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Reviews and commentary by Tony Isabella
"America's Most Beloved Comic-Book Writer & Columnist"
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TONY'S ONLINE TIPS
for Thursday, May 1, 2008
Spam is 30 years old today. According to Wikipedia, on this date in 1978, the first unsolicited bulk commercial e-mail - which would later become known as "spam" - was sent by a DEC marketing representative to every ARPANET address on the west coast of the United States. This is why the West Coast has earthquakes, fires, and mud slides.
God hates spam as much as we do.
Every week, we post new Tony Polls questions for your voting entertainment. Here are the results of the questions which we asked you last week...
The New York Comic Con had its share of publisher promotion panels. Whether you saw them in person or read of them online, please rate your general level of enthusiasm for this type of panel.
Near-Mint.....3.08%
Fine.....23.08%
Very Good.....27.69%
Good.....20%
Fair.....13.85%
Poor.....12.31%
We'd also like you to rare your general enthusiasm for the projects being promoted at these panels.
Near-Mint.....1.64%
Fine.....13.11%
Very Good.....26.23%
Good.....26.23%
Fair.....16.39%
Poor.....16.39
I voted poor on both of these questions because I'm an old grump who's been working in comics too long to get too excited over publisher hype or, as we old grumps like to put it, publisher bullspit. I don't care if Maybe-This-Time-We'll-Get-It-Right Man is being relaunched for the tenth time or if some journeyman writer or artist has just signed an exclusive contract with DC or Marvel. But, clearly, I come at the questions from a different perspective than most of my readers.
On a related note, my rule of thumb on this kind of question is that if "fair" and "poor" add up to less than 50% of the voters then the subject of the question isn't doing too bad in this tough comics marketplace.
How would you rate Dark Horse's current BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER comic-book series to date?
Near-Mint.....19.30%
Fine.....26.32%
Very Good.....15.79%
Good.....19.30%
Fair.....7.02%
Poor.....12.28%
I voted fine on this one. You can read my most recent reviews of this series here:
www.worldfamouscomics.com/tony/back20080424.shtml
How would you rate the recently-concluded LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES animated series?
Near-Mint.....13.11%
Fine.....26.23%
Very Good.....29.51%
Good.....14.75%
Fair.....11.48%
Poor.....4.92%
I voted very good on this. The two-part series finale was impressive and ended things on a satisfying note.
How would you rate the BRAND NEW DAY issues of Amazing Spider-Man to date?
Near-Mint.....7.02%
Fine.....7.02%
Very Good.....8.77%
Good.....21.05%
Fair.....21.05%
Poor.....35.09%
I haven't read any of the "Brand New Day" issues, so I didn't vote on this question. I'm considering reading them, but the fact that over half of the voters didn't rate them better than "fair" is giving me pause. Stay tuned.
How would you rate Marvel's SECRET INVASION event to date?
Near-Mint.....9.68%
Fine.....16.13%
Very Good.....17.74%
Good.....22.58%
Fair.....12.90%
Poor.....20.97%
I also haven't read any of these issues, so I didn't vote on this one. I hope to read at least some of them over the weekend. On a related note, while talking to a cartoonist who is extremely selective in what he reads and buys, I was encouraged to hear that he's really enjoying the series to date.
How would you rate the new SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN animated series to date?
Near-Mint.....10.42%
Fine.....12.50%
Very Good.....14.58%
Good.....27.08%
Fair.....22.92%
Poor.....12.50%
I voted very good on this. It took me several episodes to get used to the look of this series, but, now that I have, I'm enjoying it a great deal.
You can read my initial review here:
www.worldfamouscomics.com/tony/back20080423.shtml
Our currently active Tony Polls questions focus on this summer's movies. This summer - which, by Hollywood time, starts in May - will see the release of nearly two dozen films featuring super-heroes or other elements of fantasy, horror, science fiction, and good old pulp adventure.
This week's questions list twenty such films and ask which are your first, second, and third choices for those you would most like to see. You can cast your votes by going here:
www.worldfamouscomics.com/tony/poll
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ADDENDUM: MAX ALLAN COLLINS
In Monday's column, my pal Max Allan Collins wrote of Strip For Murder, his second Jack and Maggie Starr mystery, this one about the Al Capp/Ham Fisher feud. That book is due out next week from Berkley; you can bet I'll be reading and reviewing it as soon as possible.
The prolific and always entertaining Collins has several more books coming out soon as well.
Also due next week is Criminal Minds: Killer Profile [Signet; $6.99], his second novel based on the television series. You can read my review of the first book here:
http://tinyurl.com/5c2d79
July will see the publication of RED SKY IN MORNING by "Patrick Culhane" [William Morrow; $24.95]. The book is based on the World War II experiences of Collins' late father, who served in the Navy supervising African-American explosives handlers in the Pacific.
Possibly available in stores even as we speak is the paperback edition of Black Hats [Harper; $7.99], a historical thriller by "Patrick Culhane" wherein Wyatt Earp meets Al Capone.
October brings us The Goliath Bone [Harcourt; $23], the first Mickey Spillane/Max Allan Collins Mike Hammer collaboration. As reported at Amazon: "A week before his death, Mickey Spillane entrusted a substantial portion of this manuscript and extensive notes to his frequent collaborator, Max Allan Collins, to complete. The result is a thriller as classic as Spillane's own I, the Jury, as compelling as Collins's Road to Perdition, and as contemporary as The Da Vinci Code
Finally, for now, September brings Antiques Flee Market by "Barbara Allan" [Kensington; $22], third in the antiques cozy series Collins writes with his wife. The mystery hinges on a first edition of Tarzan of the Apes. It suddenly hits me that the Collins family could be a pretty cool "Book of the Month Club" all by themselves.
More Collins news as it comes my way.
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CLARIFICATION: MICHAEL FLEISHER
In yesterday's TOT, I reviewed Shambler: An Insider's Novel of the Comic Book World by Michael Fleisher. I didn't mention, by intent, that Fleisher was a prolific comics writer of the 1970s and 1980s who wrote Jonah Hex, the Spectre in Adventure Comics, Ghost Rider, dozens of stories for House of Mystery and other DC horror titles, a couple of serials for the renown British weekly, 2000 AD, and more. Fleisher was also known for his wonderfully detailed Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman encyclopedias of the 1970s, and, infamously, for his ill-advised, ill-considered lawsuit against author Harlan Ellison and The Comics Journal. Whew!
I didn't mention it because a) I figured it was obvious, and, b) I didn't want to get into all of the above in a review that was already running several hundred words in length. But, yes, it is the same Michael Fleisher and, instead of writing trashy books like Shambler, I wish he were still writing great comics like his Jonah Hex stories.
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COMICS IN THE COMICS
All week long, I've been running Superman appearances/mentions from newspaper comic strips and panels...and I'm nowhere close to running out of them.
We commence today's merriment with Dan Piraro's Bizarro from July 20, 2007:
Wiley Miller's Non Sequitur from August 2, 2007:
Dave Whamond's Reality Check from August 6, 2007:
One more for today. Here's John Deering's Strange Brew panel from August 14, 2007:
Superman will return in tomorrow's edition of Comics in the Comics. And, for even more Comics in the Comics, check out my message board at:
www.comicscommunity.com/boards/tony
Thanks for spending a part of your day with me. I'll be back tomorrow with more stuff.
Tony Isabella
<< 04/30/2008 | 05/01/2008 | 05/02/2008 >>
Discuss this column with me at my Message Board. Also, read Heroes and Villains: Real and Imagined.
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THE "TONY" SCALE
ZERO: Burn your money before buying any comic receiving this rating. It doesn't *necessarily* mean there's absolutely nothing of value here - though it *could* - but whatever value it might possess shrinks into insignificance before its overall awfulness.
ONE: Buy something else. Maybe I found something which wasn't completely dreadful in the item, but not enough for me to recommend it when there are better comics available. I only want what's best for you, my children.
TWO: Basic judgment call. I found some value, but not enough to recommend it. My review should give you enough info to decide if you want to take a chance on it. Are you feeling lucky today, punk? Well, are you?
THREE: This denotes something I find perfectly respectable. There are better books out there, but I wouldn't regret buying this item. Based on my review, you should be able to determine if it's of interest to you. Let the Force guide you.
FOUR: I recommend anything earning this rating. Unless you don't like the genre, subject matter, or past work of the creators, I believe you'll enjoy this item. Isn't it uncanny how I can look right into your soul that way?
FIVE: Anything getting this rating is among the best comicdom has to offer. You should buy/read this, even if the genre/subject matter doesn't appeal to you. It's for your own good. Me, I live for comics and books this good...but not in a pathetic "Comic-Book Guy" sort of way.
Please send material you would like me to review to:
Tony's Online Tips
840 Damon Drive
Medina, OH 44256
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