Sitting between a chant of some religious slant and a song from some other country base outside of Australia, there was a slither of a slot for the Comic Shop to pop up on the radio.

Blitz in and out again, covering about a whole half hour, the Comic Shop boys were on Macarthur's C91.3FM just recently. Tonight actually. Back there in 19:10 land gone past. And the talk invariably covered the look of the store and the comics whatnot from the perspective of a radio host who only believes in The Phantom.

Superman's little "It's a bird. It's a plane. It's Superman!" from the old timey TV show kicking off the segment. Chris, Jason and Tom all there to represent the store.

"Turbines to speed," from the Batman TV show audio grab breaking the half point begs a question. How do you get to an intransitory position which in actuality isn't one at all but instead just a place to get somewhere else. If even.

The show's audio intros almost looked like a skewer toward the DC hand if not for the Lone Ranger getting in a heel there.

Caller Paul didn't help on that front though. He was on about Superman, the Justice League and the Justice Society of America.

Marvel love coming from the shop itself. Nice work on Jason prefixing Stan Lee as a co-creator on the House of Ideas. Just wouldn't seem like the right thing if he'd gone with the "creator" slip. And Tom's aside to caller Paul was deftly put.

Caller Hank sure missed out on prime time to hijack the listener call in segment they had for a flash. Instead, harping on about Kabuki and automatically dismissing manga when thrown at by the host. That Hank needs some more misdirection when on the air on the phone on the radio. Next time you blue furry.

Dash off on the sign off and the plug for the shop's location (in addition to being in Liverpool) slides in before the cut off.

But where is the library people? It's right next to the Comic Shop it is. That's the way it's around, not the other.

 

Word floats around that a collection worth gathering is a collection worth displaying. And true, to some extent. Or at least to the extent at which space will allow. And then there's the collection not entirely worth displaying. The display that crinkles up a question mark hovering over the vat of cool molten lava.



On the photo above are two stacks of comics. The higher one is the one of the comics that have been read. And the one on the far right is the one that everybody dreads when thinking about their collection. The part of the collection which rues the day and occupies the mind.

The stack on the far right is the stack of comics that are waiting to be read. On such example being a run of Jack of Fables from #1-5. It's as bad as it feels.

the Comic Shop, serving an addiction

 

Bang a gong, and it's February already, shortest month of the year, cruftiest of them all. Best month actually, when you come to think of it. On the cusp of the seasonal calendar that breaks in from summer into autumn. Doesn't stop the sweating though. And you'd think it was only the obese to crank out the drip glands heavy. Woah.

Haven't been reading big on the whole Choosing Sides thing at Marvel, but when Peter Porker's about, look out. Ultimate Civil War Spider-Ham Crisis #1 clearly states one side to choose. Pork. Or ham. Or bacon. Pigs ears a rather natty though.

Ah, the series that is a gift unto itself, Kabuki #8 is expected in this week. It's the comic that keeps on giving, but certainly makes sure you wait for it. And what a wait. Like amnesia kicks in the side of the donkey with a mule to boot. Classy, but certainly familiar.

Much like the state of affairs in Ex Machina #26. Other people might not have this problem, but any series that hits the stride into the 20s, and the brain can't recognise it being a different number. Same case with Futurama. Ever eternal on the same number despite the contents within and the cover itself changing on the listing.

Two more additions, Jack of Fables #7 and Wasteland #6 are possible goers. The former sits ready to be read with the first five issues holding up with staples far from curling. The latter was a great read on the first issue and the two after that are also in the holding bay. Looking over the pile of "yet to read" it's unlikely, no matter how good these two are, that they'll join too quick.

A little time perhaps.

 

It's on the trail of the backwash that is the Christmas/Boxing Day hues where all the tinsel that's made its rounds will find a box again for next year.

Back in again from the short orders of before are Outer Orbit #1 and The Spirit#1. One a crazy jump around all over the place that seems like a Harry Johnston epic of ribaldry. The other, a retake and reintroduction to the classic Will Eisner character. Of course, there's no need to really know about the history of it all to make it a nice read, but from those that have read it, it's a nice coat of sugar on top.

Not #8 of the series from Icon/Marvel, which appears ever so delayed and delayed like a pregnancy test you want to state a certain way, but it'll have to do: Kabuki Reflections #7. A tie-in to a documentary, not for everyone.

Speaking of art, "Course you would have customers," is the freshest quote of the week. All that which supplies a hatefill matrix of competition in non competing fields.

 

End of the month on August 31 and still feeling a little whacked out and walking on corked muscles after the massive sale weekend celebrating the reopening. Something like a flurry, but not of the McDonald's kind where they throw in Crunchies and M&Ms.

Now, if the first issue was anything to go by, then Boys #2 should be up there with the brutal and roughness. Superheroes get no free run here and the scenes are just hog wild. Cork damn it's a fun read.

On another tangent and another stream is Kabuki #7. Where, if it does hit the shelf, continues on the weird trip through building a new life and telling that story in a variety of paints. Most of which aren't paint.

Another comic that would be only ever on the shelves rarely and less some is Doc Frankenstein #5. Can't remember a lick of the trick, but the pencils are Steve Skroce, and anything this guy does, bang it on the counter and wrap it up!

 

Luck will no doubt cast a black sky over Thursday 23. Not that comics will have anything to do with it. Aside from basking in the sun that is midday, it will most surely be when the next interview happens. Clashing decision makers the lot of them. Only because The Studio at the Opera House makes for a night time distraction. Any other week, no deviation could bother.

So apparently Astonishing X-Men #13 begins the Whedon and Cassaday run again. After the corn hole stretching twelve issue run previous, a little wary sitting back down again to this. Most likely going to see this one through given that it was all too much on the rotational for the first two arcs. Despite their girth.

Ultimate Spider-Man #90 takes a slot in the box. Have not been too rapt with this series since a while back. Been hoping for some light. If that only comes in the form of #100, then that may be too late.

Now, Kabuki #6, that's where this money's at. It's art, story, and a damn mental massage from a naked woman slathered all over in the slipperiest of oils.

 

Now, let's guess and say that Wednesday 26 will see the comics hit the shelves. Right? Right? Oh damn Customs and their ways with tracking cargo and shipments. Of all the things to burden customers of imported goods outside those jeans that rip on account of having single stitching.

Anyway, lo and behold, it would appear that Kabuki #5 is set for this week. When was the last time the issue hit the stands outside of that collection and teaser for The Art of David Mack?

Kabuki appears now to be more about the art and the weird and twisted interconnections it has with the text of the story against the text on the page. There are others who also love this.

 

Just off the top of the head...

Amazing Spider-Man #518-522
Astonishing X-Men #11
Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror #8-9
Battle Pope #1
Captain Gravity and the Power of the Vril #4-5
Doc Frankenstein #2-3
Emo Boy #2
Ex Machina #10-12
Freshmen #1
Futurama #20
Kabuki: The Alchemy #2-4
Kabuki: Reflections: Book 5
Nat Turner #1
PVP #0
Shaolin Cowboy #2-3
Small Gods special
Radioactive Man
Ultimate Spider-Man #76-81
Ultimate Spider-Man Annual

All awaiting time to be read. The longer the wait, the more it feels like a chore. Unbelievable.

 

August 11 will apparently be a pretty light week. Nothing really stands out as a "Throw some money this way!" type of shimmer.

Since waiting forever is a game to play with Kabuki: The Alchemy, Kabuki: Reflections #5 is a nice and loaded taste of the Mack. "A collection of previously unpublished stories, pages and artwork. Plus: a peek inside Mack’s sketchbook, step-by-step commentary by David about his painted artwork and loads of art you’ve never seen before." Nice.

Battle Pope Color #1 is a re-order for those who missed out the first time. A customer was in the store about a fortnight ago raving about it and wanting to know when the second was going to hit. So that's a recommendation from outside the store's walls.

What is Necromancer #1?