Saturday, January 02, 2010

comic bargains

Since my computer autodestructed the gaps between posts have become larger and larger. But I just wanted to do this quick post about some new bargains at amazon.de.

Just before Christmas there were no bargains for comics but now that Christmas is over they are getting rid of their overstock. I wanted to post this two days ago but today is the first time I have some time on the laptop. So my tips are :

SUPERMAN - BRAINIAC HARDCOVER 6.90 €

Gary Frank who was announced as THE big new star artist on ACTION COMICS did only two storyarcs : the totally Airwolf SUPERMAN AND THE LEGION OF SUPER - HEROES story ( about which I already wrote at length ) and this one. Now he´s on SUPERMAN - SECRET ORIGIN as DC seems to think that it isn´t necessary to have good artists on their regular books. Anyway, this re - imagination of the Brainiac persona that also ties into the pre - existing continuity is a really good story with great art.



Besides the regular five issues that made up the storyarc it also contains the epilogue from the NEW KRYPTON SPECIAL 1. This hardcover is normally priced at 19.99 - like at my comicshop where the rate for the dollar is 1 dollar is 1 euro - or 15.47 euro if you buy it at a shop with a better rate like blackdog. For 6.90 it´s a steal. Of course you still have to add the 7 percent taxes and the fee for shipping and handling. But at amazon books are free and even with all the other costs added you still have to pay only 8.40 euro.

I already ordered one for me which arrived in excellent condition. Last time I put up some links for bargain comics I thought too long about ordering the CAPTAIN AMERICA - THE MAN WITH NO NAME hardcover and then they sold out.



THUNDERBOLTS - BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE HARDCOVER 7.90 €

I also already ordered this one. Since I already took the book off my pull list and decided to continue reading them in the trade format this is a no - brainer. Originally I wanted to get the regular trade version since I didn´t think it necessary to pay the higher price for the hardcover. But when I went to my comicshop and consulted the internet I found out that I would have to pay more for the regular trade than for the hardcover.

The story in this ( at least as far as I know since I only read the first two issues of this collection ) follows the events in SECRET INVASION. As Norman Osborn has been given free DRAK REIGN Songbird decides to ditch the team. Of course that doesn´t fly well with Norman so it´s Songbird versus - everybody else.

Following that story it´s Norman Osborn versus the Green Goblin. Wait a minute. Isn´t Norman Osborn supposed to be the Green Goblin ? Exactly ! Can´t wait to read this one. After turning the Thunderbolts into the new DARK AVENGERS Norman Osborn is building a newer and deadlier secret ops version of the Thunderbolts. And it all starts here.



EMPOWERED VOL 5 5.40 €

Another steal. This 206 page black and white book usually goes for 10 to 12 bucks but here you can get it for a much better price. EMPOWERED is one of the best superhero books out there even if it doesn´t have the mass audience it deserves due to the mature readers label. Adam Warren has long been a fan favorite artist and here he shows that he can write superhero comedy that´s realistic and funny. Apart from that he writes characters that you instantly love ( or hate ) which can make the stories real heart wrenchers.

Especially the last two collections delve into some dark places that you wouldn´t expect. Volume 5 is a good example of what this series is capable of and it will definitelxy bring a tear to your eye. If you haven´t checked out this series here´s your chance to try one book at a bargain price but hurry since there are only 4 copies left. And I´m sure that after reading this one you will come back for more.

More about EMPOWERED :

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  • adam warren on empowered II


  • warren peace talks empowered




  • INVINCIBLE VOL 11 HAPPY DAYS 6.40 €

    The only reason I didn´t order this one is that I already have it. INVINCIBLE - do I really have to tell you that this is one of the best superhero books out there ? I´m sure you are already sick and tired of hearing how this series dares to go where mainstream superhero books don´t dare to go. And I also have to remind you of the outstanding art on this great comic. You probably already have it in your collection but if not.....what are you waiting for ? Only two copies left.



    X - MEN INFERNO HARDCOVER 29.90 €

    I know, 30 bucks doesn´t sound like a good deal. But this 600 pages whopper usually goes for 75 dollars and even at blackdog you have to pay 55.99 € for it. At amazon you get it for less than 35 with shipping and handling included. I´m almost tempted to order it myself since I already have the trade version. This hardcover collection includes some stuff that´s not in the regular trade edition like the X - TERMINATORS series and a few additional issues of X- Factor. Besides being a story that offers art by such greats as Walter Simonson, Marc Silvestri and Bret Blevins it connects a lot of loose ties throughout the X - Men history.

    Especially for german readers it´s a very interesting read because most of it never was printed in Germany. Stuff like the end of Madelyne Prior a.k.a. the Goblin Queen or the fate of Illyana Rasputin. Additionally it has some really heart wrenching scenes and offers a story of the slow descent of the X - Men into the all encompassing Inferno that´s unleashed in New York....as well as their final salvation. From this collection there are also only two copies left.



    Now I don´t want to make the post too long ( the longer the post is the longer it takes you to read this and as usual this bargains sell out rather quick ) here are the other recommendations from me :

    PETER PARKER SPIDER - MAN BACK IN BLACK trade 8.90 € ( instead of 19.28 )

    Written by ROBERTO AGUIRRE-SACASA, MATT FRACTION & SEAN MCKEEVER Penciled by ANGEL MEDINA, RAMON BACHS & SALVADOR LARROCA

    collects: "Sensational Spider-Man" numbered 35-40 and Annual number 1, "Spider-Man Family" numbered 1-2, "Spider-Man: Back in Black Handbook" and Marvel Spotlight - "Spider-Man Back in Black" - only two copies left.

    POWER AND GLORY trade 5.40 €

    I don´t know the regular price since it´s hard to find this collection. The story is about a superhero who gets superpowers but is so afraid of touching other people that they have to hire an ex - spy to do all his superfeats. Without having superpowers. By Howard Chaykin. 5 copies left.

    BOMB QUEEN VOL 4 SUICIDE BOMBER trade 5.90 € ( instead of 11.61 )

    story JIMMIE ROBINSON art & cover JIMMIE ROBINSON The fourth smash trade in the totally demented BOMB QUEEN series! This time featuring luminaries from the Image Universe: She-Spawn! Invincible! Savage Dragon! ShadowHawk! Editor Girl! Dynamo 5 and more! 128 pages from the depraved mind of JIMMIE ROBINSON! One copy left !



    As usual you can use the links here or go to my amazon store on this blog. And you can find more bargain comics here

    Sorry for this all - pimpin post but who knows how long the dollar to euro ratio will be so good ? Which is one of the main reasons why I stopped buying trades at my comicshop and getting them through the internet. Just remember that for amazon you have to add 7 percent taxes ( just multiply the price with 1.07 ). I hope next time I can write a bit more about comics.

    New to the blog ? Everything you need to know about TALES FROM THE KRYPTONIAN :

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  • He´s Scott Summers, Warren. Worry is what he does.

    5 comments:

    Anonymous said...

    Gute Tipps! Alles bis auf Invincible bereits gekauft. Bei Invincible würds mich reizen, aber ich will das von vorne weg lesen, weshalb die #11 kein guter Einstieg ist. Besser auf die fetten ersten Omnibuse sparen ;-)

    Inferno hast du ja schon öfters angepriesen (u.a. im Forum) weshalb ich es mir ebenfalls schon beim letzten Mal geholt habe als es in Aktion war. (Hatte da bisher nur ein paar Tie-Ins aus anderen Serien) Ich war da aber doch geschockt dass hier wirklich sehr viele Stränge zusammenlaufen, weshalb ich jetzt noch ein paar Sachen erneut lesen will (die Magik Mini) bevor ich mich Inferno widme. Soll ja auch das erste Thema für nen Podcast werden...

    SUBZERO said...

    Tja, die Omnibusteile würd ich mir selbst gern besorgen. Aber da ich schon mal mit den Trades angefangen habe muss ich wohl oder übel weitermachen. :=(

    Bei INFERNO hat es mich immer gewundert dass es nie auf deutsch rausgekommen ist. Das sind schliesslich wichtige Schlüsselmomente aus X - FACTOR, NEW MUTANTS und X - MEN drin die Auswirkungen auf spätere Geschichten haben. Was da alles an subplots zusammenläuft....das sind etliche Jahre X - Geschichte.

    Ganz abgesehen davon dass ich die Geschichte geil finde, New York wird zum Inferno und für die Bewohner ist das nur business as usual. Was jetzt die MAGIK mini angeht muss ich sagen, dass ich die auch noch nicht gelesen habe. Ich weiss zwar aus anderen Geschichten was da in groben Zügen ablief aber die Geschichte selber hab ich noch nicht gelesen.

    Ich hatte auch die KITTY PRYDE / WOLVERINE mini ( die ja die Vorgeschichte für KITTY PRYDE - SHADOW AND FLAME bildet ) erst gelesen als es in nem BIBLIOTEKA MARVEL Teil drin war.

    Auf jeden Fall bin ich mal auf dein Urteil gespannt - sowie auf den Podcast. Da bietet sich ja das Hardcover an weil es umfangreicher als das Trade ist ( oder heisst es der Trade ? ).

    rolf said...

    If you find that a comic book - or any item - is temporarily sold out at Amazon, you can use the free service http://www.aznotify.com/ to watch inventory and notify you (with an obnoxious alarm) the instant it's back in Amazon stock so you can buy it quickly before it sells out again.

    Anonymous said...

    I was just seeking this info for some time. After six hours of continuous Googleing, finally I got it in your site. I wonder what's the Google's issue that doesn't rank this type of informative websites closer to the top. Generally the top sites are full of garbage.

    SUBZERO said...

    I have no idea how this whole google thing works but I also would like to have a higher ranking. I´m always trying to include useful information beside my rants but maybe for google that´s not good enough. And yes, sometimes the highest ranked sites don´t have much of use.

    But thanks for the thumbs up.