Grey56

@Vance Astro: For someone whom posts so much and is obviously very involved with this site if not the industry as a whole - I'd be curious to see upon what merits you use the term 'garbage' when applied to such a successful, provocative and universally accessible set of works. Assuming in fact you have read all of the works by Mr. Linsner - I would venture so far as to say that you've got an axe to grind on a philosophical level. If not, then there's little excuse to not appreciate the very fluid artwork displayed throughout.

I get it that you may not buy the 'moral of the story' bubblegum (which is rather originally done for the medium) and that's fine if you find it offensive. But, referring to the whole as refuse ? I'd have balked a runner all the way home had someone said that in front of me. Exactly what do you mean by, 'cool character design' - and how can the lot of the material then be successively garbage when she is in fact the touchstone for the remaining stories ? If you mean that she's wonderfully attractive to stare at - I don't know that one's sexual orientation would prevent them from seeing the validity of that thought. Just sayin' brother - how 'bout a qualifier.

@Kal'smahboi: I gotta admit, I saw that and smiled.

@jcj145: Agreed. And although I might say 'everyman' over 'common man' - I think I feel your sentiment. If there was any doubt that Bruce's will was stronger than any of his literary peers in tights - ask yourself; is it easier to to something you're good at naturally or when you have to work at it ? It's pretty arithmetic, folks.

@Kal'smahboi: Not sure if you're trying to incite me there brother or be clever or what-have you. However, I'll amend my allegory by saying that Mr. Lee could make a stack of feces seem Shakespearian in form. Hopefully that tickles the pickle for ya.

First of all, the cover is very provocative although I admit that Lee could probably make a stack of paper look compelling. Second - if you have a problem with Batman's marketability and his no longer being 'your' character because popular media loves him I suggest you move on. If you don't like the plethora of titles, don't buy them. Someone is, though. Vote your wallet, folks.

@inferiorego: Certainly can see where some things could leave a bad taste in one's mouth. I know that being around the industry and dusty old shops my whole life - you run into some characters. I can only imagine that being amplified by being an owner. And although I can't speak for your personal interactions with Mr. Balent - I can say that when I've dealt with him and more-over his wife Holly, they have been a delight to deal with. When I had questions about making sure the title was accessible for the wife at a local venue, Holly herself answered their business phone and carried on with me in a professional manner unto that I've ever been exposed to.

That being said, its an odd hobby. Always has been - and I for one hope that it continues its eclectic appeal to the more interested demographics. What gives me pause is when some of my professional peers begin to discuss the militaristic escalation we currently are undergoing with nations like and . Having Mr. Balent be a little kooky from time to time just seems, well...par for the course. Something else though, for guys like he and Linsner and Simm to carry on like they have has to say something about their acumen. I'm not accusing them of any Newtonian innovation - but at least they've survived the dog eat dog world of publication.....and distribution from the likes of Diamond. Not easy stuff.

Keep the dream alive though sir - were it a different time and place I would've loved to have had my own shop. Alas for that. And thanks for taking the time to respond sir ! PS - Sorry to take so long to post back, apparently I am limited to the posts I can make but nonetheless thanks for taking the time to respond !

@Watcherg6: Thanks Watcher, sorry it took me so long to reply ! But its good to see that someone else has a fine appreciation for such a great cosmic event !

@xerox_kitty: By the by, thanks for taking the time to respond and share your thoughts. Good to know I'm not out there on my own on this one !

You know I didn't either until my wife started getting into the hobby. We started back issue hunting for a lot of the other indie titles for her and I was scratching my head as to why there was nothing listed in the Overstreet about them. Well, come to find out (if you read the fine print) there is a direct citation about them in their mission statement. To my understanding though, Mr. Overstreet has never come out and said publicly as to why. As I indicated above though, when I've written and inquired - not a sound to be heard. And although I was picking up an Overstreet at the ripe age of 12 - I certainly wasn't doing so in order to access more adult titles. There wasn't even internet back then and I knew better places to oogle attractive ladies. Again, I'm not calling out his ethics - just the premise.

Hey thanks again, Aztek. Much appreciated. In response to Avenging though - I will say that I initially sent off an ungraded copy of Grimm Fairy Tales # 1 and had it come back in less than what we wanted. After that, I went and hunted down an already graded copy at the grade we wanted and spent 80 $ on it. That being said, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. The back market has been extremely volatile on all the books because there's yet to be a codified way to price them....so it's turned into a sellers market. I hunted for a while before picking up the 80 dollar copy though - and it was the best I could find after a few months of being patient on the market. I frequent comiclink and ebay among a few others whom deal in graded books and it was as good of a deal as you'll find.

Granted I got it - its only a 7 year old book. But go back and look at early issues of Cerebus or TMNT. When you get an indie publisher with limited print runs and low distribution you run into a scenario where you get lightning in a bottle upon occasion. It really boils down to whether you feel like you love the book enough or if you're just looking to invest. If its the latter I'd recommend checking the companies staying power. By the by, Zenescope's been looking strong in the market - even through 3 years of a down economy. Tough to argue with that.