Adapting history always carries with it an element of risk, and that risk is even greater when dealing with a beloved story such as 47 Ronin. The tale of loyal samurai who avenge their master's death has been adapted countless times in books, movies, plays, and even opera. So while there is quite a bit of source material to draw from, anyone who is interested in reading the story potentially knows it well. To make an adaptation such as this work there needs to be a great deal of care and respect for the story, and I'm happy to say that every page of 47 Ronin is filled with both.
Read MoreReview | 47 Ronin
This is a battle where I was definitely going to lose something (mmm…). My love of comic reading and Spider-Man vs. the raging hormones of a 15 year old me about to enter high school with all those girls. There was not enough time for both and the girls were winning. Reading comics was starting to feel a bit juvenile and my interest in them was beginning to wane. It didn’t help that my favourite title Spider-Man had been going through weak or flat spot (for me any way) in its run (issues #83-99) for a while with a couple of exceptions. Even the 2nd return of the Green Goblin, the drug issues (#96-98) hadn’t lifted me out of the doldrums as those books felt like drug story sermons to me back then. I was however holding out for a special issue #100, and that is where our Arcs and Runs tale begins today.
Read More#4 | Amazing Spider-Man 100-102 & Marvel Team-Up 3-4
It’s time for another update from BIFF SOCKO, TWO-FISTED NEWSHOUND. Biff Socko covers Comic Book News like zits on the A-V Club. Faster than Perry White! Stronger than J. Jonah Jameson! Hotter than Cat Grant. He is…BIFF SOCKO!
Read MoreAlright Kids, Break Out Your Rhyming Dictionaries!
One of the most interesting things about walking away from this great hobby of ours, which is what I did between 1992 and 2002, is finding out what you missed when you return. Both positive and negative.
Read MoreThe Best Part Of Saying Goodbye To Comics
With the release of Thor: The Dark World, Marvel introduced to us their new ident. Without getting too deep, an ident is basically an animated logo that, as the name suggests, help to identify a product, service or the company itself.
Read MoreThe New Marvel Ident
Did you catch Marvel Studios: Assembling a Universe on TV last week? In case you missed it, let me recap very quickly. It was essentially a State-of-the-Union address from Marvel Studios, explaining how the Marvel Cinematic Universe came to be, how we got to today, and where it is going into the future. All 3 waves of Marvel films were summarized, as well as the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show and the Marvel One-Shots (the special features on the Marvel Blu-Rays).
It was exceptional television. Except for one thing...
Read MoreSpoiling the secret of Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Pie. Oh ya, that is right, this interview starts with pie. I sat down with Marcus To at Wanda’s Pie in the Sky in Kensington Market. After picking out our favourite slices, we sat down and chewed on some pie and talked about Marcus’ career.
Read MoreHow I Got My Job (A Series): Marcus To
All that talk last week in Undervalued Spotlight about Amazing Spider-Man #37 and the importance of how it fits into the history of Spider-Man got me thinking and asking the question. Why isn't the Spectacular Spider-Man #2 magazine more in demand.
Read MoreSpectacular Spider-Man Magazine #2
There's been a lot of buzz on the "inter-webs" this week about comic book television. It has all come about because of the release of images of the costume for the new TV series "The Flash".
Read MoreJumping the Comic Television Shark
It’s St.Patrick's Day. The only day of the year when the world goes green, and actually means it. We all want to be Irish today and if we’re not, we can pretend we are and go to the pub to celebrate anyway. All this green gets me thinking, not about money, but about comics, and a question. Why are all of Spider-Mans villains costumes green?
Read MoreSt. Patrick’s Day Special: Spider-Man’s Green Villains
Recently, at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival Marvel announced some additional features that will be coming to its Unlimited service, most notably the use of sound effects and additional DVD-like commentary as you read. This expands on their Augmented Reality (AR) app that can be used to access additional features while reading a paper copy.
Read MoreMarvel Unlimited: Now with Sound!
Last weekend was the Toronto ComiCon. Now I realize this site is read by people from all over the world, and if you have been following the posts here the last few days, a lot has been said about it already. So I will leave it at that except to say I was there looking for raw comics in particular but I was looking for one CGC graded book as well.
Read MoreRaw, Raw, Raw!
For me, this forty percent figure exaggerates the actual percentage of women comic book readers. My own experiences from attending Comic Cons and comic book stores in Vancouver would put the figure more at about twenty percent of comic book readers being women. The comic book industry is still largely dominated by men.
Read MoreThe Gender Gap In Comics
I met with Ramon Perez at the Drake Hotel for a time honoured Toronto tradition, brunch. After ordering and watching Ramon be very charming toward our adorable curly haired waitress, we got down to business and started chatting about Ramon’s career.
Read MoreHow I Got My Job (A Series): Ramon Perez
The thought of Restored Grade , also known as the dreaded "Purple Label", has been known to make an avid comic collector or two, shudder, when they receive the assigned grade on a CGC submission. Nothing makes you want to raise your fist to the heavens , and scream NOOOO!!! like getting a great grade only to have the dreaded purple label.
Read MoreRestored Grade CGC
Thanks to Vince McMahon and the WWE, the face of television has changed forever. This month the WWE Network is going live, and it will revolutionize television as we know it. The WWE is offering all of their programming, plus…
1989 is one of those years that doesn't seem like it was that long ago. The late seventies or early eighties, sure, and anything pre Star Wars definitely. But 1989 can't be that long ago right? It isn't like someone who was born that year could now legally rent a car or anything. Time, as they say, does fly and before we know it a quarter of a century has passed since we were asked if we had ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight. But 1989 wasn't only the year that introduced us to Prince's Bat-Dance, for there were a lot of other comic book milestones that year. Here are a few of the key books and events that made headlines.
Read More1989 In Comics: Happy 25th Anniversary!
I guess my dislike for Signature Series books would go all the way back ,to when 10 year old me stupidly signed my name to the top right hand corner of Silver Surfer # 1,2,3, and yes, number 4, only to realize as I became more knowledgeable in the collecting world, that this was a great way to make my books very unattractive to sell or trade. As well as devalue them.
Read MoreLove ’em or Hate ’em? CGC Signature Series
Alec Longstreth's successfully-funded Kickstarter campaign has resulted in one of the most handsome graphic novels of the year, and the big pages let his detailed and engaging cartoons breath.
Read MoreReview | Basewood by Alec Longstreth
When it comes to action figures, there are popular figures and there are "highly sought after figures". And most times, the popular figures are not the ones that die-hard collector's want. We want the hard to find and obscure characters.
Read MoreJacking Up The Price