Tribal Musings

National numbers just confuse me

2012-02-14T12:42:00.000-08:00

As many of you know I have been doing this for several years. My time as General Manager of the Lair and then my years here were educational. Mainly they showed me how regional comic sales are. Many times over the years it is reported that Nationally comic books sales are down. Though last year with the new 52 sales were up on issues but down on Graphic Novels. Yet that has never been the case were I have worked. Sales year after year were up anywhere from 3 to 10 percent growth each year. I have often wondered where these downward trends manifest. I have been to several retailer gatherings over the years and they, for the most part, are almost always up. So then where are the shops that are suffering these down turns. The greater Austin Area has always been weird in general. So maybe that is what is going on. Perhaps the other retailers I talk to are also in strange bubbles like Austin. I just do not know.

On another note:

DC's survey they did with Neilson after the New 52 launched was released. It showed the age of comic book readers being mostly 20 to 40. Which is what I have been saying for years. These are the new readers people need to reach, not 10 year olds. I know that we all got into comics at that age. I know our parents did and perhaps their parents. But I think for years new readers have been coming from a much older age than "conventional wisdom" would tell us. Turns out the publishers knew who was buying there comics and retailers, fans, and others yelling for more kids comics did not. I am not saying the industry would not grow if more kids read. It would. However the target demographic that we should be going for is 16 plus. How about woman. That is a largely ignored demographic in our industry. Because "conventional wisdom" says woman don't like superhero books. Bull! I have a good number of female customers. They range in tastes just like my male customers. And just like my male customers mostly they buy stuff from DC or Marvel. Again maybe we are just in a weird bubble.

While I am shooting sacred cows of our industry let me take sight at another. You DO NOT have to keep adult material shrink wrapped or out of arms reach of little ones. Most of them are not going to want to look at something that does not have big bright colors. Why do you think Bone went color. And even if they do I have two things to say to that. First it is not going to hurt the child. It will not rot their brains or kill their senses of propriety. Second, and I can not stress this one enough, it is not my job to police what your children see. That is your job.

Hmm I think I have offended enough of my colleagues in the industry along with parents I am sure. Good thing not many people read this.

Eric

Best of the Year of the Rabbit.

2012-01-19T12:45:00.000-08:00

So it is that time of year again for us to tell you what the best of the preceding year was in our opinion. As you may know we do it a little differently here at Tribe. We honor my wife Chinese heritage and do our list by the Chinese New Year rather than the western new year. So here goes my Top Elven list. (Another strange thing we do and if you want to know why top 11 instead of 10, all I can tell you is that it has to do with how many time zones there were in the Soviet Union. Want to know more bug Roy.)

Eric's TOP 11

While these are in no particular order my number one choice is just that my #1

1. Titans Games GN

An original story from Wolfman and Perez with their Titans lineup from 20 plus years ago. I must admit I was worried when I read the preview but then I read the full book. They manage to capture the magic I loved so much from those stories. I really loved this book. If you are a fan at all of that era, this is one book you need to get. (The New Teen Titans Omnibus is the other, man the recolored pages are AMAZING.)

All the rest are in no particular order
2. Daredevil

Mark Waid's Daredevil run is so damn good. It is my favorite marvel book. It is nice to see Matt Murdock not having his life be total shit all the time. Plus Paulo Rivera draws Daredevil's rader and hypersenses in a way I have never seen done before and I think it is great when an artist can do this.

3. Batman (New 52)

While I am not a fan of the art the story by Scott Snyder is so damn good. I love this book for that reason. Also if you have not checked out his pre new 52 Detective run with Dick Grayson as Batman it is worth reading. It is called Black Mirror.

4. Nightwing (New 52)

How could I not be a fan of this book it is my favorite character. Alright I have hated a lot of what has been done by writers to this character in the last 10 years (Tomasi's run is the exception to that). This book, however, managed to capture everything I love about Dick Grayson.

5. Amazing Spider-Man

Dan Slott's run has been really really good. It has been fun without being overly tragic. It had a huge event (Spider Island) that not only did not feel the need to kill any major characters but had great character moments. If only other writers at marvel could use this templete for crossovers maybe the others would not suck.

6. Aquaman (New 52)

Damn this book is great. This book maybe John's best work ever. The art is beyond beautiful. And it is much a book about Mera as Aquaman. I can not recommend this book more. It is really really good. If you have not checked it out come by and read the first issue at the table. If it does not hook you nothing will.

7. GI JOE/ Cobra

Alright first one of three repeats from last year on this list. We keep telling people about these books and few believe us. I understand. As I have said I never thought I would recommend a GI Joe comic. These both are very good. GI Joe is the perfect popcorn action flick and Cobra the really captures crime books with a spy vs spy feel. Trust me try these out you will be glad you did.

8. Morning Glories

Still on the list. Still love this book. Still have no idea what is going on. Still think you should read!

9. Fables

This book is just great! that is why it is the third one from last years list on this years.

10. Star Wars Legacy War

The end to the best Star Wars comic. Takes place 125 years after return of the Jedi and it was magnificent start to finish. The end was a little rushed because they were only given 5 issue to do it in but still with that this is by far the one of the best comics out. The same creative team will be doing a book (starting in march) showing the origins of the Jedi order.

11. Huntress

I know that Roy does not really like this book. I will also admit that there maybe better books out there, but month after month I find myself looking forward to this all action book. It is just a fun afternoon read. Though I am positive that in issue six we will find out the whole issue takes place on earth 2 and it will be a lead in to the JSA.

Then my one cheat. DC Presents Life Story of the Flash. Another reprint of a GN that will not see light of day again. Which is too bad. This is not only a great Flash Story, it is in my all time favorite list for single stories. You will love it!

So that is my list. and Now Roy's

Roy's List:

1. Fantastic Four/FF - I have always liked Hickman's stuff, and his work on Marvel's first family is no exception. It is a very slow build, but the pay0ff is worth it.

2. Demon Knights- This is one of my favorite books from the new 52. It is a great combination of humor and fantasy.

3. Batwoman- The story is great and the art is fantastic.

4. Swamp Thing- I am so glad the poetry-readin'-french-cigarrete-smokin' wall that Vertigo put up around it's horror characters is gone! The Good Gumbo is back! A great horror book.

5. Animal Man- Another great horror title from DC. The art is especially creepy and fits the story perfectly.

6. T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents- I love this book. I was only able to read a few of the old ones as a kid, the new series captures the feel of those old issues perfectly. Would you still try to save the world if everytime you used your powers it was killing you? There is also a lot of espionage and hidden agendas.

7.Journey into Mystery- It is the best thing Marvel is putting out right now. It reminds me of the mythic issues of Sandman. Kid Loki rocks and Mephisto is charmingly devious.

8. Uncanny X-Force- The second best thing Marvel is putting out. Lots of black humor and over the top action!

9. Wonder Woman- When we heard that Azzarello was writing Wonder Woman we were afraid. This is the man whose Superman was colder than a Vulcan from Star Trek. His Batman joked around with hookers. Surprisingly his Wonder Woman is not a piece of shit like most of his other DCU works. In fact it is quite good. His take on the Greek Gods is both classic and fresh at the same time. Best Wonder Woman I have read since Rucka.

10. Aquaman- Great art and great story.

11. Neonomicon- This comic is not for the faint of heart. There is rape and violence in this Lovecraft inspired tale. What sets this apart from Avatar's usual line of juvenile gore-filled smut, is that this is really good story. The violence is not done to tittilate, but to disturb..which it does.

That is it. Happy New Year!

Giving Report 2011

2012-01-17T14:12:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again where we give you guys a report on how much Tribe CAG and Tribe Customers were able to raise for Charity this year. Things seemed a lot tighter all the way around. There was a lot less to give and a lot less people asking. Despite that we were able to support CASA with several fundraisers. The good folks at Hero's Alliance took many donated comics and were able to use them through out the year at several fundraisers. We helped out Team in Training with their Star Wars Themed fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Barton Hills Elementary had an auction for saving the school that we were able to give product to. Two more area schools had silent auctions that we were able to help out. Give to Game got several games from us plus I know a lot of you attended to help raise food for the food bank. CBLDF again benefited from the can by the register. All in all between product and funds TRIBE CAG and Customers were able to raise a little more than $12000 this year.

As some of you know we just started our keep the change program. And though it is starting small I think it will have a big impact on next years report.

These reports may sound a little like us tooting our own horn. I assure it is not. We do this every year so that you can see we are still committed to giving back as much as we can, as often as we can. Well us and a little help from all our friends.

Tribe

For as little as $.50 a visit

2012-01-03T13:06:00.000-08:00

So as many of you know we try to donate as much as we can. Our yearly report will be out in a few weeks when a catch up the books. For now let me explain a new idea that I had, and that we will be starting in a week or so.

This was inspired, in part, by our banks keep the change program. In case your bank does not have it the program is they round up all your charges and put the change into your savings account. Roy and like this idea but instead of keep the money for the store we thought why not save it up over a month and donate it.

As a result we are now offering customers the option of telling us "keep the change." We will then put that into a pool and at the end of the month donate to a worth wild charity. Mostly small local ones where a small amount of money can do the most good.

"Well," you ask, "who gets to choose what charity is worth wild?" Why we do of course. I will try to have a sign or poster up at the register so that every month you can see what your change is going to. While you might not think .27 cents is a lot at 200+ customers a week that is around $200 a month that will get donated to charity. This is in addition to everything else we do.

So please here in the new year, make it a habit of everytime you check out tell us to keep the change. We will do the rest. Plus we will be periodically matching the amout of change gathered for donation.

Just another way we try to walk to the walk.

Eric

52 Recommendations: Part 2

2011-07-27T16:36:00.000-07:00

As DC's New 52 is approaching, the Tribe is going to post what they're looking forward to the most in September and beyond.

Next up we have Eric, co-owner of Tribe!

As a retailer I am very much looking forward to all of the 52. Interest and excitement of new fans is hitting a all time high. That means a lot of new customers trying out DC Comics. That makes me happy.

As a fan I am a little more scared about this relaunch. There are a few titles however that I am happy to see.

Batgirl (Gail Simone/Adrian Syaf and Vincente Cifuentes, cover by Adam Hughes)

I know a lot of people are annoyed she is no longer Oracle. That it losses something from the integrity of the character. I think it is wonderful. I love Babs and I am very happy to see her back as Batgirl. Plus Simone has waited all her life to write Babs as Batgirl and she will make sure the character does not lose anything that made her unique. Of all the writers in the world for Batgirl there could not be a better choice. I have total faith that she will make this the best book of the new 52.

Aquaman (Geoff Johns/Ivan Reis and Joe Prado)

While I have no been happy with the current story arc of GL, I loved Brightest Day. Johns has wanted to do an Aquaman comic for a while and this will give some need exposure to a under used JLA member. With the exception of Morrison's 90's JLA run no one has really been able to write this Character as cool as he should be. Johns will do that is nothing else.

Nightwing (Kyle Higgins/Eddy Barrows and JP Mayer)

I know that a lot of people were happy with Dick as Batman. Certainly he did a better job than Bruce but the role did not work for me. Dick never wanted to be the Bat he always wanted to be his own man. I am so glad that he is getting his own book again. How much of the character will change with the DCU being so altered I do not know, but I have to root for this book. He has been my favorite character in comics since I was a kid,and he was Robin.

All Star Western (Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti/Moritat)

If you have not been reading the Jonah Hex book now is the time to try. It has been the perfect spaghetti western. The only bad part about the book was the rotating artists. Now with All Star Western they will have a good regular artist, and the same great writers. I have no doubt that this book will be great. If you like the Clint Eastwood early western movies you need to try this number #1!

52 Recommendations Part 1

2011-07-16T13:13:00.000-07:00

As DC's New 52 is approaching, the Tribe is going to post what they're looking forward to the most in September and beyond. If you don't want to miss anything, you can get all 52 titles for 25% off, or all a certain week's titles in the 52 for 15% off.

First up is me, Paul Harrison, the guy who currently maintains this website.

Birds of Prey (Duane Swierczynski/Jesus Saiz)

A noir novelist, and awesome (former) Marvel writer, Swierczynski's work is universally tense and action-oriented. Birds of Prey seems like a good fit - the team made up of normal, trained people, fighting real crime. Without Oracle in the new DC Universe, who knows what their backstory is, but it's sure to be a fun ride.

Legion Lost (Fabien Nicieza/Pete Woods)

I haven't read a Legion book in over a decade, but Nicieza's runs on Marvel's Thunderbolts, and DC's Red Robin has convinced me that I should buy everything he writes. It certainly doesn't hurt that it definitely looks like it's going to be a smart sci-fi superhero story, and takes its name from a Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (The Kings of Cosmic!) storyline that is now available in a trade paperback.

Mr. Terrific (Eric Wallace/Gianluca Gugliotta, cover by J.G. Jones)

Mr. Terrific is one of my favorite characters in the DCU, and this is his first solo series ever. Introduced in John Ostrander's old Spectre series, Mr. Terrific went on to be a member of the JSA, and later was the White King of DC's spy organization Checkmate. This new chapter in his life has him running his own corporation and think-tank, so I expect some pretty awesome super-science.

Justice League International (Dan Jurgens/Aaron Lopresti)

Partially spinning out of the amazing Justice League: Generation Lost, JLI represents a new take on one of the best Justice League comics of all time. JLI was razor-sharp wit, relevant stories, and just awesome stories. Dan Jurgens, creator and writer of Booster Gold, is someone that I definitely trust to continue these fine traditions. I know they're continuing the tradition of mysteries at least, since there used to be someone in the lower left in that cover. Hmmm?

Suicide Squad (Adam Glass/Marco Rudy, cover by Ryan Benjamin)

Despite these costumes (Which I hope don't make it past the cover), and despite Gail Simone's wonderful Secret Six ending, a new Squad title has been a long time coming. Politically relevant, hilarious, and incredibly brutal, the 80s Suicide Squad (First volume available now!) was one of the greatest comics ever made. Adam Glass's previous experience seems to mostly be with Deadpool titles, which I hope is a good fit.

Blue Beetle (Tony Bedard/Ig Guara/Ruy Jose, Cover by Taylor Kirkham/Sal Regla)

Jaime Reyes from El Paso, TX is one of the few superheroes Texans can call their own, and his previous adventures under Kieth Giffen and John Rogers (Collected starting in Blue Beetle: Shellshocked) were some of the best teenage superhero books you could ever want. Tony Bedard can be an inconsistent writer, but when he likes and knows characters, he's one of the best. I hope this is a breakout title for Blue Beetle, and Bedard since they really deserve one.

Animal Man (Jeff Lemire/Tarvel Foreman and Dan Green)

Animal Man is one of those characters that only a certain amount of people know is awesome, and that can be said for Jeff Lemire as well, who is a writing superhero. Jeff Lemire's creator-owned Sweet Tooth is one of the best things going, and if he bring half the drama and weirdness to Animal Man that Grant Morrison's definitional run did, without treading old ground, this could be the best title on my list here.

My disconnect with many comic readers

2011-06-06T12:57:00.000-07:00

Looking at a lot of different geek forums, I have been surprised that this seems to be one of the most popular sentiments about the DC relaunches: "I am so excited about this. I am reading marvel, but now I can read some DC without worrying about lots of old continuity."

This reaction makes me wonder if these people made sure to read all the Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, and Avengers from the 60's to the present before reading any new marvel.

Of course there are titles like Sandman or Y the Last Man. Stuff with a beginning, middle and end. But in superhero comics there is no end, and "beginnings" seem to happen every 10-15 years. Even as a kid I knew this. I never went up to the cashier and asked how could I read detective comics #487 without reading the four hundred and eighty six before it.

A lot of these characters have existed over 75 years. Sure, you can get the archives and check out the art form in it's infancy. But you need know nothing to dive into a mainstream supers tale!

Don't Be That Guy.

New DCU or old/new DCU or will digitial kill my comics take your pick

2011-06-03T12:34:00.000-07:00

So with DC's big annoucment this week we have been getting a lot of questions. What do we think? Will it hurt Tribe business? Will it be a total reboot?

Roy thought it would be a good idea if we had a blog post to answer some of these things. He thought I should be the one to write it, my guess is because he is now on his weekend. So here it goes:

The digital annoucnment does not concern me in the slightest. Most of our customers do not buy digital comics. Those that do are supplementing their buying that way not replacing. We have also seen those that buy digital come back and purchase the trades collecting their digital stories. I am sure you will be reading and hearing about how digital will kill floppy sales. This may eventually be true. However they said the same thing almost 12 years ago when both DC and Marvel moved to collected trades of their current runs. Many people predicted people would move away from monthly to get the collected editions. What really happened was some people switched over, some bought both, and others got into it just to get the trades. Only time will tell on digital and the future it holds for the industry.

As for the New DCU. DC sent an email to retailers explaining that was not a reboot. It seems they are gonig to be keeping some aspects, if not most, of the current timeline. As a reader I am very nervous. Most of my favorite comic characters are DC 2nd and 3rd tier. They are usually the ones to get the most "reimagining." As a retailer I am very excited by this. Right after Infinite Crisis DC did a one year later jump. Many people picked up those books to see what all the excitment was. It did not work out as well as it could of, mainly because several creative directions were not to fans liking. However if this is done right it could greatly increase DC and Tribes sales. How can I not love that. DC is also the company that goes out of their way to help retailers. Many of these #1, #2, and #3's will be returnable so that we can take a risk and not lose our shirts as it were.

So I guess the over all upshot is Digital no worries. Reboot (or whatever it is) reader in me nervous. Retailer in me is excited.

In other news Roy thinks this will change nothing and it is a bunch of hype.

There you go

Marvel vs DC (idiocy I have hear at my shop 1)

2011-03-14T14:25:00.000-07:00

" I like Marvel better because it is more realistic." "I like DC better because the heroes are more heroic." " I like Marvel better because the attitude is more modern."

Hardly a week goes by that I do not hear these kinds of comments. Most people know that I despise a lot of what Marvel has done recently(Scarlet Witch, Sentry, Mary Jane), but I can honestly say I love both universes. If I didn't love Marvel's world, there would be no reason for me to hate Joe Quesada. Also, I don't care if someone prefers one or the other. But it drives me crazy when people tell me these whacked out reasons why they prefer one company over another. "I like Coke better than Pepsi because Coke has water in it."

I think the main problem is a lot of comics fans know just enough to be dangerous. During most of the Silver Age, there was a substantial difference in the two publishers. Marvel was all about misunderstood youth and the dangers of The Man. DC was all about eat plenty of vegetables and go to bed early. But even this is just a generalization. But the college kids and hippies decided marvel was more "hip."

The problem is that I hear this from customers that I am certain are not reading 60's material. Ever since I have been reading, both publishers seem thematically the same. Both universes' heroes have flaws. Both contain grisly villains. Girlfriends stuck in refrigerators, sidekicks beaten to death, heroes on drugs, cops vs heroes, street level heroes, the power of a billion exploding sons, misunderstood youth, moral ambiguity....they are in both.

Also, I am sorry but Marvel is in no way less powerful than DC. Thor, Invisible Woman, Dr. Strange, Magneto, Phoenix, Doom, and others too numerous to mention could probably give Superman a run for his money, if not win the battle. Richards, Pym, or Stark are constantly whipping up very powerful gadgets. Remember, we are not comparing titles we are comparing the whole universes.

So when the Marvel snobs come in prattling on about realism, then I have to wonder the last time a teenager burst into flames or when a giant tried to eat the planet. Also, who the hell wants realism? Put those unrealistic comics down! Realism is the FF land and die of cancer. Realism is Banner is blown to bits. Yay realism!

A lot of creators have done a lot of work for both publishers, their style and themes can be found in both universes.

Like I said, I really don't care if people like one and not the other. They are depriving themselves of some good stories, though. What is good is all subjective. But just don't tell me any bullshit. Pepsi has water in it too!

-Roy

Giving Back Report

2011-03-03T16:59:00.001-08:00

So as many of you know we here at Tribe are big at giving back to the community both local and at large. It was one of our earliest business decisions. The goal was to give a portion of our over all profits to help causes we believed in. As many of you know we have not had much in the way of pay for Roy and I. However that has not stopped us from trying to raise awareness and money for the causes we love. So we have asked our customers for help from time to time. Many of you contributed to Team Tribe when my wife Joansandy was trying to raise money for the Heart Association last year. Many of you have put spare change in our Comic Book Legal Defense Fund jar we have at the registrar. Cans of food were brought in last year for the Give to Game. Comics and games were donated for our Christmas drive whose name I forgot both this past year and the year before. And Roy and I have followed suit and tried to give product here and there for silent Auctions, raffles, door prizes etc. Where that was not feasible we gave money. Anyways this long rambling is a thank you to all who have helped us help others. Because of Tribe's efforts both Customers and Owners in 2009 we were able to donate (in one form or another) almost $5000.00. In 2010 we were able to triple that number and give 15,000.00!

Thanks to all of our customers who have helped for the last 2 years. I am glad that so many wanted to help us help others. Here is hoping that 2011 is even better.

That about covers it.

Eric

Why Tribe?

2011-02-02T14:08:00.000-08:00

We have been asked why we are named Tribe. Well that is a many layered answer. At the most basic it is because that is what are group of friends call themselves. We also tried a few creative business ventures in our youth and Tribe Productions was the name we were going to use. So when Roy and I got the store it seemed very obvious to me what the name should be. Roy was less convinced and tried for a while to find other names that might work.

The more layered answer is one we have been working on for a while. Well... working on in a way that it can be explained. As many of you may have figured out by now Roy and I are die hard liberals. While there are a few liberal causes each of us separately do not support, by and large the RIGHT would hate us if we ever had any kind of power or pulpit. In that vein Tribe made perfect sense. It is a word that captures many of our core philosophy. At it's heart it is we are our brother's keeper. We are all of the same tribe and we have a moral obligation to help others and to bring them up. Both of us would love to live comfortable lives with no want or need. However neither of us want to bleed anyone else dry to do it. This is the main reason we have been so active at giving money and goods to local and national charities. It is also why we only charge retail price on everything even variant covers.

That about covers it.

Eric

Eric's List

2011-01-27T13:17:00.000-08:00

Eric's Top 11 for 2010 (Or the Year of the Tiger Roughly Feb10-Jan 11) also in no particular order:

1. Secret Six: Like Roy this book makes me laugh out loud. It is dark, funny and twisted in all the good ways.

2. Brightest Day: This book is a worthy successor to 52. I can't wait each month for the next issue.

3. Morning Glories: This booked grabbed me from the first few pages and still has not let go.

4. Gi Joe/Gi Joe Cobra: Unlike Roy I think both should be read together. You don't need to to understand the other book but you miss the whole picture. That said I never thought I would be recommending a GI Joe book.

5. X-Men Second Coming: I thought this was a great story. X-men the way it should be. Plus poor Kurt.

6. Avengers Children's Crusade: I loved Young Avengers and this everything and more. Plus a possbile redemption of Scarlet Witch! Take that Bendis!

7. Hulk: Jeff Parker's run on Hulk may have just started but he has already done the impossible, got me to like the Red Hulk.

8. Green Lantern Emerald Warriors: This book is so good. I love regular GL but the art is not always great. This book has great story, great characters, great art.

9. Infinite Vacation: Only #1 of this is out so far, so this might end up sucking. That said the first issue had such a great fresh idea I was shocked. Nick Spencer could be the next big writer in the industry is Morning Glories and this are evidence of his talent.

10. Fables: I love loved this book from issue 1 and it just gets better. The confrontation in issue 100 was great and sets the tone for what is coming.

11. Captain America: Brubaker makes me love Bucky Cap more than Steve. His run has been great. I was not a solo Cap Story fan before this book. Now I can not get enough.

So there you go, our top 11 for the Year of the Tiger. We were tempted to do a Kindling of the Year list but thought some of you might stone us for our choices. We hope to be adding new blogs in the coming weeks. We welcome your comments and we appreciate your business.

Our Top Eleven Comics of the Year of the Tiger 2010

2011-01-27T13:00:00.000-08:00

In honor of Eric's wife's heritage and how many time zones were in the former Soviet Union, we present our top eleven comics of 2010. Eric and I will be doing an individual list, it will be interesting to see how they match up.

Roy's top 11 for 2010 (in no particular order)

1. Secret Six (DC) This title always makes me laugh out loud. This crew is not evil enough to fit in with the villains, but they sure as hell are not heroes.

2. The Thanos Imperative (Marvel) Spinning out of the events of the War of Kings, this series delivers over the top cosmic action. A great roller coaster ride.

3. Green Lantern (DC) I am sure all of you have heard for years how good this series is. They ain't lying.

4. Brightest Day (DC) A great follow up for Blackest Night. The storytelling is similar to 52, with how it jumps around between characters.

5. Uncanny X-Force (Marvel) This book has excellent rhythm. Great dialogue and great action.

6. The Stuff of Legend ((Th3rd World Studios) It comes out infrequently, but this story of toys going into the Dark to save their boy is fantastic.

7. Chew (Image) This book is just plain damn funny. Just read it.

8. Morning Glories (Image) I was hooked from the first issue. Just what is going on at this sinister school?

9. Secret Avengers (Marvel) This is the only consistently good Avengers title. Brubaker always writes good cloak and dagger stuff.

10. G.I. Joe (IDW) The relaunch of G.I. Joe has been fantastic. If you like military action, you should be reading this.

11. G.I. Joe: Cobra (IDW) The darker, more psychological "sister-book" of G.I. Joe. Explore the inner workings of Cobra.