What you've Been Waiting For

Well, the day has gotten away from me somehow. Usually I've made this post by mid afternoon and here it is after 7 pm already. We were fairly busy earlier today with lots of gift shoppers and then I had a hair cut, and of course the stylist was behind and I had to wait 20 minutes. So those will be my excuses! And next week will be ALL messed up with the holidays. I'll probably make this post sometime on Thursday, as comics will arrive here in the US on Friday the 28th. The same goes for the week following - Friday the 4th delivery.

Anyway, to the task at hand. Here we are again, looking over my Diamond invoice. I'll point out comics that have gone over 2 months between issues, some are late and some are not. Then we can look at the status of the mini-series madness from Marvel & DC comics. And finally I'll let ya know what I'm hoping to read this week. By the time I'm finished it should be about time to close the store for the night.

There were three comics that have gone just over 2 months between issues on this week's invoice, having their previous issues arrive back on October 17th. Mighty Avengers #6 (Marvel) is arriving tomorrow at last - every issue of this seems to have gone two months or so between them. It was ordered in August, so it sure does look late to me. Star Trek Year Four #5 (IDW) will be on shelves tomorrow. This issue was ordered back in September, so I'd guess it's a bit later than originally planned. And Terror Inc #4 (Marvel) was scheduled to ship on 11/21 according to the September Marvel Previews, so this incoming issue is late.

Exiles #100 is the final issue before Marvel reboots the series and starts with a new #1 and changes the name to New Exiles. Issue #99 came out back on October 3. But December 19th was the scheduled ship date when we ordered it, so it's not late.

Finally we get a new issue of Painkiller Jane (Dynamite Entertainment). Issue #4 arrives tomorrow. The prior issue came out way back on September 6th.

Hey Fathom Fans - it's Christmas come early for you folks! Finally Fathom Kiani #4 (Aspen) is arriving this week. Ummm... we ordered this issue back in April and it's taken so long that we didn't even order enough for the new customers who've added it to their pull lists so now we have to put in an order for more. The prior issue of Fathom Kiani arrived about 4 moths ago, back on August 15th. So, if we ordered this issue in April it should have shipped in May or June - that tells you that the other issues have also run behind schedule.

And now, for the longest of long waits between issues. A comic that seems to be an annual rather than a monthly or quarterly. Cryptics #3 (Image, pictured) should arrive at stores that haven't canceled it already tomorrow. The previous issue of this came out almost one full year ago... way back when 2007 was still fresh and full of promise, on January 10th. It was ordered in October, so no idea what the hold up was at getting this solicited.

Looks like DC is off the hook this week, but not Marvel or Image.

Now let's take a look to see what's going on in the world of Marvel and DC mini-series for this week.

Big Two mini-series starting and one-shots for 12/19/07

• COUNTDOWN RAY PALMER SUPERWOMAN BATWOMAN - DC
• MARVEL HOLIDAY SPECIAL
• MARVEL ILLUSTRATED ILIAD #1 (OF 8) (pictured)
• WHAT IF CIVIL WAR - Marvel
• WOLVERINE FIREBREAK - Marvel
• WORLD WAR HULK WARBOUND #1 (OF 5) - Marvel

Big Two mini-series ending on 12/19/07

• METAMORPHO YEAR ONE #6 (OF 6) - DC

LOTS of one-shots this week. But thankfully only a couple of new mini-series starting. There's a good bunch of minis that have continuing issues this week too, but only one that's ending.


What I'm reading
BIRDS OF PREY #113 - the first Sean McKeever issue (pictured) go read it!!
COUNTDOWN ARENA #3 (OF 4)
DOCTOR WHO CLASSICS #1
GLISTER #3
IMMORTAL IRON FIST #11
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #16
MARVEL ILLUSTRATED ILIAD #1 (OF 8)
LONG COUNT #1 (OF 6) - (pictured) The artist and writer are out of Madison, WI. If this is good I might have to get them to come over for a signing.
MADAME MIRAGE #4
MARVEL HOLIDAY SPECIAL
MARVEL ILLUSTRATED ILIAD #1 (OF 8)
NEOZOIC #2
PRIMORDIA #2 (OF 3)
UMBRELLA ACADEMY APOCALYPSE SUITE #4 (OF 6)
WHAT IF CIVIL WAR

Whew - a big week. And with the holidays who knows when I'll get to them all. But January and February are usually slow months, so I'll catch up eventually.