IAN’S DIRTY BOMB

I believe “true believer” refers to lovers of the comics medium. Of course, it connotes specificity with regards to Marvel comics because it is a Lee-ism, however, I feel that the broad stroke of the expression cites all of us. We who appreciate the aesthetics, innovation, stories, and characters of the comics medium.If you think that sounds hokey, well, fuck you.  It’s a point that emphasizes the spirit of this post.

Obviously, to a few of you, this post is largely inspired by a recent message on The Bomb Shelter, though it addresses issues I’ve considered for some time.  So, in a way, this is for the man that says you shouldn’t criticize other people’s tastes, unless it’s their taste in clothing.  Apparently, fashion sense and personal style are fair game,  whereas X-Men and JLA are out-of-bounds.  Yeah, I’m gonna’ single you out, “True Believer.”  You kinda’ brought it on yourself.  Just take heart that this post’s messages might help everyone understand my attitude and positions on the subjects covered a wee bit better.

First, if we at the shop are more in your face “T.B.,” it’s because you asked for it.  You’ve made more than one post on The B.S. expressing disappointment in your purchases - or lack thereof - and have even commented on it at the store.  I’m not saying that if a woman complains about her sex life in a room full of men she’s asking to be raped, but she certainly better be prepared to entertain some offers.  Don and I are making you some offers, big boy.  We care about you.  (Awwww… aren’t we sweet?)  Really!  We want you to be happy.  We therefore try to cajole you into buying what we feel are the best books available.  We feel that reading the best books will keep you happy and coming back for more.

You seem to have a problem with our demeanor, however, and I would like to address that issue, as well as some specific comments made in your message.  To quote:

“I keep being told I read ‘crap’ or that the stuff I read is only good for reading when I’m taking a crap. - Nice

A steady stream of one sided debates is usually taking place where if its not ‘indy’ its crap. Main stream is crap, super heroes are garbage, Messiah Complex is crap and I dont want to hear about it. League of Extrodinary Gentlemen is the greatest. Sequels are stupid, movies of comics are bad, and anything you want to talk about in regards to comics, I dont want to hear because it sucks and I haven’t read it, and I dont need to read it because I know it will suck…

Debating comics is like debating music. I hate country music, but if someone else likes it, well good for them, I dont care, I just dont like it. So just because I say its crap doesn’t mean it is, someone likes it. Somebodies buying it, its just not my taste of music.”

I get you, man, but you’re a little off base here.  Don and I are both of the opinion that about 90% of everything is crap.  Everything.  Comics, movies, books, music, etc.  This isn’t to say that some of the said crap isn’t enjoyable, it’s just not as esteemed as the good stuff.  Sorry, man, but “Watchmen” is simply a better book than “Batman and the Outsiders,” no matter how much fun the latter title may be.  It’s better than my “G.I Joe,” too.  I don’t think that this is up for debate.  John Grisham’s books may be fun for some, but Dostoevsky wins in terms of literary excellence.  Maybe you’d rather read a book by Stephen King, but he ain’t J.D. Salinger.  Perhaps you prefer Frazetta, but Michelangelo was a better artist.  “Batman Begins” was a blast of a movie, but it doesn’t compare to “Citizen Kane,” whether Welles is your cup of tea or not.  Ya’ feel me?  Sometimes opinion has nothing to do with it.  This is where I’m coming from.  All that said, nobody wants you to stop buying your “crap,” as sure as I will continue to buy mine.  We just want you to check out some good stuff, too.

“With comics I’m open to anything, I dont like a lot of indie books because I live in a house with 5 kids and the young ones like to pick up the books and read, so having a someone drop the F bomb on every page isnt really good for leaving around the house.”

Bullshit.  All bullshit.  Open to anything?  Then check out Renee French, or Jason Lutes, or Dan Clowes, or Chris Ware.  We’ve suggested stuff like this, and you’ve dismissed it without reading it.  How’s that for, “I dont want to hear because it sucks and I haven’t read it, and I dont need to read it because I know it will suck.”  At least we at the shop actually do check out those titles we mock.  We work at a comic book store, man, how could we not.  In fact, I read “World War Hulk” every time it came out, just ask Don.  Open to anything my aching ass.  Hell, you’re reluctant to buy anything if you can’t get single issues, T.B.

Oh, and for the record, there are tons of good comics, indie and mainstream alike, without F-bombs and other swear words.  Nice try, though….

“What I hate about comics, or more so the readers, are cliches, a guy in a cordoroy sports coat with patches on the shoulder that hasn’t shaved in a week and preaches about the glory of indie comics is an idiot. He’s cliche, that look was done long before he came around so keep your hippy mittens and dumb military hat at home, your playing dress up too. Your not a rebel, your not ‘cool’ and your definately not indie. You read Your not, there’s countless unshaven, salvation army clothes wearing fools like you walking all around Buffalo.”

A tad caustic, methinks.  Did some Emo kid drown your dog with his tears or something?  Okay, Mr. Live-and-let-live, you need to look in a mirror.  Sorry to be harsh here, but dude, you’re just as much a cliche as those you would condemn.  If I had a nickel for every established family man that came to the shop and bought the same mainstream books they’ve been buying for decades, while pining for the glory days of their DC or Marvel titles, yet won’t consider purchasing books “outside of the box” (e.g. not superhero, not in color, not drawn by Eaglesham, or Churchill, etc.), I’d be able to quit my restaurant job and harass you full-time.

“You want to be a rebel, you want to be ‘indie’ try being a manager at a major company in Buffalo and having a picture of Spiderman on your wall. Or being as bold as to right a blog about comics on the companies web site. Wearing a tie every day, being a dad and being a husband while still being able to read comics, we’re the indy guys, we’re the true rebels.”

Really?  Oh.  In that case are you reading “the crap you read solely to support a life style that you think makes you different?”  Maybe the unshaven, salvation army-clothes-wearing fools are just reading what they like, man.  They seem pleased with their comics.  Are you?  Perhaps you haven’t cracked the spines of many indie books because those comics have suffered the same fate as their stereotypical readers, you’ve already judged them.

Look, T.B., Don and I love you, too, otherwise we wouldn’t pay you any mind.  We’d just sell you whatever you brought to the counter, and not care about what it was as long as you kept buying it.  We’d be about the money.  Instead, we’re about the medium.  Well, money and the medium - after all, Don’s got a family to support, and I have comics to buy, so money is significant.  Jon’s response to your message was pretty much dead-on.  I’d add, however, that - as I stated above - nobody wants you to stop buying your “crap,” especially if you enjoy it, we just want you to check out different stuff.  We respect your opinions, but we’re not going to forsake our own.  Sorry, but the customer is not always right.  Just because we want customers’ business doesn’t mean we have to suck their dicks - that’s what Brad is for.  In fact, I don’t know that I’d say we’re “elitist,” we talk to our customers the way we talk to each other.  Maybe people don’t get that, but it’s true, and something that has only recently occurred to me.  So, we are actually pretty inclusive.  We make fun of Brad for buying “Punisher” and anything with breasts, everyone picks on me for buying “G.I. Joe” and Don, well, he’s just Don, we don’t need any material.  But when it comes down to it, we’re all “true believers,” from the indie kids to the fanboys, from the customers to the retailers to the creators.  And if you shop at Don’s Atomic Comics you’re in our club, man.  Love us or hate us, or hate to love us, you’re in the club.

Excelsior!

-Ian

Now, I’ve already written about Alan Moore being a “whiny bitch,” and Liefeld goes and steals my thunder.  Of course, I shouldn’t be surprised by Liefeld stealing anything judging by his artwork, however, I had made a similar point many moons ago.  My argument was better, I daresay, and more persuasively presented, and not contradictory.  The crux of it could be explained thusly:  We all have decisions we have made in our youths that we regret or, at the least wish we could change because of there present day ramifications.  You just gotta’ move on.  There’s no changing the past.  Alan Moore fucked up, he has to deal with it, and he shouldn’t be surprised or insulted when the evil corporation acts like an evil corporation.  There was this girl Christina - who ended up being a fucking runway model in Europe - that I could have slept with way back in ‘94, but I didn’t because I didn’t want to cheat on my girlfriend…  Ya’ know this is a bad analogy.  Moving on….

Rob Liefeld sucks.  Everything that could be said about this ass-clown has already been said, by myself or others, so I’ll bite my tongue and carry on.  I just don’t understand why he’s still in the public eye.  Okay, the comic buyers’ eyes, anyway.  He never should have been a name in the industry in the first place.  What’s he do now?  “Onslaught Reborn?”  Some covers?  Can someone please just shove this dude’s hands into a wood chipper?  I’ll pay.  His artwork may actually improve afterwards, and we had best hope so because it seems impossible for this fucktard not to get work….

Yeah, so I went on a bit about Liefeld.  He gets my blood up.  I hope I never see this dude at a Con’, because I firmly believe it is a moral imperative to tell him off and hopefully leave him whimpering in a corner attempting to gouge his veins open with his Sharpie, or Crayolas, or fingerpaints, or whatever he uses when he signs books and pretends he’s an artist.  Why have no industry pro’s torn this guy up?    Someone of note needs to man up and tear Liefeld up.  He’s begging for it now.

Ya’ know, Rob, we’d love it if you could find your way to our humble comics’ shop in Buffalo to do a signing or something.  Just ignore the bald guy with the hacksaw when you get there, he won’t hurt ya’, he just wants to shake your hand….

- I 

 

 

I just deleted and “marked as spam” 2628 bullshit comments to this blog.  I’m feeling homicidal….

Well, I don’t know about fun, per se, though parts were very amusing - but it is an excellent read. I’m talking about “Fun Home” by Alison Bechdel, and it has the IDB Guarantee: “If you don’t like it, I guarantee you are a fucking idiot.” “Fun Home” is an intensely intimate look at Bechdel’s family life growing up, and particularly centers on her, her father, and their relationship. This book was like an artful documentary, with symphonic prose, and subversively expressive cartooning. Bechdel could easily have written an an entirely prose novel, in fact, as she writes with deftness, expansive linguistic skill - she’s actually a bit of a pedant, which I applaud - and admirable literary knowledge. Her artwork at first seems stiff, but it’s this very stiffness, I think, which gives her cartooning a realistic bite, and it ultimately won me over with its subtlety, and the specificity of its narrative. I don’t want to give away any important plot points, so, I implore you to read this book! Don, stock it. Our customers with fully functioning, well-fissured gray matter will thank you. And if you window-lickers don’t believe me check this out: http://dykestowatchoutfor.com/reviews-and-interviews
Next. “The Birthday Riots.” What a brilliant little graphic novel. Nabiel Kanan can do no wrong after this one. With an incredibly well-structured, yet slyly woven story, and cartooning which burgeons on minimalism without surrendering expression or grace, “The Birthday Riots” is one of the best books I’ve read in quite some time. Don’s got this hardcover at the shop for only ten dollars! Read it, kids! I would also recommend Kanan’s “Lost Girl” and “The Drowners.”

Damn, there are a couple of fine works, people. See you at the store and on the message board!

- I

I don’t know if anyone’s reading this anymore, but in the hope that someone is, I’ll plug away. I gotta’ tell ya’, with no response on The Bomb Shelter, it’s tough to motivate myself to continue this blog. Nevertheless, here’s something we can all discuss:

The Top 10 of 2006! My list includes stuff that’s been out for a while but I finally read this past year. I’m not so anal that it can only incorporate ‘06 releases. This is also in no particular order, as it’s kinda’ off the top of my head. It’s also important to note that all of the titles listed sport the IDB Guarantee, “If you don’t like it, I guarantee you’re a fuckin’ idiot.”
1. 100 Bullets. Remarkably conceived by Azzarello and Risso, “Hunny-B’s” is consistently one of the best ongoing titles. All of the tpb’s are available and it’s one of our bestsellers. [Don, a bestseller list would be mad cool, by the way, if you could piece one together, I'm sure we'd all be interested in it.] Please do yourself a favor and check out this title if you haven’t already. And may I add, if that’s the case, I can’t believe there are still people NOT reading 100 Bullets.
2. Hicksville. This title came out some time ago, tho’ the tpb was collected recently. No matter, Dylan Horrocks is a genius. This is one of the greatest graphic novels ever! Easily up there with the likes of Watchmen, Maus, From Hell, Sandman, etc. Tragic and inspiring at once, this book has both emotional and intellectual impact. A fine example of what graphic literature is capable of, and a reminder of its importance, in spite of its being taken for granted - along with the brilliant artists and writers who have graced the medium. This artform has wasted opportunity and lost so much as a result of corporate greed and societal stereotypes. Comics could - and can - be great, not just adequate. Hicksville reinforces this notion, and dares us to challenge the medium’s history and its trend toward banality. I implore all of you to read this book. You will never forget it.
3. Atlas. Horrocks is still a genius. This book is currently at issue #3 and is an offshoot of Hicksville. Ther seem to be three separate yet associated stories going in this book, and they are all good. Read it.
4. La Perdida. Jessica Abel, please let me go down on you and taste your sweet feminine nectar. Those Mexican boys got nothing on me, I am one cunning linguist. Oh, and I’ve previously discussed this book:

“It’s a story about a young woman who moves to Mexico to ‘find herself’ by essentially ‘losing herself’ in her estranged father’s home country. Her desires, romanticism, and naiveté betray her, however, when she blindly gets caught up in nefarious activities with shady characters. I kinda’ fell into this book. Knowing little of Jessica Abel, but having heard/seen good reviews of her work, I decided to just check this book out by reading the first few pages… which turned into me buying the book on Sunday and finishing it by Monday night. I’ll say this much, this book surprised me. If after reading the first few pages you had told me how the book ends and why, I never would have believed you. Oh yeah, and Abel’s artwork is very nice, simple yet expressive and unrestrained, with rich brushwork. Check out this book. Right now it’s available as a hardcover from Pantheon with a fully painted wraparound cover. About 250 pages – not including the glossary – for $19.95, baby! Tack on our discount and it’s a plum $17.95!”
5. Lost Girls. Alan Moore is at it again, this time with the wifey, Melinda Gebbie. Those of you that have read this know that it’s indubitably one of the best books of the year. It is visually stunning, subversively so, and penned with a sly wit and charm while maintaining significant themes and, at times, even grim undercurrents. I know it is a bit pricey, but it’s well worth it, as it is not only a beautiful achievement artistically, but you will definitley reread it. Fuck, it’s Alan Moore people. Buy it!
6. Exterminators. This title is a blast and I’ve noted it before:

“This title is as Vertigo as Vertigo gets. It’s a lot like ‘Preacher’ in tone and humor, tho’ storywise it’s completely different. It’s about exterminators - as you may have imagined - that have been using an experimental insecticide that is far more dangerous than a normal poison. In fact, it’s mutating the pests they’re trying to kill. But that’s not all, throw in a bizarre death and possible resurrection, a potentially magical scarab, an insidious government contractor conglomerate, a motley crew of characters and a twisted love story. Read this title!”
7. Peepshow #14. Joe Matt is still at it. Thankfully so, because this book makes me laugh out loud. I’m so glad Matt shares his wretchedness with the rest of us. Keep it up, man.
8. The Drowners. Nabiel Kanan is good, people. Check out Exit, and Lost Girl, also. I mentioned this title briefly in June:

“Another book I highly recommend is ‘The Drowners,’ collected by Image and released as a TPB last week. Believe it or not, Brad was all about this book - the issues - before anyone else at the store had read it. Nabiel Kanan wrote and drew this tale about a group of dysfunctional Londoners and the terrible ripple-affect the drowning death of a young woman has upon all of them. Read ‘The Drowners!’
9. Shit, nine already? Hmmm… something for the fanboys…. Oh, how ’bout All-Star Superman. Thanks to this title - Morrison and Quitely and their skills - I am reading a Superman book. Ummm, enough said. It’s good, really good. Buy it.
10. Damn, I’m out of numbers here. I suppose I could cheat a bit. It is my blog after all. Well, let’s stick Ware’s Acme Novelty Library in here even though it was on the list last year. Oh, and Ellis’ Desolation Jones, and Darwyn Cooke’s The Spirit - which I believe just made it under the gun for 2006 - and Kings in Disguise and Cerebus - as I finished it in 2006, so it makes the list. There are others too, but I’ve plum run out of space. Eh, not a bad list for “off the top of my head,” though I’m sure I’ve forgotten something….
Feel free to post your lists on The Bomb Shelter under the IDB category - it’s at the bottom of the page, in case you missed it.

- I

One of my favorite insults. The last time I was in NYC, as I was about to go down the stairs to the subway, I heard a guy yell this at someone across the street while, appropriately, gripping his package and thrusting his hips. I figured it would get your attention, it got mine.

Anyway, a cool aspect of having the Bomb Shelter is that I’m no longer really limited to focusing on the comic book world - of course, I never really was, but I kinda’ felt obligated. Any comic discussion y’all wanna’ have, yer free to have yerselves. So I can rant about anything. Sweet….

First, why the fuck are the Dallas Cowboys “America’s Team?” Seriously. Look, I lived in Texas for a spell, and while most people I met were pretty cool, I would never suggest that the population down there was representative of America. There are some backwards ass mouthbreathers down there. Ya’ know, come to think of Texas’ population, it’s more representative of fucking Mexico! “America’s Team” my ass. Do you know that Texas is the only state in the Union that has - included in its state constitution - the right to secede at any time?! No shit. How patriotic of them. Hey, aren’t the Patriots the more appropriate “America’s Team?” I’m no fan, but they are the Patriots. Hell, they won the Superbowl after 9-11. Whooooo! USA! USA! USA! Plus, they’re from Massachusetts, not only one of the first states, but one of the first colonies. Massachusetts boasts some of our founding fathers, famous figures and tons of historical landmarks and sites. Texas has the Alamo and… what? The Alamo. Where a bunch of Americans, some of them cowboys - of a sort - got their asses handed to them by the Mexican army. Whooo! USA! USA! Look, I don’t want to trammel on Sam Houston and Davy Crocket because I don’t like a football team, they actually got shafted by the U.S. government, but I’m just trying to make a point here. It irks me that the Cowboys are referred to as “America’s Team.” They sure ain’t my team, and I’m 100% motherfuckin’ American.

Now I’m gonna’ bring things down a bit. I wrote the above a couple of nights ago. Given my absence at the comic store on Wednesday, I thought I might share the following with you. This is from the Merck Manual, which is kinda’ like the bible of medical problems:

“Migraine is a primary neurobiologic disorder, resulting from dysfunction of the trigeminovascular system. The disorder manifests as recurring attacks, usually lasting 4-72 hours. These attacks, which can interfere with normal functioning, involve unilateral throbbing headache pain of moderate to severe intensity. They also usually involve nausea, sometimes vomiting, and light, sound, and sensitivity to other sensory stimuli.

Several types or classifications of migraine exist. Migraine may have a strong family history and may vary in frequency, intensity, duration, pattern of associated symptoms, and degree of disability. They are usually moderate to severe in intensity, and may be incapacitating. They are episodic in nature, with some patients experiencing one attack annually and others experiencing attacks several times a week. The average number of migraine attacks is about three or four per month. They generally last from 4-72 hours. Migraine headaches usually have a “pulsating” quality; the pain is described as “pounding” or “throbbing” in nature, and is usually unilateral.

The headache phase of a migraine is commonly associated with signs and symptoms such as nausea, photophobia, phonophobia, emesis, diarrhea, vertigo, tremors, sweating, irritability, confusion or loss of concentration, and chills. Normal physical activity typically exacerbates the pain.

Migraine may occur with or without an aura that, when present, generally lasts between 5 and 60 minutes. Aura occurs in about 15-20% of patients with migraine. The most common type of aura is visual; it can cause scotomas, teichopsia, fortification spectra, and photopsias.

Aura may also consist of virtually any type of neurologic symptom, such as focal paresthesia or weakness, visual or auditory hallucination, vertigo, fainting, or a confusional episode….”

I deal with these motherfuckers about 2 to 3 times a month for about 12 to 24 hours an episode, though sometimes I can prevent them by flooding my system with medication if I think one’s coming on. I typically, but not always, experience the worst of these symptoms. I think the pain aspect in the above description is a little too understated. It is extraordinary and excruciating. I wish there were a way to aptly describe it. It doesn’t compare to anything else I’ve experienced. Let’s just say this: It makes death appealing. I could go on about this, but I think you get my point. So, there’s some - probably unwanted, maybe unwarranted - insight into my world. And you all wonder why I’m such a miserable bastard. Try dealing with that shit a few times a month for 20 years, and we’ll see how happy-fucking-go-lucky you are….
Ahem!
Well, it’s been a while to say the least. Life gets in the way of little things, like, for example, blogs you write for your buddy’s comic shop’s website. Recently, however, a couple of, um… changes have taken place that will grant me the opportunity to catch up on this whole blog thang, as I will probably have a bit more free time. I’m not saying there’ll be a set schedule or anything, I’ll just post more than I have. And if you got a problem with the way I do things or anything I have to say, well…

Why don’t you take a flying liplock onto my fuckstick?

- I

Oh, shit. It’s Indie Month again. Another vain attempt by Don, Brad and myself to sell lemmings water-wings. This time around Don is allowing our customers the opportunity to check out an indie title for free. Yeah, free – for one week. If the customer likes it, he gets to buy it at 15% off. This offer is sweet as hell, people. Were I a customer I would jump on this like it was Scarlett Johansson, wet-n-ready. If you don’t like the book just bring it back in resaleable condition, and check out another one. As long as the deal goes on, you can keep on checking out titles. Okay, you would be crazy to pass this up. I feel that part of the problem with selling indies is that nobody wants to take a chance and spend money on something unfamiliar. Now, you don’t have to drop dime-one if you don’t want to buy the book. This opportunity is a no-brainer. Take advantage of it. I wouldn’t be opposed to keeping this deal going all the time. It’s win-win.
So, now I’m gonna’ do the obvious and highlight some good indies.
First off, I just read “The Surrogates” by Rick Venditti and Brett Weldele. What a great book. It’s finally available in tpb from Top Shelf, and I urge anyone that’s into sci-fi and/or crime fiction to pick it up. The story takes place in 2054, and about 90% of the U.S. population live their lives through “surrogates” (android puppets, basically) via a kind of v.r. settup. The story kicks off with someone, or something, destroying two such surrogates and simply uttering, “Live.” From there, the story revolves around the two cops on the case. As the story unfolds it addresses issues of identity, ethics, and a world in which our fears can get the better of us, cripple our humanity, and cloud our judgment.
Next! Dave Cooper is a genius. A perverse genius, but a genius nonetheless. I hope Don stocks up on his books because I’ll push them all day, every day. Dave Cooper is interested in sex. Sex, sexual realationship, and all that they entail. He explores these in every one of his books. No shit. I recommend his “Suckle, Crumple, Ripple” trilogy for first-timers. Specifically, “Ripple” which is a bit more grounded in our reality. It’s a darkly humorous tale with an insidious amount of feeling, about an artist that becomes obsessed with his model. His fugly, obnoxious model. The scary part is, you’ll start to identify with the artist. Oh… you will. Read the works of Dave Cooper from Fantagraphics.
Thirdly, try out a title from Oni Press. One of our favorite titles at the store is Greg Rucka’s “Queen and Country.” Espionage, political intrigue, suspense thrills, and intense action taking place in our world. Some of these stories are frighteningly true. This is arguably the most well-researched ongoing series. There are also two novels available which connect directly to the series’ continuity and are just as good if not better. Rucka wrote those, too. Get on this title, you won’t want to get off.
A book that just kicked-off from Oni is “Borrowed Time.” Another surreal offering from Neal Shaffer about a man who takes a journey through the Bermuda triangle only to come out in a “dimension” barely removed from ours. Can he find his way back? Schaffer also wrote “One Plus One Equals One” and “Last Exit Before Toll” for Oni, and they’re both thought-provoking and innovative stories.
There are a few tasty selections for you to try out, for free. Hopefully, we’ll have them in stock. If you’re interested in something else ask myself or Don or Brad. Odds are, one of us has read what you’re thinking of reading.
Moving on….. “Lost Girls.” This is one of Alan Moore’s best works to date. Sixteen years in the making and worth every year of wait. I rank this up there with the likes of “V for Vendetta,” Watchmen,” “Promethea” and “From Hell.” It’s that good. Comparison is difficult, however, as it’s so different from everything else he’s done. I’m sure most of you already know the jist of the story, so I won’t summarize it. Just know that it’s richly layered, multi-thematic, downright clever, magical, stunningly beautiful, and e-r-o-t-i-c. I don’t want to spoil anything for those of you that have yet to read it, so I’ll leave it at that. Get your hands on a copy as soon as possible.

It’s cool to see that so many of you have registered for The Bomb Shelter. The board is still in its infancy, so I hope you all continue to post and those of you that haven’t, start. You know who you are. I know who you are…. I’m starting a forum there that will be the new “comments” section of Ian’s Dirty Bomb with a link to this blog. So, please post any comments or spin-off discussion topics there! You could still comment here I suppose, but you probably won’t get much of a response. If you haven’t registered at The B.S. yet, do so!

- I

Hey, if I wrote something or said something that made everyone leave can you at least let me know what it was? I’ll probably want to use it again at a future date. Seriously, did everyone go on vacation at the same time or something? I know I’ve neglected this blog of late. Sorry. I’ve dedicated my Don’s Atomic Comics website time to The Bomb Shelter. Ya’ know, that messageboard everyone wanted and yet now refuses to use. Register and post at will, people! It’s easy. I promise. There’s a link to it on our homepage.
And now… some possible topics to post about on the messageboard!

“The Exterminators” tpb is out. This title is as Vertigo as Vertigo gets. It’s a lot like “Preacher” in tone and humor, tho’ storywise it’s completely different. It’s about exterminators - as you may have imagined - that have been using an experimental insecticide that is far more dangerous than a normal poison. In fact, it’s mutating the pests they’re trying to kill. But that’s not all, throw in a bizarre death and possible resurrection, a potentially magical scarab, an insidious government contractor conglomerate, a motley crew of characters and a twisted love story. Read this title!

Next! I plugged “Dusty Star” on The Bomb Shelter but I’ll plug it here, too. Read “Dusty Star,” if only because Andrew Robinson deserves to get paid. He’s a sweet artist. Oh, and check out “Shark-Man” because Steve Pugh has earned your money as well.

Now serving #3! Football season is upon us! Nancy-boys run to your closets! Pre-season has kicked-off with the Hall of Fame Game, and I am fuckin’ stoked! I’m even rather accepting of the Bill’s inevitable 3-13 season. Even if they’re losing, they’re still playing football! The greatest competitive sport ever. [That one's gonna' bother some people....] Actually, my girlfriend and I closely examined the Bill’s schedule recently and determined that they could do as well as 7-9. No shit! This is how we picked it:

• 9/10 at New England L
• 9/17 at Miami L
• 9/24 NEW YORK JETS W
• 10/1 MINNESOTA W
• 10/8 at Chicago L
• 10/15 at Detroit W
• 10/22 NEW ENGLAND W
• 10/29 BYE
  
• 11/5 GREEN BAY L
• 11/12 at Indianapolis L
• 11/19 at Houston L
• 11/26 JACKSONVILLE W
• 12/3 SAN DIEGO L
• 12/10 at New York Jets W
• 12/17 MIAMI L
• 12/24 TENNESSEE W
• 12/31 at Baltimore L

So, there it is. I can rationalize every choice, in spite of the fact that some of them seem downright wacky. We can discuss in the comments section or on the messageboard.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that it’s Dark Horse/Image Month with a fat 25% off all single-issue backstock from those two houses. There’s lots of good shit to taste test.

I’m out, bitches! See you at The B.S.! [Ya' like that? I'm always thinking, fools....]

- Dirty I

Sorry it’s been so long since my last post. I’m sure all five of you are horribly disappointed. I’ve got a few things to write about so, let’s get started.

First, The Bomb Shelter is now up and open for business. You can link to it from our home page. The Bomb Shelter is a forum dedicated to Don’s Atomic Comics customers and whatever the hell they want to talk about – within the confines of say… the law. Registration will be verified via email. [Jon was “johnny-on-the-spot” with this. Jon, I activated your account for you and thought I’d just let you know here rather than emailing you. I know who you are.] Other than that, enjoy yourselves. You deserve – well, I don’t know if you deserve it, but there it is, so fuckin’ use it.

All right! “Superman Returns” really wasn’t very good. The visuals were striking with some cool iconic imagery. I can’t praise that plane crash sequence enough. BUT, thematically the film was too scattered, the writing was weak, and can someone tell me why they didn’t just get Richard Donner to direct instead of the director that apparently lives on his cock? Hey, Mr. Singer, what’s your version of the Superman universe like? Dude, “The Usual Suspects” was your best film, and I think it had more to do with the writing and the cast than your direction. Sorry, bro’. “Superman Returns” gets 2 fingers. Remember, that’s 3 short of a solid fisting. I dislike this film more every time I think about it. In two weeks I’ll probably downgrade it to, like, a knuckle.

Third, let’s talk comics. I just finished “La Perdida” by Jessica Abel and rather enjoyed it. It’s a story about a young woman who moves to Mexico to “find herself” by essentially “losing herself” in her estranged father’s home country. Her desires, romanticism, and naiveté betray her, however, when she blindly gets caught up in nefarious activities with shady characters. I kinda’ fell into this book. Knowing little of Jessica Abel, but having heard/seen good reviews of her work, I decided to just check this book out by reading the first few pages… which turned into me buying the book on Sunday and finishing it by Monday night. I’ll say this much, this book surprised me. If after reading the first few pages you had told me how the book ends and why, I never would have believed you. Oh yeah, and Abel’s artwork is very nice, simple yet expressive and unrestrained, with rich brushwork. Check out this book. Right now it’s available as a hardcover from Pantheon with a fully painted wraparound cover. About 250 pages – not including the glossary – for $19.95, baby! Tack on our discount and it’s a plum $17.95! I don’t know if there’s a soft-cover available.

Next up, I also caught up on my “Hellboy/B.P.R.D.” reading. I was about two-and-a-half books behind. Shame on me. I’ve been routinely flagellating myself with undercooked linguini ever since reading the last three books. They were a blast. Sorry, Mike, but Arcudi is doing pretty well on “B.P.R.D.” and lending the stories something they had previously lacked – namely, solid, yet dynamic, continuity and character development. Now, I’m a Hellboy super fan, as many already know, so I’m aware of everyone’s origins and back stories as written by Mignola in his installments. If you ask me, he leaves a little too much to the imagination and as a result, eventually the one-dimensional characters and redundant storylines get a tad stale. I know Mignola enjoys drawing Hellboy in those “one-shot-esque” tales he’s done, but after a while you realize that it doesn’t even need to be Hellboy, it could just be some random dude – well, until the Lovecraftian (no way that’s a word) monster appears and he has to beat the shit out of it. Random dude might have a problem there. Hellboy has become eye-candy – and, to be fair, intermittent comic relief – that guides you through Mignola’s folklore inspired yarns. Hellboy’s development ended when the fourth – or even third – book ended. Hmmm… that was around the time the development of the movie began, wasn’t it? I guess Mignola’s got a bit to do with the series, however, props to John Arcudi for keepin’ it real, or unreal, as the case may be. Guy Davis’ art is perfect for this title to boot. Read “B.P.R.D.”

Okay, I’m beat. See you on Wednesday.

Ian

So “Lucifer” is officially over. Bummer, man. To date it’s Mike Carey’s comics opus and it ran for 75 issues. A great run. I highly recommend it for all fans of “Sandman,” “Hellblazer,” and even “Promethea.” I haven’t read the end yet, so I suppose it’s not too late for Carey to fuck it up, but it seems unlikely that that would be the case. What’s really cool about this series is that the realms of hell, heaven, other dimensions and their many personages - tho’ some, honestly, aren’t “persons” per se - are dealt with so smoothly, matter-of-factly, and intimately that one never pauses to question or disbelieve them. Carey completely immerses you in this richly developed fantastical epic, which seems anything but fantasy, and you won’t want to come up for air. “Lucifer” is best read in its collected form and all of the TPB’s are available.
Ya’ know, I sympathized with Lucifer when I read Milton’s Paradise Lost in 9th grade - no “Sympathy for the Devil” jokes, please - but after Carey’s “Lucifer?” If I were a Seraphim he would have been one of my best friends. Better to rule in Hell than be a slave in Heaven, kids!

I’m fairly certain we’ve never discussed action figures on IDB, but I gotta’ mention that those “DC: The New Frontier” figures are sweeeeet. The book there based on is even sweeter. Darwyn Cookes’ “The New Frontier” takes place between the Golden Age and Silver Age of the DCU and examines events leading up to the inception of the J.L.A. This book - available now in two TPB’s, or 2 months from now as a $75 Absolute edition - is one of the best mainstream titles to come out in years! Yes, it is better than “Identity Crisis.” Yes, it is better than “Civil War.” Yes, it beats “Batman: Shut-Up” and “Wolverine: Where Do I Come From?” Hey, just read it. If you like super-heroes, and you don’t like “The New Frontier,” go beat-off to “Smallville” some more and stop reading my blog.

Meanwhile, I’m hearing nothing but good things about the Superman flick. I may have to see this one in the theaters. “Batman Begins” was certainly worthwhile. DC seems to be doin’ pretty well in the movie market quality department….

Lastly, check out “Grendel” for Lyle. He only wants what’s best for you. I don’t care if you choke on your own vomit, but Lyle? He’s all about the love. Plus, “Grendel” is a great series.

- I