My 5 Rules For Keeping Up With Comics On A Budget

As a man who has read comic books longer than I can remember I’ve always had the same problem; too many comics, not enough money. In this economy it can be hard to buy all the comics you actually want to read. I mean there several titles for every character/team. I myself have a budget cap each month that I try to stick too. Sometimes I go a little over, sometimes a little under.

With over half of the film blockbusters that come out now-a-days being based on comic books it’s hard not getting excited to read the material they’re based on. I know walking into a comic book store can be an overwhelming experience for some people who are not “in the game” but if you want to keep up with the titles you sort of enjoy but can’t afford to collect here a few rules that may help.

RULE #1- KNOW WHAT WRITERS YOU LIKE

Just like some people have favorite novel writers like John Grisham or Stephen King, you can follow whom you like. In 2004, Geoff Johns came onto Green Lantern and has made it DC’s biggest selling title ever since. When Johns was on Teen Titans I loved it, but once he left I dropped the book. Johns is currently writing Aquaman, which I have never read until now and I love it.

These days it’s almost better to follow a writer you like, such as Grant Morrison, Frank Miller, or Ed Brubaker because you can be 90% sure your money will be well spent based on the fact that you like the writers previous work. The only problem with this is a writer can take over a book on issue #225 and some readers feel like they need to get the first 224 issues just to understand what’s going on. In some cases this is true, but when a new writer jumps onto a title they try to keep it fresh for people who follow them and not the title. After collecting comics for 20 odd years I’m almost to this point.

RULE #2- THE PUBLIC LIBRARY IS YOUR BEST FRIEND

The other week I was watching Daredevil the director’s cut, which is way better than the theatrical version, and I decided I wanted to read more abut Daredevil. I had never really been a fan, but now I feel like at this point in my life he’s a character I can like/relate too. So I jumped online, got a list of what order Daredevil graphic novels should be read (you can find these for any character/title, trust me), and then I went to my local library’s website and reserved a bunch of Daredevil graphic novel’s starting with the first one on my list they had.

Public libraries have EVERYTHING today FOR FREE!! You can get CD’s, movies, TV series, audio books, and of course graphic novels. Every few weeks I jump on the library’s site and type in my favorite writers names, or characters I like. And when there is something I haven’t read I reserve it. Depending on how big your library is will determine their selection, and in a big city like Austin,TX that has several branches I can get quite a lot. I just have to wait for it. The library doesn’t have every Daredevil graphic novel, but enough for me to know the major events.

RULE #3- LEARN TO SKIM READ

If you want to keep up with a comic but can’t afford to buy it skim reading is my best advice. When I go to the comic book store I grab my pull list from the employee at the front and then I head back to the comics to see what I didn’t grab. I no longer collect Superman, but I want to see what’s going on. I flip through it, kind of get an idea of what is going on based on pictures, and if I see Lois and Clark/Superman talking I’ll quickly read the conversation. Not a lot of important info is said during action scenes, so know what relationships are important. But my key rule for this method is no matter how many comics I skim through I always walk out having bought something.

Once a month, I like to go to a book store chain that I know carries comic book issues. They don’t have them all, mainly DC and Marvel, but enough to where I can sit and read an issue somewhat quickly, and know what is going on. It’s not pretty, but beggers can’t be choosers.

RULE #4- THE BUDDY SYSTEM

When I was younger, my brother and I lived under one roof, and we both collected comic books. We would read each other’s comics and years later, whenever we text or got together, he would fill me in on Spider-man and Hulk while I filled him in on X-Men and Superman.

Now my brother and I live thousands of miles away and I want him to move to Austin so we can go back to the buddy system. He would collect certain books, and so would I, and the ones we both enjoyed we would swap. So if we both bought 12 comic books a month that’s really 24 comic books that we get to read a month. If only I could find someone in Austin I could trust, but like swimming, you have to be able to trust you buddy with you comic books, and your life.

RULE #5- KNOW WHEN TO LET GO OF A TITLE

The hardest part of being comic book collector in today’s world is staying faithful to a title. X-Men has been the one title that I’ve collected longer than any other. The most recent storyline of X-Men I bought the first two issues of and then dropped it because I wasn’t going to spend $3 a month for another four months on a story I didn’t like. I’ve dropped and picked up a lot of comic in my life. There are a dozen X-Men titles, but I’ve narrowed it down to two or three that I stick with. A person has to utilize the first four rules in order to make sure they’re not wasting their money.

I like Superman, but I hate the way the New 52 has gone with him. So I grabbed the first issues of Superman and Action Comics and haven’t bought another in months. Maybe one day I’ll pick it back up again, but until then my money should be spent on what I enjoy reading, not what I buy just out of habit.

I often think about going to my Emergency Comic Plan. It’s something I thought of just in case I had to stop collecting comics for economic purposes. I would no longer go to the comic book store, but instead wait for a graphic novel to come to the library, or I might skim through it at the bookstore. If I like it I would buy it. In this case I might only buy one graphic novel a month, which is about $20. But then I would be giving up the best part about collecting comics; the comic book store.

I like going to comic book store each week not only because I’m excited to read the next issue of Aquaman, but to see what else is happening in comics. I get to see what’s hot and what new t-shirts and action figures are being made. I get to talk about comics with other people, and maybe find out about a local convention or celebrity that may be coming to town. It’s the comic book culture that keeps me wanting to collect issues every week as opposed to just going to graphic novels. It’s one of the few things in this world I can say I truly love, but if I ever have to give it up there are ways to keep the love alive. One of the best pieces of advice I feel like I ever got was from Q in a James Bond movie, “always have an escape plan.” Which I took as “always have a plan B, for everything.”

Casting Call: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

By the power of Grayskull the 80’s are making a massive comeback, at least the cartoons are. Transformers has tore up the box office with three films, there is a second G.I. Joe film coming out this summer, and Voltron and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are on their way back, starting with a new comic book series each. I can feel the childhood nostalgia bubbling in my stomach. But let’s not forgot the most powerful man of the 80’s; He-Man. Along with the Masters of the Universe he dominated with his classic cartoon, toy line, a less than successful film in 1987, and spawned a spin-off series, She-Ra the Princess of Power. A live action film done right could really make sci-fi geeks swoon. Here is the original 1983 series opening theme.

After the original series was long gone The New Adventures of He-Man popped up in 1990 with much less success. But Cartoon Network tried again in 2002 with a more updated, and hipper, He-Man cartoon. I found it quite entertaining and would have enjoyed it more if I wasn’t 18 years-old when it came out.

Never the less I think a He-Man movie that has qualities like Lord of the Rings would kill it. The 1987 film, Masters of the Universe, was a flop because they forgot to follow the formula. It was all about He-Man and not his real identity, Prince Adam. Plus going to Earth was a hug flaw. If they would have kept it in Eternia it would have had a massive following. The cast wasn’t half bad though for the film. Dolph Lundgren was a decent He-Man but he just didn’t have an Adam to go with him, and Frank Langella as Skeletor was perfect. Now meet my cast for He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as He-Man

He may have dropped “The Rock” in his name but to some of he will always be the wrestling star turned action hero. He started off in The Mummy Returns and has since made a bunch of silly kiddie films like The Game Plan and Tooth Fairy. But with his badass-ness on the rise with a role in Fast Five and playing Roadblock in the upcoming G.I. Joe: Retaliation, I think The Rock has the look, the muscles, and the acting chops to be the most powerful man in the universe. I just hope he likes the outfit.

Jeremy Sumpter as Prince Adam

I first saw Sumpter in the 2003 version of Peter Pan and was quite impressed with his skill as a childish brat. But then he went on to carry that same quality in his short appearance on one of my new favorite shows, Friday Night Lights. Adam is prince of Eternia who has never had a real problem his whole life. Until Skeletor and his minions show up and Adam has to learn about responsibility and power. It could be a real coming-of-age tale.

Kate Mara as Teela

She’s never really had a major role, just minor ones like in films 127 Hours and Iron Man 2, but she’s moving up in Hollywood with her role in FX Network’s new hit series, American Horror Story. She’s cute, she’s athletic, and she can act; I think. She’d be great opposite Sumpter and Johnson. Much like Margot Kidder played Lois Lane, Teela is over-dominating when it comes to the prince, and head-over-heels for the strong superhero, who just happen to be the same person.

Tom Selleck as Man-At-Arms

It’s Tom F%#king Selleck. I rest my case.

Tilda Swinton as The Sorceress of Castle Grayskull

In the 2002 version Prince Adam is called to Castle Grayskull in midst of a battle and The Sorceress gives him the Power Sword, saying it is his destiny and birthright to become He-Man. The Sorceress is the keeper of all the secrets and powers of Castle Grayskull, and the one thing Skeletor wants most. Swinton in real life seems pretty weird but there is no denying her phenomenal acting ability. She’s played a witch in The Chronicles of Narnia franchise, so why not a sorceress.

Hugo Weaving as Skeletor

Weaving has made his way in this industry with roles like Mr. Smith in The Matrix trilogy, and Elrond the elf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. But last summer we saw him as the Red Skull in Captain America: The First Avenger. I think he should just keep the skull on, but paint it yellow. We’re talking about an actor who is starting to make it a career of playing great villains. He’s even done the voice of Megatron for all three Transformers films. He can certainly handle the evil Eternia villain whose bark is worse than his bite.

Rose McGowan as Evil-Lyn

I never watched Charmed, I thought Jawbreaker was stupid, but I think McGowan has the look and feel of Evil-Lyn. I always felt like the character was on Skeletor’s side because she was jealous of the Sorceress’s power. In some cases she seemed smarter than Skeletor so I’m not sure why she wasn’t in charge of Beast Man and the other cronies. Although I don’t know if she could do better than Meg Foster in Masters of the Universe; that was pretty much an awesome Evil-Lyn.

So there you have folks; my dream team to bring He-Man back to live action. I would definitely include Orko the magician and not Gwildor who was just a sad excuse for Orko. The obstacle I feel would be Cringer/Battle Cat. I don’t think you could get a real tiger to cooperate, let alone paint him green. However I’m not sure a CGI tiger would be believable, but hey, if they can make CGI apes that scare the crap out of me anything is possible I guess. And now, I end you all with another video treat. Enjoy!

Hulk VS The Incredible Hulk

He’s big, he’s green, and in less than ten years he’s been played by three different actors. Marvel Comics has spent the last decade trying to find the best interpretation for their green goliath and have yet to strike it gold. Ang Lee tried in 2003 with Hulk, and Louis Leterrier in 2008 with The Incredible Hulk, or TIH as I will be referring to it. Now Joss Whedon is supposedly expanding on what Leterrier did with TIH in The Avengers this summer, again with a different actor playing Bruce Banner. These last few days I sat down and watched both Hulk and TIH to try and figure out what went wrong, what went right, and why the hell is Jennifer Connelly so hot?

A director is a captain of a ship on the high seas, and without a good captain things can go aria. Lee seemed to make his adaptation into its own comic book with lots of screen splits that bordered on annoying, Meanwhile, Leterrier played it dark, and almost a little sinister. Both men seemed to be coming from different source material, Leterrier more the 1970’s TV series, and Lee a bit closer to the comic books, but not close enough in my opinion. Neither film had the character of Rick Jones in it, the boy who is basically responsible for Bruce Banner’s condition. Sure his name was flashed in TIH and Bruce saved a young man by absorbing gamma rays in Hulk, but the character wasn’t Rick. If these director’s can’t even get the basics of the character right I’d say there isn’t much hope in the rest of their delivery.

These films had different actors portraying the same characters, and like the films themselves, seemed to be completely different. I will first give a point to Hulk for having Talbot as a character, but must give TIH a point for having Dr. Samson in the film. Both are classic Marvel characters that are related to the source material. My pick for the best General “Thunderbolt” Ross went to Sam Elliot in Hulk. He looked the part spot-on, and William Hurt’s interpretation of the character was all wrong. In the comic books Ross isn’t evil, he’s just angry. His job is to take down Banner because he feels he poses a threat, not to dissect him for personal gain. But Ross does take it personally because the man he hunts is also the love of his daughter’s life. Jennifer Connelly and Liv Tyler played sisters in the film Inventing the Abbotts, and they sure do look the part. This could be a good thing. Similar looks make the audience feel more familiar with a character when played by a different person. While both actress’s I feel did a decent job I think again I’m giving Hulk the win; mainly due to the chemistry between Connelly and her Bruce Banner.

Eric Bana and Edward Norton both bring the brilliant scientist who becomes his own Frankenstein’s monster to the big screen. Bana plays him perfect for Lee’s vision of Hulk. Bana’s Banner is shy and unsure of himself. These built up feelings started a split personality that comes out once exposed to his own gamma radiation. However, if you were to put a picture of Banner in the comic books next to a picture of Norton they would look identical. They both look very skinny and weak, and while Norton’s portrayal does seem more confident, his character has lived with the beast inside him for years, while Bana’s is just coming out. Connelly’s Betty Ross also seemed more confident, which played well off of Bana’s timid Banner. Norton and Tyler didn’t make a bad pair, but I could never see them together off screen. So who wins the battle of the Banner’s? I’ll call this one a tie.

So now to the big guy himself, which SFX team was more incredible? As far as looks I’m going with TIH. Their creation has more definition, a little rougher edges, and he looked kind of mean; which is why I could see why people would be afraid of him. In Hulk he looked more like a green marshmallow. As far as movements I think Hulk hopped around too much, and TIH not enough. At least Hulk got the speed right. TIH did kind of show that the creature can be intelligent, like using cars and metal as weapons, hinting that Banner may still be in there somewhere. Hulk showed that the angrier he gets the bigger and stronger he gets, just like in the comics. But TIH had a much better fight with the Abomination than Hulk did with what, Electric Dad? And while we’re at it, who let Nick Nolte out of his cage long enough to act? Anyway,I think in a fight Hulk may have the edge in strength and speed, but TIH may beat ‘em out in smarts and agility.

TIH was meant to be a sequel for Hulk, but was shifted to its own story, but with a little editing it could easily be thought of as a sequel. My objective in this writing was to figure out which film I liked best. Hulk followed the comics more closely, but obviously TIH fits into the Marvel films universe like it was made to be. I don’t think I’ll ever make up my mind. But maybe Joss, or Master Whedon as I would call him if I ever met him, has something new up his sleeve to please me; which he usually does. Mark Ruffalo has stepped into the shoes of Bruce Banner for this next one, and maybe the third one is a charm. I hope they do find a way to start a successful green franchise because I would love to see grey, red, and the one with Banner’s brain.

The Reality of Running A Comic Book Shop

Every comic book fan has had two thoughts in their head at one point in their lives. The first is the dream of writing their own comic book and actually selling it to a publishing house like Marvel or DC. The other idea they’ve had is similar to one all men have. Instead of ‘we should open a bar’ it is ‘we should open a comic shop.’ I think AMC’s new show, Comic Book Men, is out to prove that like a bar, running a comic book shop is less fun than it sounds.

This reality show takes place at Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash in RedBank, NJ. The store is named after the two characters that made writer/director Kevin Smith famous with such films as Clerks, Mallrats, Dogma, and Chasing Amy. Smith’s friend Walt runs the store along with Ming and Mike. The other gentleman in the show is Bryan, but he is not there to shop or work; he’s just there. In the premiere episode the cast, along with Smith, is podcasting about comics and what has been going on at the store. Meanwhile there are clips of people who try to sell movie and comic related material to Walt and his merry men. This episode featured items like a Chuckie doll, a Dawn of the Dead poster, and a Thor poster by Jack Kirby, the man who first drew and designed a lot of Marvel’s classic characters. In between the selling Walt sends Ming, Mike, and Bryan to a New Jersey flea market on a sales competition.  The winner gets two free weekends off of work. For me, if I’m not working, I’d be at the comic book store anyway.

Now, I am not a fan of reality TV at all. The only time I ever watched an episode of American Idol is when I was trying to get laid, I don’t think anyone will ever find Bigfoot no matter how many seasons you give them, and as hot as the Kardashian sisters are, that family is helping make America’s youth dumber. I gave this show a try because it is Kevin Smith and it’s about something I am passionate about; comics . I liked how Smith and co. narrated the situations and scenarios as they were taking place. It was almost like a nice commentary track on a dvd. These guys aren’t as good looking as some of the people you find on other shows, but I think they’ve got more sense than all seasons of The Real World put together. They’re jokesters, geeks, and pretty much just like me. More than anything I think I enjoyed listening to the podcast topics such as Favorite Horror Movie and Hottest Comic Book Babe.

I grew up watching Kevin Smith films and saw him speak live, twice. He helped shape my mind during those impressionable teen years and I still consider Mallrats one of my favorite comedies of all time. So I’ll give this show 3 out of 5 stars. If you’re not into comic books, or at least know a little bit about the culture, then I think you may want to switch over to E! to see what Ryan Seacrest and his plastic Barbies are up too. I’m going to add this show to my Tivo season pass list; if for no other reason to find out what the hell Bryan does for a living, and how can I do it so I get to hang out in a comic book store all the time.

The Force Will Be With Us, Always

I remember the night my dad took my brother and I to go see our first Star Wars film in theaters. It was 1997, the film was Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope, Special Edition. It was a late showing and the theater was packed. In the months following I would see Episodes V and VI as well. Skip ahead two years and I remember waiting anxiously to get off of school for the day because my dad and I were going to see Episode I on opening day. George Lucas was bringing us the next round of Star Wars films, and man were people pissed after they saw it. But everyone still went and saw two more films after Jar Jar Binks annoyed the crap out of them. I love Star Wars, always have. When I a kid I would fake sick because I wanted to stay home and not go to school. And after sleeping in I would always watch The Empire Strikes Back. To this day I consider it one of best films of all time. Now, 13 years later Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace is back on the big screen, in 3-D.

I’ve always tried to keep up on everything Star Wars. Books, comic books, cartoons; I always wanted to be in the loop. My wife to this day complains about how many lightsabers I own. A few weeks ago I had what you might call a crisis of faith. I know I watch a lot of TV, it’s my thing. But I decided to cut back a bit in hopes that it might inspire me to do other things like reading, writing, or exercise more. So I deleted about 5 shows off my Tivo, one of which was Star Wars: The Clone Wars. It was a show I thought it was decent, but I only watched it really because it was Star Wars. After a few days of thinking I realized, I had to still watch it, because it’s Star Wars.

Star Wars is the story of good vs. evil, right and wrong, and the underdog winning in the end. It’s a rich saga full of great morals and characters that taught a whole generation about possibilities in and outside of film making. I could go into more detail, but it’s probably better if you just watch the History Channel special, Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed, on YouTube. I may be too old for Star Wars: The Clone Wars, but this franchise is something I’ve always stayed true to, always enjoyed, and could be the one commitment that last my entire life.

A lot of fans may complain that Lucas ruined something special by making the prequels and special editions, but guess what people, you’re no George Lucas! He is a man who did something rare in this world; he completed his vision exactly how he wanted it. If other people don’t like it then stop buying the newest DVD edition every other year! I don’t watch the special editions, and I hate Jar Jar Binks, but that hasn’t stopped me from having a marathon at least once a year. I own all SEVEN Star Wars films, blu-ray counter parts, and bought more posters that I can think of in my life. I’m not in a rush to go see Episode I in 3-D, mainly because I am disappointed it won’t be IMAX 3-D, but I still plan on seeing it soon. My only wish is that I had a 6-12 year-old son to take to go see it for the first time. If I’ve never said it before, thanks for that dad.

It’s been almost 40 years since the original Star Wars came out in theaters and it’s still going strong with re-releases, new books, new comic books, new tv series, and from what I saw at Target today, still dominating the toy aisle. It’s a tale of fantasy that can be watched with the whole family, and those are some of the best kinds of films. I mean come on people, it’s either Episode I in 3-D or Channing Tatum in The Vow this weekend. I think we know what the better movie experience will be, even if you’ve seen Episode I ten times.