Marvel Comics Due Out 12/09/09 ON TIME
Written by Paul Tobin, Pencils by Patrick Scherberger, Inks by Terry Pallot, Colors by Brad Anderson

We start with a famous scene from Secret Wars – the Hulk lifting the mountain to protect the heroes trapped beneath. We flash back near the beginning of the story, when the newly arrived Spider-Man, Hulk, and Captain America try to make sense out of the Beyonder’s reasoning. They come upon Enchantress, who attacks them, but Hulk quickly puts a stop to the assault. Captain Marvel returns from her scouting mission to report the imminent arrival of the Wrecking Crew. Cap and Spidey have a argument about the Hulk, we flash through a few disastrous encounters with various villains, and we finally see the resolution of Hulk’s battle with the mountain.

You know, I haven’t read Secret Wars? Or Crisis on Infinite Earths, or pretty much anything older than when I got into comics. I have most of these things, but time… she’s a harsh mistress when you’re trying to keep up with the current product hitting the store. Needless to say, I’m coming at this pretty fresh, and I have to say… this is pretty decent. Obviously, there’s a certain challenge involved in taking a twelve issue mini and condensing it to a four issue series – but right off the bat, Paul Tobin squeezed in what has to be at least a quarter of the original mini, without feeling too rushed. Solid work.

Not to be too argumentative, but you got it exactly wrong there. There is no way in the world that any comic produced by today’s standards could condense the 12 issue Secret Wars into a mere 4 issues. In fact, what we saw in this issue didn’t really cover an entire issue’s worth of plot from the original event. Instead of recapping the entire story, it seems like this series is taking bits and pieces of the original, expanding on them somewhat, and telling it from a slightly different perspective. It’s well done – don’t get me wrong, but it barely scratches the surface of the goings on in Secret Wars.

Comics these days are mostly padding and fluff. If they stuffed as much story in today’s comics as they did when Secret Wars was made, they could raise the cost to $5 an issue, and it would be worth it.

Yeah, that would be my big ol’ lack of “old comics” knowledge bleeding through. If it happened before Sensational Spider-Man #0, I really don’t know what I’m talking about. Not that I don’t have these things, it’s just… there’s not enough time in the day, it seems.

Well – this is hardly the worst classic you haven’t seen that might call your geek-cred into question. But this is hardly new – I imagine there are a ton of comic readers out there who haven’t read this series either. One reason I am kind of surprised this title wasn’t released at the same time a shiny new Secret Wars hardcover was released.

Green Lantern Corps #43, $2.99, DC Comics. Due Out 12/16/09 ON TIME Written by Peter J. Tomasi, Pencils by Patrick Gleason, Inks by Rebecca Buckman, Tom Nguyen, and Patrick Gleason, Colors by Randy Mayor

Right, so Kyle totally dies, and Guy is all “No! My best friend and easy lover!” Because of this, he becomes a Red Lantern. Meanwhile, all these black rings are coming for Kyle, which his girlfriend doesn’t like. But instead of crawling into a fridge, she fights for her man, and ends up bringing him back with the power of love alone, just like the end of Rent, when Roger cured Mimi’s rampant AIDS through the power of his rock voice.

Yes, it’s going to be that kind of Pull List.

And Kyle Rayner yet lives. Man – who needs the Blackest Night event itself when you have this title? I was so amped by the idea of Blackest Night for so long – the disappointment over how horrible that event has been so far would have been neigh unbearable had this title not delivered the awesome. This book also proves that you really don’t need to buy every crossover issue to enjoy an event. This book alone will give you all of the Blackest Night enjoyment you could possibly need.

Also? A Red/Green Lantern Guy Gardner is friggin’ awesome.

This change of fortune for Kyle has me renewing my stance on Guy Gardner’s fate during this mini: dude is entirely going to die. I don’t want him to, but if he goes out like any of the other Lanterns have on this book, he’ll be going out big.

I am actually feeling a bit of the opposite. Not only do I think there will be no deaths at all in this event that will stick, I actually think it is going to undo a few we have seen. We’ve gone from one extreme to another – for a time, both Marvel and DC were making an honest effort to maintain “dead means dead.” Now it seems like they are in a race to see which can make death the most meaningless of states in comics. With Blackest Night, I get the feeling they are going to take things to a new low.

As cool as this issue was, and as much of a relief it is that Kyle isn’t dead – a part of me is kind of ticked he is back already. He died – and he went out like a champ. Over the last 30 days, I made peace with that. Only… it was a lie. And it wasn’t even one of those cliffhanger bait-and switches where you see an explosion and not the body – he was dead and gone, and his ring was even moving on. Poor taste really- you kill a character the right way, only to say “Psyche!!” a month later.

The only way you could make this death worse is to have Elektra kill him off panel in the next issue.

Craig, has the Princess Bride taught you nothing? That dude was only mostly dead, and there was true love waiting for him on the other side. In space. Or something.

Obviously the Star Sapphires have perfected Miracle Max’s miracle pill…

Good thing the dude wasn’t looking to blayve.

Nomad: The Girl Without A World #4, $3.99, DC Comics. Due Out 12/16/09 ON TIME
Written by Sean McKeever, Pencils by David Baldeon, Colors by Chris Sotomayor

Nomad breaks free and attacks an unsuspecting Mad Dog and Professor Power, who are scrambling with damage control after the students unexpectedly riot. Some of Nomad’s school friends come together with a plan to help diffuse the riot, and just before the Police move in to contain the violence, Nomad and the cavalry (in the form of the Young Avengers) arrive to lend a hand.

Professor Power and Mad Dog turn on the Secret Empire, in anger over their insistence that the two return to "answer for their failure," and the Young Avengers manage to diffuse the riot with the help of Desmond Daniels. In the end, all is not well – as John Barnes is gunned down by Matt Surman in the aftermath of the riot – convinced that violence then was the way to have their voices heard. In the end, Rikki is consoled by Bucky (as Captain America) at the grave of John as Black Widow looks on from the distance.

To be continued in Captain America #602, huh?

And thank goodness for that. If someone told me a few scant months ago that I would be wishing to see more of the female Bucky created by Jeph Loeb and Rob Liefeld, I would’ve probably made more references to musicals at them. But it seems like Sean McKeever, when left to his own devices, can tell pretty awesome stories with almost any character. As I’ve said before, looking at this book, and a book like Teen Titans really shows you just how different Marvel and DC handle their talent.

True enough. Marvel’s editorial only makes an effort to ruin great titles when they are selling well. DC doesn’t look at sales figures when they decide what to meddle with…

I’ve got to hand it to you – Nomad was awesome, and it has me wanting to read Captain America again. So there is that…

Power Girl #7, $2.99, DC Comics. Due out 12/16/09 ON TIME
Written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti, Pencils by David Baldeon, Colors by Chris Sotomayor

Vartox, the Hyperman of Valeron, engages an army of Kashkavon’s (Yeti Pirates?), and believes himself to be victorious, until he learns that the attack is a mere distraction. The Kashkavon detonate a "Contraceptive Bomb" in the heart of Crystal City, sterilizing the populace, and ensuring the death of their civilization. To avert the disaster, the Cosmosis Crystalis reveals a list of suitable women to Vartox (who escaped the Contraceptive Bomb), and he selects Power Girl as the woman who will bear the beginnings of a new Valerian race.

On Earth, Power Girl and Doctor Mid-Nite are in pursuit of the Blue Snowman, whom they easily subdue. At that moment, Vartox arrives to lay claim to Kara. He shoots at her with the Seduction Musk Rifle, which hits Doctor Mid-Nite, which knocks him out and may have stricken him with blindness (ha!). The Blue Snowman comes to, having breathed in a dose of the Musk, reveals herself as a woman, and offers herself to Vartox.

Vartox is impressed with Power Girl’s ability to resist the musk, and arranges for a demonstration to prove his manly worth to her. He produces an Ix Negaspike, an enormous fearsome creature capable of devouring entire planets, and plans to subdue the creature on his own. The Blue Snowman leaps into action to defend her new love, and she is subsequently eaten in seconds. Vartox’s plan goes awry when the transport leash is destroyed, and the creature is set free, unrestrained. Power Girl attacks the creature, and in a grave miscalculation, freezes it and shatters it to pieces. But, as the Ix Negaspike is indestructible and reproduces asexually, in reality, she only manages to facilitate the creature’s reproduction.

It appears as though Gray and Palmiotti are concocting a sly crossover with Jonah Hex here – as Rape seems to be hanging around the edges of this comic. Sure, its a more modern take on Rape, but you would expect him to change a bit between Hex and here.

Well, Rape did have the month off over at Jonah Hex, though there was a disgusting amount of Consensual Sex happening over there. It was almost invoking Rape’s return.

Speaking of crossovers, I have to say that this book had a real similar feel to Ghost Riders this month. Sure, there wasn’t the Hellfire and Brimstone, but there was a good deal of total ridiculousness. A Contraceptive Bomb? Yeti Pirates? An alien superstud on the prowl for a worthy mate to help him repopulate a species? That head ship? The Seduction Musk Rifle? This was camp through and through, and plain awesome to boot. I know when I first saw this title I was hoping for a more serious take on Power Girl – but I am more than happy with this kind of silliness.

Deadpool: Merc With a Mouth #6, $2.99, Marvel Comics. Due Out 12/16/09 ON TIME
Written by Victor Gishler, Pencils by Bong Dazo, Colors by Matt Milla, Inks by Jos Pimentel

Deadpool and company crash in a marsh, in search of a dimentional portal – through which he intends to send the head of Zombie Deadpool to his home reality. Their quest isn’t an easy one – on their way, they are attacked by Man-Thing and Lord Falcon. Deadpool and company escape unscathed – and Deadpool takes his Zombie Head and enters the portal alone.

I think I enjoyed this issue. I say I think, because I really don’t remember much about this story. I remember laughing a couple of times, and watching everyone move through the motions, but what can I say. This Deadpool title just isn’t grabbing me like I’d like it to.

I really can’t disagree with you. This book is a ton of fluff – but stacking it up to Power Girl shows it isn’t even pulling out the fluff particularly well. I dunno – I think I am game to try out the first issue of the next arc, but if we don’t see improvement, I may well be willing to send this book packing.

Agreed.

Wolverine: Weapon X #8, $3.99, Marvel Comics. Due Out 12/23/0 ON TIME
Written by Jason Aaron, Pencils by Yanick Paquette, Inks by Michael Lacombe, Color by Nathan Fairbairn

Enter the "hot sexy nurse," strolling down the hall, unwittingly stumbling upon a gruesome scene of blood and death. Because that’s always the way it goes. Wolverine – the perpetrator, cuts the lights, and comes upon the frightened nurse, who begs for her life. Logan pauses… and the nurse inexplicably berates him for sparing her life.

Ah… an illusion.

Logan breaks free, but is put down by a dose of gas, courtesy of Dr. Rot.

Cut to a flashback, and we finally see how Logan got himself imprisoned in Rot’s sanatorium. After a brief recap of those events, Logan finds himself strapped to the table, as Dr. Rot tries to get at his brain. Somehow, Logan manages to call for help – and the sanatorium is about to receive a few different visitors.

Why, it’s Craig’s favourite narration trick! Flashback storytelling! Yayyyy!

Right, so we’re nearing the end of this particular story, and I have to say… I’ve been enjoying it, but it doesn’t have the same spark as the first arc did (which was not on the list). I mean… in that one, Wolverine was being hunted down by people with claws made of out lifesavers, who had guns that shot bullets filled with over thirty kinds of cancer – so anything following that is going to be faced with some stiff comparison.

But we are talking Wolverine here, so the fact that it’s not boring me to tears is a pretty good sign. Did you know that guy is the best he is at what he does? Someone should spread that around.

Honestly, the flashback didn’t bother me in this issue – mostly because it was done correctly. We weren’t bouncing around all over the place in some sad attempt at artsy non-linear storytelling. The time was right to reveal that information, especially since other characters were finally coming into the picture. The flashback served a purpose – and for that reason it was totally acceptable.

I have to admit that I am not in love with this arc. It’s well written – but I do like a different sort of Wolverine story – even a different type of cerebral Wolverine story. But it works – and it hasn’t even occurred to me to consider dropping this one.

Avengers: The Initiative #31, $2.99, Marvel Comics. Due Out 12/23/09 ON TIME
Written by Christos N. Gage, Pencils by Rafa Sandoval, Inks by Roger Bonet, Colors by Edgar Delgado.

Taskmaster’s party is interrupted by a call from Norman Osborn, who intends to visit Camp HAMMER in the morning. Taskmaster rushes into action, and tours the Camp to make sure everything is ready. Meanwhile, Osborn and The Hood talk about Taskmaster’s merits, and how it all ties into a project of Osborn’s called "The Cabal."

The Avengers Resistance gets settled into their new hideout, Taskmaster and Constrictor have a little heart-to-heart, and Osborn arrives to inspect the troops. Taskmaster finally receives the offer of a promotion he was expecting – and after first enjoying the new level of power he gained, one bad encounter with Doom makes him have second thoughts about what is to come.

I had a lot of file customers at the store complain about how ridiculous it was that Taskmaster was invited to the same table as Doom – which, to be fair, they are right about… there is something ridiculous about a dude what wears a Skeletor looking mask (and just so happens to have a photographic memory of every kind of fighting style ever) sitting at the same table as a dude that had his face blown off so hard that he essentially became evil and the ruler of his own country. Also ridiculous? There’s a freaking God of Mischief there too. It’s freaking comics people.

But anyway, this issue should sate those people’s thirst for downfall, as Tasky is shown to be quite out of his element at the “big boy” table. After all, he’s just in it to get paid and laid… not necessarily to be evil, per say.

Funny thing about those gripes is – that was the whole point of the story. How else does one move up in the ranks than by establishing himself as a good and intelligent leader? I would say it is equally ridiculous that Osborne has a place there… Doom could easily have done to Norman what he did to Tasky. They aren’t there because of their power-levels, they are there because of what they can do in the grant scheme of things. And it isn’t a shock that Norman would want someone else there he thinks he could control.

The point of the story is that he was somewhat out of place there. How that impacts the future story will be interesting to see.

That’s it for last month’s books – time to look forward to next month!

The List So Far
Jonah Hex #51, $2.99, DC Comics. Due Out 01/06/10
Invincible Iron Man #22, $2.99, Marvel Comics. Due Out 01/13/10
Spider-Man & The Secret Wars #2, $2.99, Marvel Comics Due Out 01/13/10
Green Lantern Corps #44, $2.99, DC Comics. Due Out 01/20/10
Power Girl #8, $2.99, DC Comics. Due out 01/20/10
Deadpool: Merc With a Mouth #7, $3.99, Marvel Comics. Due Out 01/20/10
Wolverine: Weapon X #9, $3.99, Marvel Comics. Due Out 01/20/10
Nova #33, $2.99, Marvel Comics. Due Out 01/20/10
Ghost Riders: Heavens on Fire #6 (of 6), $3.99, Marvel Comics. Due out 01/27/10
Avengers: The Initiative #32, $2.99, Marvel Comics. Due Out 01/27/10
Batman and Robin #7, $2.99, DC Comics Due Out 01/27/10

We have a few differences this month – Deadpool’s cover price jumped up a dollar, Jonah Hex’s has gone back down, Nomad has come to an end, and Batman and Robin returns from its brief hiatus this month. As it stands now, we should have just enough for one more issue, if we don’t cut anything. Is there anything you are just plain sick of? Do we give Batman and Robin another chance?

Well, there’s not a whole lot that I’d want to cut from the list. The Deadpool book hasn’t really been grabbing me, but the novelty of seeing the different reality versions of Deadpool intrigues me. Batman and Robin, I’ve been enjoying, but it did just wrap up an arc, and in February, it’s going to ship twice… which might cause problems for it. Other than that, I really don’t feel all that strongly about booting anything.
In truth, that makes me want to drop Batman and Robin. If they were planning on shipping twice in February, why bother taking the month off? And as it stands now, we have enough room for a single $2.99 book, but with so many titles weighing in at $3.99 these days, I am inclined to drop it in order to make room.

Right then. Dropped!

I can’t say I will miss it! Onward!

New Titles

That leaves us with $6.74 (before tax) to pick up a new book. I have to say that I really enjoyed Nomad, so much so that I am perfectly willing to pick up Captain America, just to get the back-up stories. Your thoughts?

I wish to impregnate Sean McKeever with my love.

Aaaannnd I’ll take that as a yes.

ADDED
Captain America #602, $3.99, Marvel Comics Due Out 01/20/10

That leaves us with a mere $2.99, or $2.77 before the dread tax and board fee. Unless you can think of something cheaper than that…
There’s Joe the Barbarian coming out from Vertigo. It’s supposed to be one of those fantasies, like Narnia – only written by Grant Morrison. First issue is a buck.

Sounds like a steal to me. We have the room – and who knows, the title may rock. The Grant Morrison thing doesn’t exactly sell it – but who knows… a diamond in the rough? Hopefully it is more WE3 than Seaguy.

ADDED
Joe the Barbarian #1 (of 8), $1.00, DC Comics Due Out 01/20/10

JANUARY LIST
Jonah Hex #51, $2.99, DC Comics. Due Out 01/06/10
Invincible Iron Man #22, $2.99, Marvel Comics. Due Out 01/13/10
Spider-Man & The Secret Wars #2, $2.99, Marvel Comics Due Out 01/13/10
Green Lantern Corps #44, $2.99, DC Comics. Due Out 01/20/10
Power Girl #8, $2.99, DC Comics. Due out 01/20/10
Deadpool: Merc With a Mouth #7, $3.99, Marvel Comics. Due Out 01/20/10
Wolverine: Weapon X #9, $3.99, Marvel Comics. Due Out 01/20/10
Nova #33, $2.99, Marvel Comics. Due Out 01/20/10
Captain America #602, $3.99, Marvel Comics Due Out 01/20/10
Joe the Barbarian #1 (of 8), $1.00, DC Comics Due Out 01/20/10
Ghost Riders: Heavens on Fire #6 (of 6), $3.99, Marvel Comics. Due out 01/27/10
Avengers: The Initiative #32, $2.99, Marvel Comics. Due Out 01/27/10

The Math
$2.74 (Bank from December) + $40 (January Budget) = $42.74 $42.74 – $37.89 (January issues) – $2.94 (tax) = $1.91 Banked for February

And with that, we come to the end of our little journey this month! Thanks again to all of you who have stuck with the List since the very beginning. It’s been a blast so far, and hopefully we will see you all again in January 2011.

The OC 4 life, honkies!