What you've Been Waiting For

Another week has come and gone - can you believe it? And my house still isn't sold, darn it. But comics continue to ship, week after week. Sometimes they're late, sometimes they're REALLY late, sometimes Diamond's packers fold them in half before placing them in the box and stacking another 25 comics on top of them (oh wait, that's not what we're talking about, is it), and sometimes they are just scheduled by the creators or publisher to have a gap of over seven weeks. But either way, when they take seven or more weeks between issues, it means that you, fans of comics, have been waiting for them.

Wanna know what you've been waiting for? Then read on. As promised a few weeks back, the list of 7+ week gaps has grown this week and Marvel will NOT escape the list this time, but DC Comics seems to have. Marvel's late streak looks like it will continue - see bottom of this post for details.

My cutoff for this week was July 5th (a Thursday due to the holiday). Just making that cut were two comics: Transformers Spotlight Target 2006 #5 (IDW) and Devi #12 (Virgin Comics). Both of these issues saw their previous issue come out seven weeks ago.

There are three comics we're getting in tomorrow that went eight weeks between issues. Bart Simpson Comics #37 (Bongo) usually ships every other month, so it is probably right on time at eight weeks between issues. Marvel Adventures Avengers #15 (Marvel) surprised me since I do not think I have ever seen a Marvel Adventures comic take over 5 weeks between issues. Thunderbolts #116 (Marvel) is also coming out tomorrow after experiencing an eight-week issue gap.

There are also three comics we are getting in on Wednesday that went nine weeks between issues. Gamekeeper #4 (Virgin) was ordered back in May, so it does appear to be arriving behind schedule, and I think the first few were pretty close to 4 weeks between issues, so this is a bit disappointing. Savage Tales #3 (Dynamite Entertainment) arrives this week and was also ordered back in May. Tales from the Crypt #2 (Papercutz) is finally arriving too. All of these issues had the prior issue hit comic book shelves back on June 20.

Now we jump way head to some much longer gaps...

Bomb Queen Vol 3 #4 (Image) is going to finally show up on my comic book rack. The last time we saw this comic book was May 9. It was ordered in April.

Astonishing X-Men (Marvel) is back to it's regular habit of running later and later with each issue. Astonishing X-Men #22 finally comes out this week - and the previous issue came out way back on May 2. We ordered this back in February!! I wonder if the new team of Ellis and Bianchi will do any better?

Praise for the week goes to Avatar for Black Summer #2 - this comic has been monthly for issues 0-2, something that rarely happens over at Avatar.

What I'm reading this week...

ASTONISHING X-MEN #22
BIRDS OF PREY #109
BLACK SUMMER #2 (OF 7)
BONDS #1 (OF 3) (an Image title that sounds pretty interesting)
COUNTDOWN 36
IMMORTAL IRON FIST #8
IN HER DARKEST HOUR ONE SHOT (another Image offering that I thought sounded decent)
MOUSE GUARD WINTER 1152 #1 (OF 6)
MYSTIC ARCANA SCARLET WITCH
NEW BATTLESTAR GALACTICA SEASON ZERO #1
SPIRIT #9

And a few fun trades I'd like to read...

PX VOL 1 A GIRL AND HER PANDA MANGA
SHOWCASE PRESENTS WONDER WOMAN VOL 1 PAPERBACK
SURREAL ADVENTURES OF EDGAR ALLAN POO PAPERBACK

Marvel sends retailers an email every week with a variety of information on it, including late shipping items. These late items are updates - they do not send an ongoing list but instead just send a list with items they have decided to release on a new date for the current week. This was one of their longest update lists so far:

JUN072143 DAREDEVIL #100 09/12/07
JUN072144 DAREDEVIL WRAPAROUND #100 09/12/07
JUN072179 LONERS #5 (OF 6) 09/12/07
JUN072171 MOON KNIGHT #12 CWI 09/12/07
JUN072134 SPIDER-MAN FAIRY TALES #4 (OF 4) 09/12/07
JUL072208 ANITA BLAKE VH GUILTY PLEASURES #7 (OF 12) 09/19/07
MAY072170 JACK KIRBYS GALACTIC BOUNTY HUNTERS #6 09/19/07
JUL072206 PUNISHER MAX ANNUAL #1 (MR) 09/26/07
FEB072171 KABUKI #9 (MR) 10/03/07
FEB072173 KABUKI ALLRED VAR #9 (MR) 10/03/07
SEP062162 POWERS VOL 10 COSMIC TP (MR) 10/10/07
AUG072240 MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS #2 10/17/07
JUL072135 ULTIMATE POWER #8 (OF 9) 10/17/07
JUL072210 MAGICIAN APPRENTICE #11 (OF 12) 10/24/07
JUL072180 MOON KNIGHT #13 CWI 10/24/07
JAN072389 ONSLAUGHT REBORN #5 (OF 5) 10/24/07
AUG072227 INCREDIBLE HULK #111 WWH 10/31/07
AUG072229 WORLD WAR HULK GAMMA CORPS #4 (OF 4) WWH 11/07/07
MAR072133 POWERS VOL 11 SECRET IDENTITY TP 11/14/07
AUG072281 MAGICIAN APPRENTICE #12 (OF 12) 11/28/07
AUG072199 ULTIMATE POWER #9 (OF 9) 11/28/07