Trick or Treat 6

Our sixth annual Happy Halloween Ten of a Kind! (With a shout-out to everyone's favorite Little Stuffed Bull)

(Trick or Treat 1 is here!)

(Trick or Treat 2 is here!)

(Trick or Treat 3 is here!)

(Trick or Treat 4 is here!)

(Trick or Treat 5 is here!)

Amazon Top 50 - October 31, 2014

Here are the Top 50 Comics & Graphic Novels on Amazon Friday morning. See About the Amazon Top 50 Lists for more information on how this list is compiled.


1 (+2). The Walking Dead, Vol. 22: A New Beginning *
2 (+35). Civil War
3 (-2). The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances
4 (-2). The Walking Dead Compendium One
5 (-). The Walking Dead Compendium Two
6 (-). The Walking Dead, Vol. 21: All Out War, Part 2
7 (+33). Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal *
8 (+3). Hyperbole and a Half (paperback)
9 (+21). The Hedge Knight: The Graphic Novel
10 (-1). Saga Volume 4 *
11 (R). The Infinity Gauntlet
12 (-4). Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?: A Memoir
13 (-1). Batman: The Killing Joke, Deluxe Edition
14 (R). The Sworn Sword: The Graphic Novel
15 (-8). How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You
16 (-6). Star Wars: Jedi Academy vol. 2: Return of the Padawan
17 (+3). Saga Volume 1
18 (-5). Batman: Death of the Family Book and Joker Mask Set
19 (+7). Saga Volume 3
20 (-13). The Walking Dead Book 10
21 (-5). Hawkeye Volume 3: L.A. Woman
22 (-3). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
23 (+15). Patricia Brigg's Mercy Thompson: Homecoming #1 (Kindle)
24 (+7). Saga Volume 2
25 (-1). Batman Vol. 2: The City of Owls (The New 52)
26 (-1). Darth Vader and Son
27 (-9). Batman Vol. 4: Zero Year - Secret City (The New 52)
28 (+6). Vader's Little Princess
29 (-7). Star Wars: Jedi Academy
30 (N). Captain Marvel Volume 1: Higher, Further, Faster, More
31 (-3). The Walking Dead, Vol. 20: All Out War, Part 1
32 (N). Civil War (Kindle)
33 (+8). Marvel Encyclopedia
34 (-13). Goodnight Darth Vader
35 (-21). Batman Vol. 5: Zero Year - Dark City (The New 52)
36 (-1). The Walking Dead Book 1
37 (-5). The Walking Dead, Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye
38 (+4). Batman Vol. 3: Death of the Family (The New 52)
39 (N). Attack on Titan: No Regrets 2
40 (N). Attack on Titan 14
41 (-14). Batman: Year One
42 (-9). Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
43 (N). John Constantine, Hellblazer, Vol. 1: Original Sins
44 (R). Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls (The New 52)
45 (N). Dilbert 2015 Day-to-Day Calendar
46 (N). Walt Disney's Uncle Scrooge: "The Seven Cities Of Gold"
47 (R). The Walking Dead, Vol. 17: Something to Fear
48 (R). Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe
49 (-5). The Complete Calvin & Hobbes (paperback)
50 (-3). The Walking Dead, Vol. 19: March to War


Items with asterisks (*) are pre-order items.

N = New listing appearing on list for first time
R = Item returning to the list after having been off for 1 or more weeks

Commentary:

• A new number one: The latest Walking Dead collection shambles to the top of the chart this week. Walking Dead takes four of the top ten, and ten of the top fifty this week.
• Marvel comes on strong this week, with their slate of movie announcements pushing Civil War, Infinity Gauntlet and Captain Marvel up the chart. Most impresive is the first Ms. Marvel collection: with no movie announced it still moves up into the top ten; likely a combination of a halo effect and an interest in the character outside of the traditional comics market.
• DC's presence on the chart this week is almost all Batman, the exception being the first Hellblazer collection, no doubt due to the debut of the Constantine television show.
• Also debuting this week are two Attack on Titan volumes, the 2015 Dilbert Day-to-Day Calendar, and an Uncle Scrooge collection.

The Old 51 - DC Comics for August 1992

It's the fifth and final week of our journey into DC's past. Previously I looked at DC's offerings for August 1982, August 1972, August 1962, and August 1952. This week I'm heading over to the DC Database Wiki to look at August 1992:

• Action Comics #680 (super-hero)
• Adventures of Superman #493 (super-hero)
• Animal Man #50 (super-hero)
• Aquaman #9 (super-hero)
• Arion the Immortal #2 (sword & sorcery)
• Batman #483 (super-hero)
• Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #35 (super-hero)
• Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #36 (super-hero)
• Batman: Knight Cries (OGN) (super-hero)
• Batman: Run, Riddler, Run #3 (super-hero)
• Batman: Shadow of the Bat #3 (super-hero)
• Black Condor #3 (super-hero)
• The Black Hood #9 (super-hero)
• The Comet #14 (super-hero)
• The Crusaders #4 (super-hero)
• Deathstroke the Terminator #13 (super-hero)
• The Demon #26 (horror/mystery)
• Detective Comics #647 (super-hero)
• Detective Comics #648 (super-hero)
• Doom Patrol #58 (super-hero)
• Flash #67 (super-hero)
• Green Arrow #65 (super-hero)
• Green Lantern #27 (super-hero)
• Green Lantern: Mosaic #3 (super-hero)
• Guy Gardner Reborn #2 (super-hero)
• The Hacker Files #1 (adventure)
• Hawkworld #25 (super-hero)
• Hellblazer #56 (horror/mystery)
• Ironwolf: Fires of the Revolution (OGN) (sci-fi)
• The Jaguar #13 (super-hero)
• Justice League America #65 (super-hero)
• Justice League Europe #41 (super-hero)
• Justice Society of America #1 (super-hero)
• L.E.G.I.O.N. '92 #43 (super-hero)
• L.E.G.I.O.N. '92 #44 (super-hero)
• The Legend of The Shield #14 (super-hero)
• Legion of Super-Heroes #32 (super-hero)
• Martian Manhunter: American Secrets #1 (super-hero)
• The New Titans #89 (super-hero)
• Sandman #40 (fantasy)
• Shade, the Changing Man #26 (super-hero)
• Skull and Bones #3 (adventure)
• Star Trek #34 (sci-fi)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation #35 (sci-fi)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation #36 (sci-fi)
• Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (sci-fi)
• Superman #70 (super-hero)
• Superman: The Man of Steel #14 (super-hero)
• Swamp Thing #122 (horror/mystery)
• The Web #12 (super-hero)
• Wonder Woman #56 (super-hero)

That's 32 super-hero comics, 5 sci-fi, 3 horror/mystery, 2 adventure, 1 sword & sorcery , and 1 dark fantasy; for a total of 51 comics published by DC that month.

The majority of the sci-fi titles are from DC having the Star Trek license; this was also the period when they were publishing the !mpact imprint, featuring super-hero titles licensed from Archie. It is also the time of proto-Vertigo titles such as Hellblazer, Sandman, Animal Man and Shade (Vertigo would launch in 1993).

Regular titles were $1.25—$2.12 in 2014 dollars—for 22 pages of comics. Upscale books (e.g. Sandman) were $1.50—$2.54 in 2014 dollars—for 24 pages of comics. Prestige format books (Batman: Run, Riddler, Run & Martian Manhunter: American Secrets) were $4.95—$8.40 in 2014 dollars—for 46-47 pages of comics. (Inflation figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator.)

In August 2014, DC published a whopping 76 different titles! 60 super-hero titles, 8 horror/mystery, 5 fantasy, 1 sci-fi, 1 war, and 1 western. Many are $2.99 for 20 pages of comics; some are $3.99 for 22 pages of comics, a few are $4.99 for 35-38 pages of comics.


We can see that by 1992 the publishing landscape at DC was starting to resemble that of the modern day; more so than in 1982, and certainly much more so than in 1952!


That concludes our journey through the decades with DC. We hope that you enjoyed the trip!

Digital Comics Picks of the Week for October 29, 2014

Here is my weekly Pinterest board of this week's recommended new digital comics:

Digital Comics Picks of the Week for October 29, 2014 

Highlights include: Wonder Woman #35, Mind MGMT #27, Groo vs. Conan #4, Fight Man #1, Ronin, Rachel Rising #29, and more!


Follow Dave's board October 29, 2014 - Digital Comics Picks of the Week on Pinterest.

Amazon Top 50 - October 24, 2014

Here are the Top 50 Comics & Graphic Novels on Amazon Friday morning. See About the Amazon Top 50 Lists for more information on how this list is compiled.


1 (-). The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances
2 (-). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 1
3 (+2). The Walking Dead, Vol. 22: A New Beginning *
4 (N). The Best of the Rejection Collection
5 (+4). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 2
6 (-3). The Walking Dead, Vol. 21: All Out War, Part 2
7 (-1). The Walking Dead Book 10
8 (-4). Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?: A Memoir
9 (+2). Saga Volume 4 *
10 (-3). Star Wars: Jedi Academy vol. 2: Return of the Padawan
11 (-3). Hyperbole and a Half (paperback)
12 (+1). Batman: The Killing Joke, Deluxe Edition
13 (-3). Batman: Death of the Family Book and Joker Mask Set
14 (-2). Batman Vol. 5: Zero Year - Dark City (The New 52)
15 (N). Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Three #4 (Kindle)
16 (N). Hawkeye Volume 3: L.A. Woman
17 (+2). How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You
18 (+2). Batman Vol. 4: Zero Year - Secret City (The New 52)
19 (+3). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
20 (-3). Saga Volume 1
21 (-). Goodnight Darth Vader
22 (+4). Star Wars: Jedi Academy
23 (R). Age of Ultron
24 (+4). Batman Vol. 2: The City of Owls (The New 52)
25 (-11). Darth Vader and Son
26 (-2). Saga Volume 3
27 (+11). Batman: Year One
28 (-10). The Walking Dead, Vol. 20: All Out War, Part 1
29 (+13). East of West Volume 3: There Is No Us
30 (-7). The Hedge Knight: The Graphic Novel
31 (+4). Saga Volume 2
32 (+9). The Walking Dead, Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye
33 (-6). Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
34 (-9). Vader's Little Princess
35 (R). The Walking Dead Book 1
36 (R). Watchmen
37 (-21). Civil War
38 (+5). Patricia Brigg's Mercy Thompson: Homecoming #1 (Kindle)
39 (+7). V for Vendetta
40 (-7). Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal *
41 (-1). Marvel Encyclopedia
42 (+8). Batman Vol. 3: Death of the Family (The New 52)
43 (R). Zen Pencils
44 (-). The Complete Calvin & Hobbes (paperback)
45 (+3). Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
46 (-14). Sex Criminals Volume 1
47 (-18). The Walking Dead, Vol. 19: March to War
48 (N). The Best of the Rejection Collection (Kindle)
49 (R). Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
50 (N). Syllabus: Notes from an Accidental Professor


Items with asterisks (*) are pre-order items.

N = New listing appearing on list for first time
R = Item returning to the list after having been off for 1 or more weeks

Commentary:

• Matthew Inman's latest Oatmeal book, The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances, comes in at #1 for the fourth week in a row. It is currently #145 on the overall Amazon books chart.
• The Walking Dead sales remain strong, taking five of the top ten slots. They'll likely remain very good while the television show is on the air, then spike right after the mid-season finale. 
• The top debut this week is The Best of the Rejection Collection: 293 Cartoons That Were Too Dumb, Too Dark, or Too Naughty for The New Yorker, which I'm guessing is exactly as its long subtitle describes. The Kindle edition also pops in at #48.
• Also debuting this week are the latest issue of Injustice, the new Hawkeye collection, and Lynda Barry's Syllabus: Notes from an Accidental Professor (which may not technically be comics, but it's likely some very graphical collagey stuff from Barry and that's good enough foe me—YMMV).
• The trailer for Avengers: Age of Ultron leaked early this week, and Marvel's Age of Ultron collection dutifully shows up on the top 50 chart. This despite the fact that it seems that the only thing the movie and the comic share is their title...

The Old 23 - DC Comics for August 1952

It's week four of our journey into DC's past. Previously I looked at DC's offerings for August 1982, August 1972, and August 1962. This week I'm heading over to the DC Database Wiki to look at August 1952:

• Action Comics #171 (super-hero)
• Adventure Comics #179 (super-hero)
• The Adventures of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis #1 (humor)
• The Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog #4 (adventure)
• Batman #72 (super-hero)
• Comic Cavalcade #52 (funny animal)
• Detective Comics #186 (super-hero)
• Flippity and Flop #5 (funny animal)
• Gang Busters #29 (crime)
• Girls' Love Stories #18 (romance)
• Here's Howie #4 (humor)
• Hollywood Funny Folks #48 (funny animal)
• The House of Mystery #5 (horror/mystery)
• Mystery in Space #9 (sci-fi)
• Our Army at War #1 (war)
• Peter Porkchops #17 (funny animal)
• Real Screen Comics #53 (funny animal)
• Sensation Mystery #110 (horror/mystery)
• Star-Spangled War Stories #131 (war)
• Strange Adventures #23 (sci-fi)
• Superboy #21 (super-hero)
• Superman #77 (super-hero)
• Tomahawk #12 (western)

That's 6 super-hero titles, 5 funny animal, 2 humor, 2 horror/mystery, 2 sci-fi, 2 war, 1 adventure, 1 crime, 1 romance, and 1 western; for a total of 23 comics published by DC that month.

We should note here that at the time, many of DC's titles were on a bi-monthly, quarterly, or other schedule. So titles like A Date with Judy, The Adventures of Bob Hope,  All-American Western, All-Star Western, Big Town, Dale Evans Comics, Fox and the Crow, Funny Stuff, Leading Screen Comics, Leave It to Binky, Movietown's Animal Antics, Mr. District Attorney, Secret Hearts, Wonder Woman, and World's Finest didn't have an August cover-date issue in 1952.

All titles were 10¢—90¢ in 2014 dollars—for around thirty pages of story (except for Batman, which was extra-sized but the same 10¢ price!) (Inflation figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator.)

In August 2014, DC published a whopping 76 different titles! 60 super-hero titles, 8 horror/mystery, 5 fantasy, 1 science fiction, 1 war, and 1 western. Many are $2.99 for 20 pages of comics; some are $3.99 for 22 pages of comics, a few are $4.99 for 35-38 pages of comics.

(Of course, today's DC comics have higher quality production—coloring, paper quality, etc.—and creators tend to be which may or may not be worth the extra cost to you.)

Tune in next week, when we finish our journey through time and travel to 1992! 

Digital Comics Picks of the Week for October 22, 2014

Here is my weekly Pinterest board of this week's recommended new digital comics:

Digital Comics Picks of the Week for October 22, 2014

Highlights include: She-Hulk #9, The Multiversity: The Just #1, Stumptown v. 3 #2, Zero #11, The Witching #1, Jenny Finn: Doom Messiah, and more!


Follow Dave's board October 22, 2014 - Digital Comics Picks of the Week on Pinterest.

And then there was the time that the Marvel super-heroes teamed up with Meatloaf to help the Special Olympics...

Ad from the back of Marvel Comics cover-dated November 1987.

Amazon Top 50 - October 17, 2014

Here are the Top 50 Comics & Graphic Novels on Amazon Friday evening. See About the Amazon Top 50 Lists for more information on how this list is compiled.


1 (-). The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances
2 (+11). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 1
3 (+7). The Walking Dead, Vol. 21: All Out War, Part 2
4 (+20). Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?: A Memoir
5 (+6). The Walking Dead, Vol. 22: A New Beginning *
6 (+8). The Walking Dead Book 10
7 (-4). Star Wars: Jedi Academy vol. 2: Return of the Padawan
8 (-3). Hyperbole and a Half (paperback)
9 (+13). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 2
10 (-1). Batman: Death of the Family Book and Joker Mask Set
11 (-7). Saga Volume 4 *
12 (-9). Batman Vol. 5: Zero Year - Dark City (The New 52)
13 (+5). Batman: The Killing Joke, Deluxe Edition
14 (+3). Darth Vader and Son
15 (N). Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Three #3 (Kindle)
16 (N). Civil War
17 (+3). Saga Volume 1
18 (+18). The Walking Dead, Vol. 20: All Out War, Part 1
19 (-13). How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You
20 (-8). Batman Vol. 4: Zero Year - Secret City (The New 52)
21 (-). Goodnight Darth Vader
22 (+15). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
23 (+24). The Hedge Knight: The Graphic Novel
24 (+8). Saga Volume 3
25 (-). Vader's Little Princess
26 (-11). Star Wars: Jedi Academy
27 (+1). Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
28 (+6). Batman Vol. 2: The City of Owls (The New 52)
29 (R). The Walking Dead, Vol. 19: March to War
30 (R). The Sworn Sword: The Graphic Novel
31 (-15). Naruto, Vol. 67
32 (R). Sex Criminals Volume 1
33 (N). Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal *
34 (-1). Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls (The New 52)
35 (R). Saga Volume 2
36 (R). Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe
37 (-10). Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
38 (-9). Batman: Year One
39 (R). The Walking Dead, Vol. 18: What Comes After
40 (-10). Marvel Encyclopedia
41 (-3). The Walking Dead, Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye
42 (N). East of West Volume 3: There Is No Us *
43 (N). Patricia Brigg's Mercy Thompson: Homecoming #1 (Kindle)
44 (-13). The Complete Calvin & Hobbes (paperback)
45 (R). Attack on Titan 1
46 (+3). V for Vendetta
47 (R). The Walking Dead, Vol. 17: Something to Fear
48 (-13). Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
49 (R). 5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth (Kindle)
50 (R). Batman Vol. 3: Death of the Family (The New 52)


Items with asterisks (*) are pre-order items.

N = New listing appearing on list for first time
R = Item returning to the list after having been off for 1 or more weeks

Commentary:

• Matthew Inman's latest Oatmeal book, The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances, comes in at #1 for the third week in a row. It is currently #189 on the overall Amazon books chart.
• The Walking Dead television show returned last weekend, and as one would expect The Walking Dead collections show strong gains on the comics chart this week: Three of the top five, five of the top ten, and ten of the top fifty.
• The collection of Marvel's Civil War debuts on the chart this week, no doubt due to the expectation that the third Captain America movie will follow its general plot.
• Also debuting this week are two Kindle single issues (Injustice Year 3 #3 & Mercy Thompson: Homecoming #1), the first Ms. Marvel collection, and the third East of West collection.

The Old 28 - DC Comics for August 1962

It's week three of our journey into DC's past. Previously I looked at DC's offerings for August 1982 and August 1972, and this week I'm heading over to the DC Database Wiki to look at August 1962:

• Action Comics #291 (super-hero)
• Adventure Comics #299 (super-hero)
• The Adventures of Jerry Lewis #71 (humor)
• All-American Men of War #92 (war)
• Aquaman #4 (super-hero)
• Batman #149 (super-hero)
• Blackhawk #175 (war)
• Challengers of the Unknown #27 (adventure)
• Detective Comics #306 (super-hero)
• Falling in Love #52 (romance)
• The Flash #130 (super-hero)
• Girls' Love Stories #88 (romance)
• House of Mystery #125 (horror/mystery)
• Justice League of America #13 (super-hero)
• My Greatest Adventure #70 (adventure)
• Mystery in Space #77 (sci-fi)
• Our Army at War #121 (war)
• Our Fighting Forces #70 (war)
• Rip Hunter, Time Master #9 (sci-fi)
• Sea Devils #6 (adventure)
• Secret Hearts #81 (romance)
• Strange Adventures #143 (sci-fi)
• Superman #155 (super-hero)
• Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane #35 (super-hero)
• Tales of the Unexpected #72 (horror/mystery)
• Tomahawk #81 (western)
• Wonder Woman #132 (super-hero)
• Worlds' Finest #127 (super-hero)

That's 11 super-hero titles, 4 war, 3 romance, 3 adventure, 3 sci-fi, 2 horror/mystery, and 1 western; for a total of 28 comics published by DC that month.

We should note here that at the time, many of DC's titles were on a bi-monthly, quarterly, or other schedule. So titles like The Adventures of Bob Hope, The Atom, The Brave and the Bold, The Fox and the Crow, G. I. Combat, Green Lantern, Heart Throbs, House of Secrets, Showcase, Star-Spangled War Stories, Sugar and Spike, Superboy, Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen, and others didn't have an August cover-date issue in 1962.

All titles were 12¢—95¢ in 2014 dollars—for 26 pages of story. (Inflation figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator.)

In August 2014, DC published a whopping 76 different titles! 60 super-hero titles, 8 horror/mystery, 5 fantasy, 1 science fiction, 1 war, and 1 western. Many are $2.99 for 20 pages of comics; some are $3.99 for 22 pages of comics, a few are $4.99 for 35-38 pages of comics.

(Of course, today's DC comics have higher quality production—coloring, paper quality, etc.—and creators tend to be which may or may not be worth the extra cost to you.)

Tune in next week, when we journey back even further in time to 1952! 

Digital Comics Picks of the Week for October 15, 2014

Here is my weekly Pinterest board of this week's recommended new digital comics:

Digital Comics Picks of the Week for October 15, 2014

Highlights include: Supreme: Blue Rose #4; Q2: The Return of Quantum and Woody #1; Ms. Marvel #9; Lumberjanes #7; Challengers of the Unknown #1; and more!


Follow Dave's board Digital Comics Picks of the Week for October 15, 2014 on Pinterest.

Amazon Top 50 - October 10, 2014

Here are the Top 50 Comics & Graphic Novels on Amazon Friday morning. See About the Amazon Top 50 Lists for more information on how this list is compiled.


1 (+1). The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances
2 (N). The Flash Vol. 1: Move Forward (The New 52) (Kindle)
3 (+21). Batman Vol. 5: Zero Year - Dark City (The New 52)
4 (+2). Saga Volume 4 *
5 (N). Zen Pencils: Cartoon Quotes from Inspirational Folks *
6 (+8). How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You
7 (-4). Star Wars: Jedi Academy vol. 2: Return of the Padawan
8 (-3). Hyperbole and a Half (paperback)
9 (-7). Batman: Death of the Family Book and Joker Mask Set
10 (-). The Walking Dead, Vol. 21: All Out War, Part 2
11 (-). The Walking Dead, vol. 22: A New Beginning *
12 (R). Batman Vol. 4: Zero Year - Secret City (The New 52)
13 (+2). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 1
14 (-2). The Walking Dead Book 10
15 (+17). Star Wars: Jedi Academy
16 (N). Naruto, Vol. 67
17 (+1). Darth Vader and Son
18 (-10). Batman: The Killing Joke, Deluxe Edition
19 (N). Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Three #2 (Kindle)
20 (-7). Saga Volume 1
21 (-4). Goodnight Darth Vader
22 (+15). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 2
23 (-19). The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances (Kindle)
24 (-5). Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?: A Memoir
25 (+8). Vader's Little Princess
26 (N). Star Wars: Tales Volume 1 (Kindle)
27 (+7). Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
28 (-19). Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
29 (-9). Batman: Year One
30 (+20). Marvel Encyclopedia
31 (-4). The Complete Calvin & Hobbes (paperback)
32 (-16). Saga Volume 3
33 (+5). Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls (The New 52)
34 (+10). Batman Vol. 2: The City of Owls (The New 52)
35 (+7). Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
36 (+13). The Walking Dead, Vol. 20: All Out War, Part 1
37 (-15). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
38 (R). The Walking Dead, Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye
39 (R). The Essential Calvin and Hobbes
40 (N). Star Wars: Tales Volume 2 (Kindle)
41 (-13). Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
42 (+1). Watchmen
43 (R). xkcd: volume 0
44 (-13). Seconds: A Graphic Novel
45 (N). Star Wars: Tales Volume 3 (Kindle)
46 (-21). Forever Evil (New 52)
47 (R). The Hedge Knight: The Graphic Novel
48 (-19). Injustice: Gods Among Us Year 2 Vol. 1
49 (-3). V for Vendetta
50 (N). Star Wars: Tales Volume 4 (Kindle)


Items with asterisks (*) are pre-order items.

N = New listing appearing on list for first time
R = Item returning to the list after having been off for 1 or more weeks

Commentary:

• Matthew Inman's latest Oatmeal book, The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances, comes in at #1 for the second week in a row. It is currently #67 on the overall Amazon books chart.
• The top debut this week is the Kindle edition of the first New 52 collection of the Flash, buoyed by the debut of the Flash television show and the $6 sale price.
• Also on sale this week are the Kindle editions of the Star Wars Tales collections; at a bargain $2 a piece four of them make the top 50 chart this week.
• The top print debut this week is Zen Pencils: Cartoon Quotes from Inspirational Folks, an anthology of short comics stories inspired by inspirational quotes. Also debuting this week is the latest volume of Naruto.
• The second issue of Injustice Year Three debuts much lower on the chart than usual for issues of Injustice. A sign of declining interest, a statistical blip, or is everything else just selling stronger this week?

The Old 29 - DC Comics for August 1972

It's week two of our journey into DC's past. Last week I looked at DC's offerings for August 1982, and this week I'm heading over to the DC Database Wiki to look at August 1972:

• Action Comics #415 (super-hero)
• Adventure Comics #422 (super-hero)
• Batman #243 (super-hero)
• Detective Comics #426 (super-hero)
• Falling in Love #135 (romance)
• Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion #6 (horror/mystery)
• Ghosts #6 (horror/mystery)
• Girls' Love Stories #172 (romance)
• House of Mystery #205 (horror/mystery)
• House of Secrets #99 (horror/mystery)
• Justice League of America #100 (super-hero)
• Korak, Son of Tarzan #47 (adventure)
• Larry Harmon's Laurel and Hardy #1 (humor)
• Mister Miracle #9 (super-hero)
• Our Army at War #248 (war)
• Our Fighting Forces #138 (war)
• The Phantom Stranger #20 (horror/mystery)
• Strange Adventures #237
• Superboy #189 (super-hero)
• Superman #255 (super-hero)
• Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane #125 (super-hero)
• Tarzan #211 (adventure)
• Teen Titans #40 (super-hero)
• Unexpected #138 (horror/mystery)
• Weird Mystery Tales #1 (horror/mystery)
• Weird War Tales #6 (war)
• Witching Hour #22 (horror/mystery)
• Wonder Woman #201 (super-hero)
• Young Romance #185 (romance)

(There were also two reprint comics: From Beyond the Unknown #18 & Wanted: The World's Most Dangerous Villains #1.)

That's 11 super-hero titles, 8 horror/mystery, 3 romance, 3 war, 2 adventure, 1 sci-fi, and 1 humor; for a total of 29 comics published by DC that month.

We should note here that at the time, many of DC's titles were on a bi-monthly or even quarterly schedule. So titles like Flash, The Brave and the Bold, New Gods, G.I. Combat, Inferior Five, The Forever People, Jimmy Olsen, Star-Spangled War Stories, World's Finest, Weird Western Tales, and others didn't have an August cover-date issue in 1972.

All titles were 20¢—$1.14 in 2014 dollars—for 22 pages of story. (Inflation figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator.)

In August 2014, DC published a whopping 76 different titles! 60 super-hero titles, 8 horror/mystery, 5 fantasy, 1 science fiction, 1 war, and 1 western. Many are $2.99 for 20 pages of comics; some are $3.99 for 22 pages of comics, a few are $4.99 for 35-38 pages of comics.

(Of course, today's DC comics have higher quality production—coloring, paper quality, etc.—which may or may not be worth the extra cost to you.)

Tune in next week, when we journey back even further in time to 1962!

Digital Comics Picks of the Week for October 8, 2014

Here is my weekly Pinterest board of this week's recommended new digital comics:

Digital Comics Picks of the Week for October 8, 2014

Highlights include: Batgirl #35, Hawkeye Vol. 3: L.A. Woman, Sabrina #1, Rocket Raccoon #4, Strong Female Protagonist, She-Hulk Vol. 1: Law and Disorder, and more.

Follow Dave's board Digital Comics Picks of the Week for October 8, 2014 on Pinterest.

Amazon Top 50 - October 3, 2014

Here are the Top 50 Comics & Graphic Novels on Amazon Friday morning. See About the Amazon Top 50 Lists for more information on how this list is compiled.


1 (+1). The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances
2 (-1). Batman: Death of the Family Book and Joker Mask Set
3 (+5). Star Wars: Jedi Academy vol. 2: Return of the Padawan
4 (N). The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances (Kindle)
5 (-). Hyperbole and a Half (paperback)
6 (-3). Saga Volume 4 *
7 (N). Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Three #1 (Kindle)
8 (+1). Batman: The Killing Joke, Deluxe Edition
9 (-3). Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
10 (-3). The Walking Dead, Vol. 21: All Out War, Part 2
11 (+1). The Walking Dead, vol. 22: A New Beginning *
12 (-2). The Walking Dead Book 10
13 (+3). Saga Volume 1
14 (+15). How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You
15 (+20). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 1
16 (+1). Saga Volume 3
17 (-4). Goodnight Darth Vader
18 (-4). Darth Vader and Son
19 (-4). Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?: A Memoir
20 (+10). Batman: Year One
21 (+7). Amazing Spider-Man: Spider-Verse *
22 (-2). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
23 (+23). Sex Criminals Volume 1
24 (R). Batman Vol. 5: Zero Year - Dark City (The New 52)
25 (-3). Forever Evil (New 52)
26 (+22). American Born Chinese
27 (-3). The Complete Calvin & Hobbes (paperback)
28 (-9). Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
29 (N). Injustice: Gods Among Us Year 2 Vol. 1
30 (+1). Saga Volume 2
31 (-4). Seconds: A Graphic Novel
32 (-6). Star Wars: Jedi Academy
33 (-1). Vader's Little Princess
34 (-13). Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
35 (N). Cimarronin: A Samurai in New Spain (Kindle)
36 (-2). Big Nate: I Smell a Pop Quiz! (Kindle)
37 (-4). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 2
38 (+12). Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls (The New 52)
39 (+4). Fables Vol. 20: Camelot
40 (-22). Hyperbole and a Half (Kindle)
41 (R). Rat Queens Volume 1: Sass & Sorcery
42 (R). Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
43 (-4). Watchmen
44 (-6). Batman Vol. 2: The City of Owls (The New 52)
45 (R). The Complete Maus: A Survivor's Tale
46 (-21). V for Vendetta
47 (N). Arrow: Season 2.5 #3 (Kindle)
48 (R). Batman Vol. 3: Death of the Family (The New 52)
49 (-9). The Walking Dead, Vol. 20: All Out War, Part 1
50 (-14). Marvel Encyclopedia


Items with asterisks (*) are pre-order items.

N = New listing appearing on list for first time
R = Item returning to the list after having been off for 1 or more weeks

Commentary:

• Matthew Inman's latest Oatmeal book, The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances, is released this week and jumps to the top of the Amazon comics chart, and is #26 on the overall Amazon books chart. The Kindle edition also appears, debuting in the #4 spot.
• Most debuts this week are Kindle editions, including the first issue of Injustice Year Three; an issue of Arrow Season 2.5; and Cimarronin: A Samurai in New Spain, a Kindle serial graphic novel that somehow involves best-selling author Neal Stephenson.
• The only non-Kindle debut this week is a print collection of the digital-first Injustice: Gods Among Us Year 2.
• Bryan Lee O'Malley's Seconds was only on the top of the chart for one week earlier in the year, but since then it has hung around on the chart, developing into a solid seller. 
• The pre-release of Amazing Spider-Man: Spider-Verse keeps yo-yo-ing up-and-down the chart during the course of the week, as some Amazon algorithm keeps knocking the price way down, and then someone notices and fixes the price back to a reasonable-ish level. This $75 hardcover has been offered for at least as low as $21 at one point.
• Rat Queens pops back onto the top 50 chart this week. It has shown up a couple of times before, but never for long or very high. Maybe work of mouth is keeping this one around and it is long-tailing itself to becoming a solid seller?

The Old 29 - DC Comics for August 1982

Just for kicks and giggles, I hopped on over to the DC Database wiki, where there's a handy list for all of the comics that DC published in August 1982:

• Action Comics #534 (super-hero)
• All-Star Squadron #12 (super-hero)
• Arak #12 (fantasy)
• Batman #350 (super-hero)
• The Brave and the Bold #189 (super-hero)
• Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew #6 (funny animal/super-hero)
• DC Comics Presents #48 (super-hero)
• Detective Comics #517 (super-hero)
• Flash #312 (super-hero)
• Fury of Firestorm #3 (super-hero)
• G.I. Combat #244 (war)
• Green Lantern #155 (super-hero)
• House of Mystery #307 (horror/mystery)
• Jonah Hex #63 (western)
• Justice League of America #205 (super-hero)
• Legion of Super-Heroes #290 (super-hero)
• The New Teen Titans #22 (super-hero)
• Night Force #1 (horror/mystery)
• Sgt. Rock #367 (war)
• Superboy #32 (super-hero)
• Superman Family #221 (super-hero)
• Superman #374 (super-hero)
• The Saga of the Swamp Thing #4 (horror/mystery)
• Tales of the New Teen Titans #3 (super-hero) (mini-series)
• The Unknown Soldier #266 (war)
• The Warlord #60 (fantasy)
• Weird War Tales #114 (war)
• Wonder Woman #294 (super-hero)
• World's Finest #282 (super-hero)

(They also published two reprint digests: Best of DC #27: Superman vs. Luthor; and DC Blue Ribbon Digest #24: The House of Mystery.)

That's 19 super-hero titles, 4 war, 3 horror/mystery, 2 fantasy, and 1 western; for a total of 29 comics published by DC that month.

Most titles were 60¢—$1.48 in 2014 dollars—for 25 pages of comics. (Exceptions were G.I. Combat, Superman Family, and World's Finest, each $1.00—$2.46 in 2014 dollars.) (Inflation figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator.)

In August 2014, DC published a whopping 76 different titles! 60 super-hero titles, 8 horror/mystery, 5 fantasy, 1 science fiction, 1 war, and 1 western. Many are $2.99 for 20 pages of comics; some are $3.99 for 22 pages of comics, a few are $4.99 for 35-38 pages of comics.

(Of course, today's DC comics have higher quality production—coloring, paper quality, etc.—which may or may not be worth the extra cost to you.)

Why August 1982? August because the latest figures I have are for August 2014. 1982 because that's about the time that I started buying comics in earnest. (I bought 10 those 29 comics.)

I may decide to do this again for 1952, 1962, 1972 & 1992—one a week for October.

Digital Comics Picks of the Week for October 1, 2014

Here is my weekly Pinterest board of this week's recommended new digital comics:

Digital Comics Picks of the Week for October 1, 2014

Highlights include: Gotham Academy #1, Moon Knight Vol. 1: From The Dead, Alex + Ada #9, Tiny Titans: Return to the Treehouse #5, In a Glass Grotesquely, The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances, and more.

Follow Dave's board Digital Comics Picks of the Week for October 1, 2014 on Pinterest.