Ultimately Off-Topic VII: The Miles Frontier

[RockyBanks]

Well with the Chew writer John Layman as the writer, he's taken a great focus on the crime circles, so while being a Batman book it offers something you don't find on Dark Knight or Incorporated.

That would still fit with the character of Tim Drake, as he's considered the "Detective Robin".

[Time_to_Zap]

Here's a fun way to waste an evening...

[Sinx]

I kind of doubt that, since I think recordings still go towards ratings (at least to some extent). I don't really know anyone who watched it regularly; despite its loyal following, it never caught on in a widescale way like Lost did.

Now that it's done though, I'll probably finally go back and watch it. And it's coming to Netflix soon! I also need to watch Firefly, which I'll probably do first, since it's only 14 episodes and a movie. I'm almost done with Futurama (which I've seen most of several times), so I need new shows to add!

I also recently FINALLY watched all of Freaks and Geeks. Talk about a show that shouldn't have been cancelled! It was so good. The last episode is one of my favorite episodes of any show ever.

Freaks and Geeks was an awesome show! I watched that fairly recently and really enjoyed it.

DC Gossip:




Red Robin (alongside Wally West) has been the most requested thing out there, glad to see this happening.

Mark Millar & Frank Quitely's Jupiter's Legacy preview!

Looking at Millar's comments on his own board, this guy might be heading more to Image comics, damn they must have some great creator-owned deals compared to Icon & Vertigo. :S

Andy Kubert's tribute to himself:


Batman Inc #7 preview!!

PS. So who here is a gamer again? Marvelmaster, Sinx, Zappy Time and me? Plawsky too? Anyhow anything good going on right now? I'm still playing Dishonored over and voer again, and i really loved the reboot of Devil May Cry, only thing i miss from the previous installments was the gothic castlevania vibe, but the demonic limbo stuff was really cool experiece. Dead Space 3 soon! :)

I'd be down for a Red Robin book! I decided though that I'm not adding any more series (with some minor exceptions) to my pull list, and instead will opt to trade wait for them.

Yea I'm a casual gamer, you could say. Right now I'm playing through the first God of War in what little spare time I have away from school and work.

[Plawsky]

I go in and out of gaming moods. I was really into Halo 4 when it came out, and I still play it a decent amount, but nothing else has had my attention lately. The last thing I got really into was Arkham Asylum/City a few months ago. I played the crap out of those games while I was "looking" for a new job. Very much looking forward to the next one, even though it's a prequel. Though, as great as the games were, the last boss in Asylum was terrible. Bad encounter, bad storytelling, bad everything. Really, most of the bosses in Asylum weren't very good. Fortunately City improved on the few faults in Asylum. Adding forever-gliding around the city made things a lot more fun. But I digress...

Really, I just don't have - rather, I don't take - the time for gaming right now. I spend most of my time on comics and TV at the moment. I've been in a terrible buying phase for comics, and my read pile is stacking up. My latest purchase is Hickman's Nightly News, but I've got quite a few other things to get through first. Right now I've reading Ghost World, which I was looking for, but I really don't care for it so far. I guess I get why people like it, but it's not grabbing me at all. I finished the Futurama/Simpsons crossover the other day though (which is a great looking slipcased hardcover), and I loved it.

I also finally shipped off my first set of comics for custom binding yesterday. It's two volumes: one is Marvels and Eye of the Camera by Kurt Busiek. The other is a group of somewhat related books from the 90s - Ruins, Code of Honor, Strange Tales, Tales to Astonish, Tales of Suspense, and the three Tales of the Marvels one shots. They're all painted art with cardstock and plastic covers like Marvels, so I figured it would make a cool companion volume. Very much worth checking out if you haven't heard of them (which you probably haven't... I had to ask around quite a bit to find out about them). Also similar and worth checking out is The Last Avengers Story. I originally got it to include with those, but it didn't really fit the tone. Holy crap was it good though.

[RockyBanks]

I also finally shipped off my first set of comics for custom binding yesterday. It's two volumes: one is Marvels and Eye of the Camera by Kurt Busiek. The other is a group of somewhat related books from the 90s - Ruins, Code of Honor, Strange Tales, Tales to Astonish, Tales of Suspense, and the three Tales of the Marvels one shots. They're all painted art with cardstock and plastic covers like Marvels, so I figured it would make a cool companion volume. Very much worth checking out if you haven't heard of them (which you probably haven't... I had to ask around quite a bit to find out about them). Also similar and worth checking out is The Last Avengers Story. I originally got it to include with those, but it didn't really fit the tone. Holy crap was it good though.

Who's doing the binding for you, and how much is it costing you? (If you don't mind me asking, that is.) I've looked into some nearby binders, and their websites use big numbers that make me cry.

[Plawsky]

Who's doing the binding for you, and how much is it costing you? (If you don't mind me asking, that is.) I've looked into some nearby binders, and their websites use big numbers that make me cry.

I'm using Herring and Robinson. It's $18.50 per volume, plus a little more depending on what you want. The only thing I added to mine was a MARVEL stamp on the spine, because it really makes a huge difference in the look; so that's $22.50 per. For this bind, I didn't have all the issues, so I had to buy those as well, obviously. And really, that's where the real investment is - it's only worth it if you can find the issues for cheap. For these it was worth it for me, since there isn't a collection of Marvels with Eye of the Camera, and the companion volume is completely unique, something that I just made up.

Part of the appeal for me is obviously the uniqueness of it - you get to have something that's special to you, and you had a hand in making it. To me, that's a LOT cooler than a box full of comics. Plus, it gets rid of the excessive back issues. I've always seen myself more as a comic reader than a collector, and I've gotten to where I really don't care about having a bunch of long boxes; I don't even bag and board my books anymore. This is a much cooler way for me to house my collection. It also makes the comics easier to read, find, and borrow (I really like letting people borrow comics).

The debate comes when you're doing something that's already collected. I could have gotten the Marvels and Eye of the Camera trades for a good deal cheaper than what I ended up paying. Was that extra $20+ worth making it custom? This time, it was.

You also get to choose HOW they're collected. For instance, my next project is the original Squadron Supreme run. There's already an omnibus, and it's only $50. But it doesn't have everything. So my SS omnibus will have more content than the official one. Similarly, my Ultimates books are going to be awesome. And since the real Ultimates omni is hard to find and even harder to pay for, this route is actually considerably cheaper.

On a final note, I scored a big win on eBay today and got almost all the Brubaker Cap issues from before I was reading. I only need #1-14 and some misc one shots and my run will be complete! And then... it's off to the bindery!! (After my Squadron Supreme and 1602 volumes, of course)

Wow... I type a lot. Hopefully there's something of use in there.

[Wolverine12]

I'm using Herring and Robinson. It's $18.50 per volume, plus a little more depending on what you want. The only thing I added to mine was a MARVEL stamp on the spine, because it really makes a huge difference in the look; so that's $22.50 per. For this bind, I didn't have all the issues, so I had to buy those as well, obviously. And really, that's where the real investment is - it's only worth it if you can find the issues for cheap. For these it was worth it for me, since there isn't a collection of Marvels with Eye of the Camera, and the companion volume is completely unique, something that I just made up.

Part of the appeal for me is obviously the uniqueness of it - you get to have something that's special to you, and you had a hand in making it. To me, that's a LOT cooler than a box full of comics. Plus, it gets rid of the excessive back issues. I've always seen myself more as a comic reader than a collector, and I've gotten to where I really don't care about having a bunch of long boxes; I don't even bag and board my books anymore. This is a much cooler way for me to house my collection. It also makes the comics easier to read, find, and borrow (I really like letting people borrow comics).

The debate comes when you're doing something that's already collected. I could have gotten the Marvels and Eye of the Camera trades for a good deal cheaper than what I ended up paying. Was that extra $20+ worth making it custom? This time, it was.

You also get to choose HOW they're collected. For instance, my next project is the original Squadron Supreme run. There's already an omnibus, and it's only $50. But it doesn't have everything. So my SS omnibus will have more content than the official one. Similarly, my Ultimates books are going to be awesome. And since the real Ultimates omni is hard to find and even harder to pay for, this route is actually considerably cheaper.

On a final note, I scored a big win on eBay today and got almost all the Brubaker Cap issues from before I was reading. I only need #1-14 and some misc one shots and my run will be complete! And then... it's off to the bindery!! (After my Squadron Supreme and 1602 volumes, of course)

Wow... I type a lot. Hopefully there's something of use in there.

Can you post some pics when you get it back? I would really like to see what it looks like. I think my only issue with binding is that I would find it odd to read a "book" but with a bunch of ads in it. That is one of my favorite aspects of TPB's all the fun, none of the ads.

[Plawsky]

Can you post some pics when you get it back? I would really like to see what it looks like. I think my only issue with binding is that I would find it odd to read a "book" but with a bunch of ads in it. That is one of my favorite aspects of TPB's all the fun, none of the ads.

Yeah, I'm definitely with you on that. Fortunately, the two that I sent out were all ad free (I used the Eye of the Camera trade) with the exception of a few last page ads, but those aren't obtrusive at all. And for my Ultimate books, I'll be binding the trades. I know, it seems redundant, but it'll give me complete control over what's bound and in what order. The biggest advantage will be binding all of the Ultimates 3 era books together in an order that makes them more cohesive.

That, for me, is the advantage of binding, despite the ads. For single books, it doesn't make a huge difference. But for bigger projects - like binding through the Bendis years of Avengers and events - Marvel's trades don't collect the issues in the way I'd like, so I get to do it all myself. Plus, you can have books that look like this:



THAT is classy!

I'll be sure to put up some pics of mine when I get them back.

[Drz]

Young Justice Preview!

"Nightwing tasks Blue Beetle with chasing down a group of potentially dangerous super-powered teenage runaways. But Blue Beetle is not the only one hunting them..."

DC Nation February:

Young Justice: Invasion
Saturday, February 2nd, 2013 at 10:30am (ET/ PT) – “Runaways”
Nightwing tasks Blue Beetle with chasing down a group of potentially dangerous super-powered teenage runaways. But Blue’s not the only one hunting them…

Young Justice: Invasion
Saturday, February 9th, 2013 at 10:30am (ET/ PT) – “War”
A conqueror from another world becomes a wild card in an intergalactic game of supremacy – placing planet Earth square in the jackpot.

Young Justice: Invasion
Saturday, February 16th, 2013 at 10:30am (ET/ PT) – “Complications”
Black Manta gives Miss Martian twenty-four hours to live, but
that may be more time than Aqualad has with Sportsmaster and Cheshire on the hunt for his head!

Young Justice: Invasion
Saturday, February 23rd, 2013 at 10:30am (ET/ PT) – “The Hunt”
A band of misfits is put to the test when Lex Luthor sends them behind enemy lines… to rescue the team!

Green Lantern: The Animated Series
Saturday, February 2nd, 2013 at 10:00am (ET/PT) – “Cold Fury”
Manhunters give chase as our heroes’ hope runs thin. Their will is truly tested as they prepare for an inevitable face-off against the unstoppable Anti-Monitor.

Green Lantern: The Animated Series
Saturday, February 9th, 2013 at 10:00am (ET/PT) – “Babel”
Hal, Kilowog, and Razer crash land on a planet with a poisonous atmosphere. With their power rings nearly depleted, their only hope is to seek refuge in a nearby domed city, completely overrun by thieves and hooligans.

Green Lantern: The Animated Series
Saturday, February 16th, 2013 at 10:00am (ET/PT) – “Love is a Battlefield”
When Zamaron is invaded by Manhunters, the unsuspecting Carol Ferris is summoned to represent love in a battle against hate’s champion, Atrocitus of the Red Lantern Corps.

Green Lantern: The Animated Series
Saturday, February 23rd, 2013 at 10:00am (ET/PT) – “Larfleeze”
Hal searches the planet Okaara for the mythical orange lantern battery as a way to combat the Manhunters. The problem is, it’s guarded under the watchful, and very greedy, eyes of Larfleeze, the one and only Orange Lantern.

[charliehustle415]

Yeah, I'm definitely with you on that. Fortunately, the two that I sent out were all ad free (I used the Eye of the Camera trade) with the exception of a few last page ads, but those aren't obtrusive at all. And for my Ultimate books, I'll be binding the trades. I know, it seems redundant, but it'll give me complete control over what's bound and in what order. The biggest advantage will be binding all of the Ultimates 3 era books together in an order that makes them more cohesive.

That, for me, is the advantage of binding, despite the ads. For single books, it doesn't make a huge difference. But for bigger projects - like binding through the Bendis years of Avengers and events - Marvel's trades don't collect the issues in the way I'd like, so I get to do it all myself. Plus, you can have books that look like this:



THAT is classy!

I'll be sure to put up some pics of mine when I get them back.

Holy Crap that is awesome. I wanna do that with Ultimate Spider-Man: The Peter Parker Years

[Codah]

Oh my god. I have to own those. I have all the issues and hardcovers but that is BEYOND sexy.

[RockyBanks]

Oh, that is cool. And $22 is far better than the $80-90 other binders are asking.

How much lettering do you get to put on the spine for the base price? Just the large-font vertical text ("CAPTAIN AMERICA" in the example), or do you also get the small horizontal text ("BRUBAKER 2004" and the volume number)?

[Plawsky]

Oh, that is cool. And $22 is far better than the $80-90 other binders are asking.

How much lettering do you get to put on the spine for the base price? Just the large-font vertical text ("CAPTAIN AMERICA" in the example), or do you also get the small horizontal text ("BRUBAKER 2004" and the volume number)?

From my understanding, all the text on the spine is included. It's just the lines and actual logo stamps that cost more. Lettering on the front is extra as well. Those Cap volumes probably cost a little over $30 a piece. And it almost seems crazy to pay an extra $13 per book just to get a certain arrangement of lines and letters, but it's hard to argue with those results.

...if only there weren't those darn ads!

[Balfro]

Hey DRZ, maybe you can explain why Injustice: Gods Among Us #1 is $3.99... It's gotta be some kind of misprint, right? I mean there's no way that DC would EVER resort to raising their prices, right?

[RockyBanks]

Hey DRZ, maybe you can explain why Injustice: Gods Among Us #1 is $3.99... It's gotta be some kind of misprint, right? I mean there's no way that DC would EVER resort to raising their prices, right?

Is that the print version collecting the first 3-4 digital issues? Because I got the digital version of #1 for $0.99...