What with the DC52 about to land in the stores (and I think we should hold a moment of respect for the poor DHL guys who'll be delivering the Diamond boxes to the poor CBGs!), one thing hit me, it might be a while until Grant Morrison Batman storyline is finished. Like, a long, long, while...
Morrison has got a few ambitious things lined after this relaunch, like the Action Comics run and the Multiversity thing that has been long talked about. And I really fear that this will have a knock on effect when I'm able to finish the Batman Incorporated storyline as a collector. Although the new issues are solicited for in early 2012, the cynic in me just gets a little bit doubtful.
Yes, I know comic books get delayed every now and again. Whether it be because of creator illness, work schedule, legal troubles, hard drive explosions, bad sales or poor lunar alignment. But I think I'm getting good at spotting trouble, a mile off...
And to prove my supernatural ability to sense pick these possible delayed titles, I feel you need to experience a few of the legendary waits that have already affected me as a collector: Throughout the comic universe, and not just in Batman.
All Star Batman and Robin #11
Issue 10 came out in Summer 2008, roughly around the same time as the Beijing Olympics. And seeing as the next Olympics are next years, that means that's a long time ago. Frank Miller had apparently written the follow up arc 'Dark Knight; Boy Wonder', but was just waiting for Jim Lee to finish his workload, and then it ought to have been seen earlier this year. Of course, Jim Lee is now a 'DC publisher' and to, be fair, is probably the busiest man in comics right now so that deadline was never going to be made.
This book has previous, continually being late since it's 2005 début. During the three years I lived in and around Bristol, I received exactly one instalment: #10. Oh well, at least I got one of the infamous Bad Language issues, by some act of divine justice!
I think that there is more chance of northern England sliding into some sort of Mad Max post-apocalyptic world controlled by super-enhanced kangaroos, than this title ever being finished.
Miracleman #25
As far as I am concerned this is the ultimate in waiting because I never expect to ever see this being released. So complex a legal minefield, that no publisher seems able to even publish these books even as reprints, therefore making the back issues quite collectible. Especially the legendary, notorious and iconic #15.
However it is the less legendary #24 (released in the summer of 1993, and picked up by me in Cardiff), which had an even lower print runs than #15, that is the tipping point (so, bear that in mind when you enter a full-on bidding war on eBay over these issues!): Eighteen years! Miracleman #25 had been pencilled, and can be obtained by file sharing, should you want to do that sort of thing. Lately, some hope arose when Marvel acquired some parts of the Miracleman intellectual property and Neil Gaiman expressed some interest in finishing his storyline. I truly doubt this would happen, and it appears I'm, so far, right.
Daredevil: Target #2
The ultimate outrage, Issue #1 came out to coincide with the 2003 Daredevil film. I was a true idiot here, I had a few quid to burn in a comic shop in Wrexham and loved the creators other stuff (Kevin Smith for the Clerks comic books and Glenn Fabry for his old 2000AD stuff), and I bought it, I wish I walked away... Even today, the book winds me up, sitting there all smug!
Kevin Smith discussed on the Daredevil DVD extras as to why it took forever for him to even write #2, even having the temerity to get peeved that Bendis started to use Bullseye in Daredevil proper, therefore breaking a gentleman's agreement over his exclusivity of the Bullseye character. Issue 2, was apparently written, although Fabry had walked away from the project (and who could blame him?) and if you look around on the net you might come across bits of it. However, with no chance of this ever being finished you shouldn't bother bother wasting your time looking for it, and then reading it. Life is too short.
Make me wonder that if Arsenal FC are refunding their fans after the 8-2 away day mullering, maybe Marvel could do something similar for this book.
Although there is times when the wait is justified, and the pay-off is all okay...
PunisherMAX.
Jason Aaron and Steve Dillon went into a project trying to replace the dark spectre of a rather dominant vision of the title made by former writer Garth Ennis, and this was quite a tall ask. To their credit, they were well on the way to achieving this until Issue 9, when it simply disappeared. This one sneaked up on me, I remember filing a few old Punisher War Zone's into the appropriate longbox, and then it struck me that it had been a while since I last saw a new MAX.
Seven months later, and explained away by Aaron that Dillon had firstly not been well and was then committed to a higher profile project (I think, Ultimate Avengers 3- he probably was better paid for this book so fair play to him), it returned with #10 as if a beat had not been missed. Regular as clockwork at the moment, and one of my favourite comic books.
Powers
Intermittently released by creator owners Mike Oeming and Brian Bendis. So I picked up the last issue of Volume3 in November 2008, fell in love with it, bought all the back issues and then... nothing. I knew I was in for the wait when the two upcoming covers (#31 + #32) suddenly disappeared from Bendis' website
Volume 3 appeared in late 2009, and seven issues later I'm into a seven month wait for #8. To be fair, Oeming does a lot of other cool things while Bendis writes roughly seven million individual titles for Marvel, so I'm not really surprised this takes it's time. When it appears it really is good value. Although, I can't help thinking that with a TV adaptation on the horizon, that these guys might cost themselves a lot of money in sales if they don't release a lot of 'Powers' around the same time.
I hope I'm wrong. That this time next year, I can be actually blogging about how Batman Incorporated is coming along nicely. But I genuinely think, that that blog will start with the words: Told, So, You. Just not in that order.
Morrison has got a few ambitious things lined after this relaunch, like the Action Comics run and the Multiversity thing that has been long talked about. And I really fear that this will have a knock on effect when I'm able to finish the Batman Incorporated storyline as a collector. Although the new issues are solicited for in early 2012, the cynic in me just gets a little bit doubtful.
Yes, I know comic books get delayed every now and again. Whether it be because of creator illness, work schedule, legal troubles, hard drive explosions, bad sales or poor lunar alignment. But I think I'm getting good at spotting trouble, a mile off...
And to prove my supernatural ability to sense pick these possible delayed titles, I feel you need to experience a few of the legendary waits that have already affected me as a collector: Throughout the comic universe, and not just in Batman.
All Star Batman and Robin #11
Issue 10 came out in Summer 2008, roughly around the same time as the Beijing Olympics. And seeing as the next Olympics are next years, that means that's a long time ago. Frank Miller had apparently written the follow up arc 'Dark Knight; Boy Wonder', but was just waiting for Jim Lee to finish his workload, and then it ought to have been seen earlier this year. Of course, Jim Lee is now a 'DC publisher' and to, be fair, is probably the busiest man in comics right now so that deadline was never going to be made.
This book has previous, continually being late since it's 2005 début. During the three years I lived in and around Bristol, I received exactly one instalment: #10. Oh well, at least I got one of the infamous Bad Language issues, by some act of divine justice!
I think that there is more chance of northern England sliding into some sort of Mad Max post-apocalyptic world controlled by super-enhanced kangaroos, than this title ever being finished.
Miracleman #25
As far as I am concerned this is the ultimate in waiting because I never expect to ever see this being released. So complex a legal minefield, that no publisher seems able to even publish these books even as reprints, therefore making the back issues quite collectible. Especially the legendary, notorious and iconic #15.
However it is the less legendary #24 (released in the summer of 1993, and picked up by me in Cardiff), which had an even lower print runs than #15, that is the tipping point (so, bear that in mind when you enter a full-on bidding war on eBay over these issues!): Eighteen years! Miracleman #25 had been pencilled, and can be obtained by file sharing, should you want to do that sort of thing. Lately, some hope arose when Marvel acquired some parts of the Miracleman intellectual property and Neil Gaiman expressed some interest in finishing his storyline. I truly doubt this would happen, and it appears I'm, so far, right.
Daredevil: Target #2
The ultimate outrage, Issue #1 came out to coincide with the 2003 Daredevil film. I was a true idiot here, I had a few quid to burn in a comic shop in Wrexham and loved the creators other stuff (Kevin Smith for the Clerks comic books and Glenn Fabry for his old 2000AD stuff), and I bought it, I wish I walked away... Even today, the book winds me up, sitting there all smug!
Kevin Smith discussed on the Daredevil DVD extras as to why it took forever for him to even write #2, even having the temerity to get peeved that Bendis started to use Bullseye in Daredevil proper, therefore breaking a gentleman's agreement over his exclusivity of the Bullseye character. Issue 2, was apparently written, although Fabry had walked away from the project (and who could blame him?) and if you look around on the net you might come across bits of it. However, with no chance of this ever being finished you shouldn't bother bother wasting your time looking for it, and then reading it. Life is too short.
Make me wonder that if Arsenal FC are refunding their fans after the 8-2 away day mullering, maybe Marvel could do something similar for this book.
Although there is times when the wait is justified, and the pay-off is all okay...
PunisherMAX.
Jason Aaron and Steve Dillon went into a project trying to replace the dark spectre of a rather dominant vision of the title made by former writer Garth Ennis, and this was quite a tall ask. To their credit, they were well on the way to achieving this until Issue 9, when it simply disappeared. This one sneaked up on me, I remember filing a few old Punisher War Zone's into the appropriate longbox, and then it struck me that it had been a while since I last saw a new MAX.
Seven months later, and explained away by Aaron that Dillon had firstly not been well and was then committed to a higher profile project (I think, Ultimate Avengers 3- he probably was better paid for this book so fair play to him), it returned with #10 as if a beat had not been missed. Regular as clockwork at the moment, and one of my favourite comic books.
Powers
Intermittently released by creator owners Mike Oeming and Brian Bendis. So I picked up the last issue of Volume3 in November 2008, fell in love with it, bought all the back issues and then... nothing. I knew I was in for the wait when the two upcoming covers (#31 + #32) suddenly disappeared from Bendis' website
Volume 3 appeared in late 2009, and seven issues later I'm into a seven month wait for #8. To be fair, Oeming does a lot of other cool things while Bendis writes roughly seven million individual titles for Marvel, so I'm not really surprised this takes it's time. When it appears it really is good value. Although, I can't help thinking that with a TV adaptation on the horizon, that these guys might cost themselves a lot of money in sales if they don't release a lot of 'Powers' around the same time.
I hope I'm wrong. That this time next year, I can be actually blogging about how Batman Incorporated is coming along nicely. But I genuinely think, that that blog will start with the words: Told, So, You. Just not in that order.
