Spy Comics & Cards

Winter break is over and the TV world is jumping with all sorts of interesting bits. The NBC/Leno/Conan debacle has been more entertaining than Jay’s show was. Conan gets the shaft, but maybe a $30 million payoff. He was always loyal to NBC and in the end NBC treated him like something they stepped in. They even went so far as to blame Conan for the fiasco in the first place, with high level NBC executive Dick Ebersol calling Conan “chicken hearted and gutless and an astounding failure”. When this is all said and done I think Conan will end up on FOX at 11:00 pm, getting a 35 min head start on Leno and Letterman. That’s probably his best chance at success. I don’t think ABC would bump Nightline and Jimmy Kimmel for Conan. Besides, if all three are on after local news at 11:35, then Conan and Letterman split the hipper audience and Leno has the vanilla loving main stream viewers to himself winning the ratings war. Conan wouldn’t change his show to be more appealing to the main stream, wanting to stay strawberry. NBC wanted vanilla, so blamed Conan for poorer ratings on the Tonight show, not the fact that the whole networks ratings are in the toilet, in part because of NBC’s decision to put Leno on at 10:00 pm. I think Conan comes out of all of this in great shape, with a new show, Leno has a tough time getting his viewers back on the Tonight show, and Letterman wins at 11:35 for quite a while.

I’m also excited about new “24″ season starting tonight as is the new show Human Target, based on the DC Vertigo’s comic series. Mark Valley, the star, is really good. He was on a show a while back called Keen Eddie about a disgraced cop sent to work in London that I liked very much. Here, he’s a human bullet proof vest and settler of scores. Chi McBride, from Pushing Daisies, and Jackie Earle Hayley (Rorschach in Watchmen) fill out the cast. Burn Notice season three starts this Thursday at 10:00pm on USA. If you haven’t been watching this, you’re missing a great show. Lots of action, funny, and Bruce Campbell too. Sarah Palin signed on with Fox News, giving her a platform to build a following for her 2012 presidential run. Or, totally ruin her chances. I think it could go either way. She could make some gaffe she can’t overcome, or she’ll build a huge constituency from the watchers of “fair and balanced” news. The Daily Show showed clips of her on Bill O’Reilly and Glenn Beck’s shows as they welcomed her to the network. It was fun to see Sarah’s eyes bug and narrow as Glenn Beck fawned all over her. Even she knows he’s crazy. Isn’t that grand! Comics time…

Got some pretty good stuff coming in this week as the event stories from both DC and Marvel get some action. Marvel’s Siege heats up with Dark Avengers (#13) with The Sentry’s mysterious secrets being revealed and everybody and his brother quivering in their boots, because The Sentry is “crazy” just like Glenn Beck. Only with superpowers, which is worse. In Dark Wolverine (#82) the first of a three part story, it’s time to find out whose side Daken is on, heroes or villains, as the Siege on Asgard ramps up. I think we’ll find out soon if Daken is here for the long term. I haven’t read these but I’ll guess…not. Discuss please. Red and Green Hulk both show up this week in two parts of the Fall of the Hulks arc. The Red Hulk (#19) battles Fantastic Four’s The Thing in a re-match that hasn’t actually happened. The Thing has battled Green Hulk on more than one occasion and they’ve been epic fights. He’s never fought the Red one so this’ll be good, I’m sure. Ol’ Ben Grimm knows how to dust it up. The Green guy gets to play with Doctor Doom in Incredible Hulk (#606) and Skaar, Son of Hulk also factors in. Captain America (#602) starts its Two Americas story with both Steve Rogers and Bucky as Cap, plus a Nomad back-up story, and Uncanny X-Men (#520) continues “Nation X” starring the real Wolverine.

I’m finally caught up with my Blackest Night reading, so Green Lantern Corps (#44) is timely. Guy Gardner has popped is cork and is now a Red (rage) Lantern. What caused him to blow? We got a hint last issue, but I don’t think that’s all. Blackest Night Flash (#2 of 3) mini gives us more on The Flashes (Barry, Wally, Bart, and Jay), but features Flash Rogue villain Captain Cold, as Black Lantern versions of his dead  Rogue partners are coming to get him. There’s also two of the special Blackest Night extra issue books that have extended the run of previously canceled comics. Staman (#81), written by long time Starman writer James Robinson, has a Black Lantern Starman returning to his home in Opal City, and The Phantom Stranger (#42) has The Blue Devil and Deadman as guests in a look at the Black Lantern effects on DC’s magic based characters. Topping off the week is a couple Star Wars books: Dark Times (#15), part three of the Blue Harvest story, the second to last Knights of the Old Republic (#49) and the second issue of Mark Waid’s Incorruptible (#2, of course), the story of a super-villain turning good.

Paula’s Picks

Back in November (just after Thanksgiving) I had picked out a new couch and chair at the Old Cannery in Sumner. If you’ve never been there, you should go. It’s a giant furniture place that also sells fudge and candy and has many entertaining things such as trains, animatronics and more. We were waiting for such a long time because we got to choose the fabric for the chair and it took them a while to get it done. We finally got them delivered yesterday. The chair fit in just fine, but unfortunately, the couch wouldn’t even fit through the front door. I can’t believe I didn’t even think about it getting into the house. When we measured, we just measured where the couch would end up, not the path it would have to travel to get in. So, we still have our crummy, falling-apart Ikea couch, but I have a nice comfortable chair.  I guess that means I get to couch shopping again!

In comics this week, Fables #92 takes a short break from the current storyline to show what’s going on back in the Homelands. One of the baseball players is accused of committing murder. This is the first time King Ambrose has had to deal with this serious of a crime since becoming King. Incorruptible #2 continues the story of Max Damage’s path to good as he goes after an old ally that my have the key to defeating the Plutonian.

Grant Morrison comes out with a new book this week: Joe the Barbarian #1 (of . It’s about a boy that doesn’t fit in at school and has these insulin-deprived deliriums of being the savior of a fantasy world. Or are they real? The art is by Sean Murphy and by what I’ve seen in the previews that have been at the end of almost every Vertigo book for the last month or two, it looks pretty good. Sometimes, Morrison’s stuff if very weird and doesn’t make any sense like Sea Guy or Final Crisis. I hope it’s good though. I think it’s got potential. And it’s only $1!

Another new book coming out this week is Supernatural: Beginning’s End #1 (of 6). This mini picks up several years after the Rising Son mini-series with the brothers in New York battling monsters. Solomon Kane: Death’s Black Riders #1 (of 4) takes place after the Castle of the Devil minis-series and delves into the evil that lives in Germany’s Black Forest. And it’s not cake. Avengers vs Agents of Atlas #1 follow the Agents as they find an earlier version of the Avengers to help fight a spacetime problem. And it’s not cake. Avengers vs Agents of Atlas #1 follow….wait. Haven’t I said all this before? Dr. Crusher gets a queen and Data gets a four. Name that episode to get a No Prize!

Shipping This Week 1-20-10
AIR #17 (MR)     $2.99
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #618 GNTLT     $2.99
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #618 QUINONES VILLAIN VAR GNTLT     PI
ANNA MERCURY 2 #3 (OF 5) (MR)     $3.99
AUTHORITY THE LOST YEAR #5 (OF 12)     $2.99
AVENGERS VS AGENTS OF ATLAS #1     $3.99
AVENGERS VS AGENTS OF ATLAS #1 HARDMAN VAR     PI
AZRAEL #4     $2.99
BAREFOOT GEN TP VOL 09     $14.95
BAREFOOT GEN TP VOL 10      $14.95
BATMAN STREETS OF GOTHAM #8     $3.99
BATMAN THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #13     $2.50
BLACK WIDOW AND MARVEL GIRLS #3 (OF 4)     $2.99
BLACKEST NIGHT THE FLASH #2 (OF 3)     $2.99
BLACKEST NIGHT THE FLASH #2 (OF 3) VAR ED     PI
BRAVE AND THE BOLD #31     $2.99
CAPTAIN AMERICA #602     $3.99
CASE CLOSED GN VOL 33      $9.99
CHESHIRE CAT OPENING DAY VINYL FIG      $60.00
COMICS BUYERS GUIDE #1663 MAR 2010     $5.99
DARK AVENGERS #13 SIEGE     $3.99
DARK WOLVERINE #82 SIEGE     $2.99
DEADPOOL MERC WITH A MOUTH #7     $3.99
DEATHLOK #3 (OF 7)     $3.99
DOCTOR VOODOO AVENGER OF SUPERNATURAL #4     $2.99
FABLES #92 (MR)     $2.99
FARSCAPE ONGOING #3     $3.99
GARTH ENNIS BATTLEFIELDS HAPPY VALLEY #2 (OF 9) (MR)     $3.50
GEARS OF WAR #11 (MR)     $3.99
GELASKINS IPHONE BETTIE PAGE BLUE      $14.95
GELASKINS IPHONE BETTIE PAGE MINT     $14.95
GFT PINOCCHIO COLLECTION B CVR BASALDUA     $4.99
GI JOE #14     $3.99
GI JOE ORIGINS #11     $3.99
GLAMOURPUSS #11     $3.00
GRAVEL #16 (MR)     $3.99
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #44 (BLACKEST NIGHT)     $2.99
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #44 VAR ED (BLACKEST NIGHT)     PI
HANK KETCHAMS COMPLETE DENNIS THE MENACE 1961-1962     $24.99
HELLBLAZER #263 (MR)     $2.99
HULK #19 DJURDJEVIC VAR FOH     PI
HULK #19 FOH     $3.99
HULK FALL OF THE HULKS PRELUDE TP     $24.99
INCORRUPTIBLE #2     $3.99
INCORRUPTIBLE #2 INCV CVR     PI
INCREDIBLE HERCULES #140     $3.99
INCREDIBLE HULK #606 DJURDJEVIC VAR (PP #898)     PI
INCREDIBLE HULK #606 FOH     $3.99
JOE THE BARBARIAN #1 (OF (MR)     $1.00
JOHN STANLEY LIBRARY THIRTEEN GOING ON EIGHTEEN HC     $39.95
MARVEL FAIRY TALES TP GN     $14.99
MIGHTY AVENGERS #33     $2.99
MMW ATLAS ERA JUNGLE ADVENTURE HC VOL 01 VAR ED 13     $59.99
MUPPET PETER PAN #4     $2.99
NOLA #3     $3.99
NOVA #33     $2.99
OH MY GODDESS RTL TP VOL 34      $10.99
OUTSIDERS #26     $2.99
PHANTOM STRANGER #42 (BLACKEST NIGHT)     $2.99
PLUTO URASAWA X TEZUKA GN VOL 07      $12.99
POWER GIRL #8     $2.99
PRISM COMICS LGBT GUIDE TO COMICS MAG 2009-2010 (MR)     $3.99
PROJECT SUPERPOWERS CHAPTER TWO #6     $2.99
PVP #43     $3.50
REALM OF KINGS INHUMANS #3 (OF 5)     $3.99
ROGER CORMAN PRESENTS BLACK SCORPION #2 (MR)     $3.99
SIMPSONS COMICS #162     $2.99
SOLOMON KANE DEATHS BLACK RIDERS #1 (OF 4)     $3.50
SONIC UNIVERSE #12     $2.50
SPIDER-MAN 1602 #4 (OF 5)     $3.99
SPIDER-WOMAN #5     $2.99
STAR TREK DS9 FOOLS GOLD #2     $3.99
STAR WARS DARK TIMES #15 BLUE HARVEST PT 3 (OF 5)     $2.99
STAR WARS INSIDER #115 PX ED     $5.99
STAR WARS KNIGHTS OLD REPUBLIC #49 DEMON PT 3     $2.99
STARCRAFT #7     $2.99
STARMAN #81 (BLACKEST NIGHT)     $2.99
SUPERBOY THE GREATEST TEAM UPS EVER TOLD TP     $19.99
SUPERMAN BATMAN #68     $2.99
SUPERNATURAL BEGINNINGS END #1 (OF 6)     $2.99
THING PROJECT PEGASUS PREM HC DM ED     $24.99
THOR BY J MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI PREM HC VOL 03     $19.99
THUNDERBOLTS #140     $2.99
TINY TITANS #24     $2.50
TRANSFORMERS BUMBLEBEE #2     $3.99
UNCANNY X-MEN #520     $2.99
UNCLE SCROOGE #387     $2.99
WEB OF SPIDER-MAN #4 GNTLT     $3.99
WILLIAM SHATNER PRESENTS TEK WAR #5 (MR)     $3.99
WOLVERINE WEAPON X #9     $3.99

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