Order Thought Process

I'm sitting down this week and weekend to make out my order from Discount Comic Book Service

I'm this far along so far:

Marvel Holiday Special TPB - Only $7.99, and I usually love holiday stories.

Marvel's Wha Huh? - Could be fun, especially the "What if Identity Crisis happened in the Marvel U.?" story.

Yet I've pretty much decided to pass on them both.

I look at the first one and there are too many by creators on characters that I've never cared much for. I find it hard to believe that a Thomas, Claremont or Byrne X-Men, Fantastic Four or Spider-Man from 20 or more years ago will hit home as well today

The main story that interested me in the volume was the Kitty Pride one. Yet I think she's a character that while I really like, I will never read a story that has what I like about her in it. Er if that makes sense?

Then on the second it is by a vast number of creators, with only a few exceptions who I doubt will get much space, telling stories that "skewer" the comic industry.

Yet I think many of the creators doing the work on it are "part of the joke" that the big two don't seem to get. So I doubt their jokes will be very funny, as I don't think they realize their own failings.

Or to sum it up, I firmly believe in the idea that you can't really be funny if you can't laugh at the stupid stuff you do first. Which I don't think the majority of the creators on this do.

Ultimate Fantastic Four Vol. 2 TPB - Ellis and Immonen for $8.44 seems like a great deal. Yet I just don't care for the FF, as the characters have always bored me. I love Immonen's art though, and reviews have made the story sound interesting. Yet there is a lot out there I want to try, and I'm not sure if I want one of my experiments" to be a Marvel book.

I'm beginning to wonder if the New Frontier series, first trade on sale for $9.99, might be one of those that "everyone should be aware of/read" given the near unanimous praise I've seen about it. Yet I don't know, it feels petty but I have a hard time supporting anything with the Hal Jordan character as a lead.

The nastiness some of his fans have perpetrated for 10 years, has just taken him from a character that held no interest, to one I just despise because of the zealot behavior he seems to inspire. Which is odd I'm sure, and I probably shouldn't let that effect me, but it still does. Kind of in a "I don't want to be associated with people like that" way.

SAMURAI HEAVEN & EARTH #1 - I've gotten to see some pages from the first issue of this series and was blown away by the art's beauty. It is the story of a samurai who must quest after his kidnapped love across the world. Which could make for a very lush story, that works on many levels.

LEGION OF SUPER HEROES #1 - I used to be a HUGE fan of this series, but events of the past 4 years or so pushed away from the book. I'm willing to give the new team and direction a try, to see if I can be brought back into the fold.

SHE HULK #10 - I just became hooked this month when I picked up issues #5-7. Its blend of action and humor had me hooked quickly, and makes it the only regular series I will preorder.

LOVE FIGHTS TP VOL. 2 - I love Andi Watson's work, and though he's working in a genre (super heroes) here that I find myself tiring of, it is still worth reading.

AS IF TP VOL 1 - Descriptions say it is strips of life in 1980s high school , which sounds interesting.

LUNCH HOUR COMIX #1 - I enjoyed Robert Ullman's From The Curve: Grand Gestures one shot, and look forward to this collection of strips.

EGG STORY
TEMPORARY CUBES AND LADDERS #1 - Johanna Draper Carlson's reviews of these two books, make me want to give them a shot anyway.


HOPELESS SAVAGES VOL 3 TP DIGEST EDITION - I loved the first miniseries of this about a family of punk rockers, yet found the art to volume 2 unreadable. Hopefully volume 3 with yet another artist will make it much more appealing.

SCANDALOUS GN I love stories about reporters, and this one about gossip reporters in the 1950s could be something really special.

BLADE OF KUMORI #2 - This series about a young woman who is the last in a long line of samurai, set in modern times. Gives me an almost Buffy:TVS series vibe from the art I've seen.

IDIOTS GUIDE TO CREATING A GRAPHIC NOVEL TP - I've never had any serious plans to make a comic of my own. Yet I've always found the process behind putting a comic together fascinating, and hope this volume will give me a great insight into the process that might even help my overall understanding of the field.

So thoughts? Anything I'm missing that I just have to get?