The Top 300 Selling Comics For August 2003

This list comes from digging through sales figures, asking too many questions and using Diamond Comics information. The snotty comments in white are coming soon.

1 MARVEL 1602 #1 (Of 8) $3.50 MAR 150,569

And Neil Gaiman comes to Marvel. No, I haven't read it yet, since I'm a trade paperback guy, but even at its HEIGHT, Sandman didn't sell this well. It's nice to see that Neil is considered a big name creator and gets the sales for it now.

2 BATMAN #618 $2.25 DC 147,126

The next to last part of the "Hush" storyline, and as I have said before, good story, art I find annoying.

3 SUPERMAN BATMAN #1* $2.95 DC 134,135

This is kind of a big shock, since the creative team on this book was working on the Superman comic, and getting about 1/3rd the sales. The book is VERY good, giving a quick introduction to storylines, moving things forward AND telling a good superhero story. I think if you've been hungry for a good Superman book, you have one right here.

4 ULTIMATE X-MEN #36 $2.25 MAR 110,492

Under Bendis, this is a VASTLY improved comic, with a clear story told in an exciting manner. Without all the crosshatching on the art, you can easily tell what si going on, and without the pointless bashing of the past, it's both a quick and a deep read. Highly recommended for super-hero fans.

5 ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #44 $2.25 MAR 102,429
6 ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #45 $2.25 MAR 100,619

And the run on Ultimate Spider-Man continues, showing that Bendis has done an amazing amount of qork with no lessening in quality. Highly recommended.

7 NEW X-MEN #144 $2.25 MAR 99,737

Grant Morrison has 10 issues left on his X-Men run, and he's pulling out all the stops, and doing something the comic never seemed to be able to do...give the reader a payoff for all the dropped hints in the comic. This will go down as the NEW "Classic" X-Men run, eclipsing the Claremont/Byrne stuff and is Amazingly recommended.

8 UNCANNY X-MEN #429 $2.25 MAR 93,866

Meanwhile, Uncanny reads like a semi-decent X-Men book from the early 90's, with lots of unnecessary filler getting in the way of the plot. This one seems to exist only to further complicate the background of Nightcrawler, who was one of the more "fun" characters on the comic, before he got bogged down with endless angst, a painfully convoluted backstory and his personality replaced with a pious whiner.

9 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #57 $2.25 MAR 93,469
10 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #56 $2.25 MAR 92,277

Finally showing up on time after almost 3 years of running late. The run-up to #500 (it will get renumbered soon, back to the original numbering)has been a lot of fun, showing that there is still life in the old "Great Big Story", without having to make the playground the characters are in look like a battlefield. Highly recommended for Spidey-fans.

11 SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #3 $2.25 MAR 78,080

I SO want to like this book. Paul Jenkins can write great Peter Parker scenes, but his super-hero stuff always leaves me a bit cold, and this Venom story feels the same way. I haven't ever cared for Venom as a super-villain, and this story hasn't changed my mind.

12 SUPREME POWER #1 (MR) $2.99 MAR 69,914
13 WOLVERINE #4 $2.25 MAR 68,472

Amazing. A Wolverine comic that is one of the best comics coming out. Greg Rucka is basically telling an adventure story that happens to have Wolverine in it, and Darick Robertson is turning out the best art the character has EVER seen. Even if you hate Wolverine, this story will win you over, showing that all the character has needed is a good creative team to be more than a waste of paper that sells because of its past glories. Highly recommended.

14 DAREDEVIL #50 $2.99 MAR 65,398

And another great comic by Bendis. That bastard has to have a bad story in him somewhere, but I sure haven't read it. This issue wraps up all of his loose plot threads, using Kingpin and other supporting characters better than they have been used since Frank Miller in the early 80's, and tells a great story at the same time. Highly recommended.

15 X-TREME X-MEN #30 $2.99 MAR 64,765
16 X-TREME X-MEN #29 $2.99 MAR 64,500

I have officially given up on trying to keep track of just what the hell Chris Claremont is doing. But it's nice that Marvel lets him have his favorite characters to do what he wants with, since they DID build a multi-million dollar empire on his writing.

17 TRANSFORMERS GENERATION ONE VOL 2 #5 (Of 6) $2.95 DRE 61,587

Slowly fading...urge to kill people for buying this...fading...

18 TEEN TITANS #2 $2.50 DC 61,528

A sell-out for DC, but with a number this small, I'm a bit shocked it was so hyped. We aren't even out of the top 20, and it's selling less than half of the #1 book, and 40,000 less than the book ten slots above it. That's a STEEP drop-off. Now, the comic itself is OK, with most of the member of Young Justice teamed up with some of the Wolfman Titans, but thankfully, it's not just a rehash of the old stuff. It's a solidly entertaining super-team book, and merits a look if you like that sort of thing. Highly recommended for super-hero fans, not so much for others.

19 INCREDIBLE HULK #59 $2.25 MAR 59,336

Still on a roll, and this story is actually better than the beginning made it seem that it would be. Deodato is coming on as artist, so it could either be a very well-drawn book if he does it, or flashy and empty if his studio does it. Mildly recommended.

20 JLA #84 $2.25 DC 59,130
21 JLA #85 $2.25 DC 58,380

Another comic I have given up on. Sorry.

22 AVENGERS #69 $2.25 MAR 57,850

The next to last part of "Red Mist" in which we found out the Red Skull was behind things, we got a VERY well done fight scene that didn't read like a comic book fight, but more of a Big Deal action movie fight, and a story that elevated the risk level for the heroes, making it seem like they really WERE in peril. Recommended for super-hero fans.

23 FANTASTIC FOUR #502 (#73) $2.25 MAR 54,084
24 FANTASTIC FOUR #503 (#74) $2.25 MAR 53,789

Now, THIS is retro. Keep your damn Transformers, He-Mans and the other mid 80's crap, Mark Waid shows how to do a Marvel Comic, and it reads like one of Lee and Kirby's classics. Not only is this sort of thing hard to pull off without sounding like a Nth generation retread of old comics, but it's also hard to make it so you're doing something new, and Waid is doing something new, while remembering the past. Highly Recommended.

25 SPIDER-MAN & WOLVERINE #3 (Of 4) $2.99 MAR 52,951

I looked through it at the shop and could actually read the ditor's mind. "If we have both Spider-Man AND Wolverine on the cover, we don't even have to give a damn about what's inside." And...it shows.

26 EMMA FROST #2 $2.50 MAR 46,507
27 OUTSIDERS #3 $2.50 DC 45,079

DC's other Big Surprise sell out comic, and it is selling out 16,000 less than Teen Titans. It's a solidly entertaining super-team book, but I don't really see anything special here. A little trifle about the Joker kidnapping President Lex Luthor that is fun for comic fans and confusing for everyone else.

28 GI JOE #21* $2.95 IMA 43,446
29 JSA #51 $2.50 DC 43,387

Wrapping up the loose ends for #50, and done in such a way that the actual impact of what happened in the previous issues feels like it matters. JSA is a super-team book that has the "Big Screen" feel of the old issues of "The Authority" without the ever-escalating badguys that make it so you have to fight God by the 20th issue. Highly Recommended to super-hero fans.

30 CAPTAIN AMERICA #16 $2.99 MAR 43,123

Is the "Ice" story over yet? Jae Lee's art has never been my favorite, and this "What If" story strikes of creative bankruptcy.

31 SUPERMAN BIRTHRIGHT #2 (Of 12) $2.95 DC 42,461
32 GREEN ARROW #29 $2.50 DC 41,534
33 EXILES #30 $2.99 MAR 41,269
34 EXILES #31 $2.99 MAR 40,666
35 EXILES #32 $2.99 MAR 40,548

Judd Winnick is nothing if not consistant. 4 of his books less than 1000 apart? That's actually kind of creepy. I have lost interest in his Green Arrow, but Exiles still is a fun ride, even though it is utterly baffling to people who aren't steeped in comic book lore. Now that he has signed another exclusive deal with DC, I wonder if they will bring someone else on a writer, or if they will just put the series on hold until he comes back.

36 SPAWN #127 $2.50 IMA 39,371

Now only 20 issue behind! Seriously, does anyone read this? I've asked every month since issue #75 and no one will admit to it. I seriously think that Spawn is a comic people buy because they used to buy it, and they just haven't dropped it from their pull-list yet.

37 MYSTIQUE #5 $2.99 MAR 38,827
38 GI JOE #20 $2.95 IMA 38,606
39 SOJOURN #25 $1.00 CRO 38,179

CrossGen trying to get some new readers by cutting the price of this issue to $1. I don't think it helped a lot, since

a) CrossGen readers are not typical comic fans
b) Cheap "start up" issues don't seem to be helping sales on series beyond the issue they cut the price of
c) It only doubled the sales, which, if you cut the price to 1/3rd, it should have gotten more impact.

40 DETECTIVE COMICS #785 $2.75 DC 37,988

Limping along, and while this was my favorite Batman book for a long time, the series is currently reading like a bad crime TV show. If you are going to do crime noir, you have to be able to keep it interesting, as comics are a visual medium.

41 FORMERLY KNOWN AS JUSTICE LEAGUE #2 (Of 6) $2.50 DC 37,870

I am SO GLAD this comic is doing well. Usually when creators come back to a book, it's a disappointment, but this has been a blast. It's a super-hero sit-com that puts the characters in ridiculous situations, tosses out one-liners and yet still is true to the characters and makes the humor come from the reader knowing and caring about them. Add to that Kevin Maguire's art being among the best in comics and you have a GREAT comic that I am glad is around.

42 PUNISHER #30 $2.99 MAR 37,370

I've been discussing covers with people on-line, and while Punisher is still a good comic (this issue, focusing on Lt. Soap, another of Garth Ennis's over-the-top characters), but it has lost the dark humor that made Punisher more than just an action book.

43 THOR VIKINGS #2 (Of 5) (MR) $3.50 MAR 36,414
44 BATMAN DEATH & MAIDENS #1 $2.95 DC 36,384

Both of these are mini-series I am excited about, and both of them will be collected into books when they are done, so I don't buy the monthly comics.

45 PLANETARY #16 (RES) $2.95 DC 35,722

Over 18 months late. Was it worth the wait?

No. Nothing could be. But it did convince me that I have to buy this comic in the collected format as well so I don't get so irritated when it is late, or goes on hiatus or whatever the excuse is for the book not to come out for 2 years. NEWS FLASH: If a comic comes out on a bi-annual basis, I will NOT be rushing out to get it. I will wait and get the whole story in a big chunk so I can actually remember what is going on when I go from page to page.

46 FLASH #201 $2.25 DC 35,207

After the Big Event, Flash deals with the new status quo, and so far, it's an interesting story. In fact, this is a great issue for new readers to pick up and try, since it has wiped the slate clean in a lot of ways. Mildly recommended.

47 JSA ALL STARS #4 (Of 8) $2.50 DC 34,501
48 GREEN LANTERN #168 $2.25 DC 34,016
49 SUPERMAN #196 $2.25 DC 33,648

So, Superman/Batman outsells the mainline Superman comics by 100,000 copies. I think that is as good a message as any to DC that they NEED to revamp the Superman books. People want to read about Big Blue, and they are not picking up the regular comics. The same thing has happened with Batman in the past, where fans WANT a Batman book, but not the ones that they are being given. Time to listen to the fans.

50 TROUBLE #2 (Of 5) $2.99 MAR 33,177

A respectable showing for this mini-series. No, I'm not buying it, but then, it's not aimed at me.

51 SUPERMAN RED SON #3 (Of 3) $5.95 DC 32,324

The writer and DC have been feuding over this book, but I honestly think it's the writer trying to get some publicity for a mini-series that would have done moderately well without him taking to the internet to bitch about the publisher. The first two issues are now going for premium prices, and each issue has seen its orders go up. I would imagine it will be collected in a trade paperback in a few months and I can read it then.

52 THOR #67 $2.99 MAR 32,279
53 THUNDERCATS DOGS O/WAR #2 (Of 5) $2.95 DC 32,000

And the nostalgia drop continues.

54 TRANSFORMERS ARMADA #14 $2.95 DRE 32,000
55 KINGPIN #3 $2.50 MAR 31,191
56 AUTHORITY VOL 2 #4 (MR) $2.95 DC 30,926

This book is in free-fall as people picked up the first issue and wondered what the hell they were reading. The first Authority series was great in that it showed what a super-team would be like dealing with Huge adversaries. However, as the disaster movies of the 90's showed, you can only put the entire world in peril so many times before people get jaded, and you have to have some VERY talented as the writer to pull it off. This book doesn't have that in this incarnation.

57 ACTION COMICS #806 $2.25 DC 30,852
58 IRON MAN #71 $2.99 MAR 30,823

The issues between Mike Grell's run and the run starting with issue #73 seem like filler, and in a time when a comic is $3, there shouldn't be any filler. Avoid fill-ins and wait until they get their act together on this comic.

59 WONDER WOMAN #195 $2.25 DC 29,558
60 THUNDERCATS DOGS O/WAR #3 (Of 5) $2.95 DC 29,528
61 BATMAN GOTHAM KNIGHTS #44 $2.75 DC 29,440

The conclusion of the "Alfred is sick" story, I think. Gotham Knights is the lost child of the Batman books, and seems to be the "Marvel" Batman comic, with soap opera subplots, bringing up old plot threads and the like. It's not horrible, just feels out of place. Mildly recommended for standard super-hero comics fans.

62 NIGHTWING #84 $2.25 DC 29,410

This book REALLY frustrates me, as there are good stories, but they are often obscured in clumsy art, painfully padded issues and "big changes" that come out of nowhere and seem to lead to nothing. This comic needs a STRONG editorial hand to bring it all under control and make each issue count.

63 BATGIRL YEAR ONE #9 (Of 9) $2.95 DC 28,793
64 X-STATIX #12 $2.99 MAR 28,660

It feels like ages since an issue of this series has come out, and it's a shame, since it is the second best of the Mutant books. An exploration of our current obsession with clebrity in the guise of smartly written, classically drawn comic book, this is a series that is more than it seems at first glance, and the smartest comic coming out from Marvel. I'm not the only one saying it is Highly Recommended, so in the New York Times.

65 HAWKMAN #18 $2.50 DC 28,557

A solidly entertaining DC super-hero book. I used to like it a LOT more, but it seems to have gone from a GREAT comic to one that is just run-of-the mill, which is too bad, since the first 12 issues showed that Hawkman CAN be done in a way that gets a reader excited. Mildly recommended for super-hero fans.

66 ADVS O/SUPERMAN #619 $2.25 DC 28,145
67 BATGIRL #43 $2.50 DC 27,998
68 DARK DAYS #2 30 DAYS O/NIGHT SEQUEL (Of 6) (MR) $3.99 IDW 27,880

A HUGE hit, which is good, but the price is just psycho. The collected trade sold amazingly, and it seems that fans CAN find comics that aren't super-heroes, don't have Jim Lee style art and are from smallish companies. And, unlike the Big Disaster companies like Malibu, CrossGen and the like, they are building slowly. I just dislike their price structure. And I'll be getting this as a trade.

69 BIRDS O/PREY #58 $2.50 DC 27,851
70 ALIAS #25 (MR) $2.99 MAR 27,674

Coming in for the last few issues, and it's showing the Bendis HAD to set this book in the Marvel Universe, and all of the things he has done in the comic has led up to this point. One of the best written comics from a mainstream publisher, and adult in every good sense of the word, this comic is Highly Recommended for mature readers.

71 X-MEN PHOENIX #3 (Of 3) $2.99 MAR 27,616
72 AQUAMAN #9 $2.50 DC 27,454
73 DOCTOR FATE #1 (Of 5) $2.50 DC 27,395

This is actually a pretty good ranking for a character who hasn't been able to hold a series of his own for YEARS. A nice little JSA spin-off, and I hope they do a few more.

74 ARKHAM ASYLUM LIVING HELL #4 (Of 6) $2.50 DC 26,821
75 CAPTAIN MARVEL #13 $2.99 MAR 26,291

PAD's Marvel book, and even with the re-boot, it's getting bogged down. The lead character has been "Crazy" since the last few issues of the previous series, and it shows no sign of ending here. It's one thing to do a long form story, but quite another to just fiddle with things so long that readers have no idea what the theme of the series is anymore. This has hit that point.

76 SUPREME POWER SP ED #1 (MR) $4.99 MAR 26,247
77 Y THE LAST MAN #14 (MR) $2.95 DC 26,218

Buying it and loving it as trade paperbacks.

78 HULK NIGHTMERICA #3 (Of 6) $2.99 MAR 26,218
79 POWERS #33 (MR) $2.95 IMA 26,174

An ambitious story is being told in the most current arc, showing where the lead character came from, and showing that his personal history actually stretches back to time before recorded history. Bendis could have kept telling the same kind of story (who killed this super-hero), but is taking some chances here. If you pick up the book and are a little confused, just slow down, read it again and wait for it all to be revealed. Highly recommended, even if you hate super-heroes.

80 SUPERMAN & BATMAN GENERATIONS III #8 (Of 12) $2.95 DC 25,938

John Byrne will always have a job in comics, it seems, but leafing through this comic, it's easy to see that he is no longer being edited well. His art doesn't reproduce well with HUGE thick lines, a distinct last of background and way too many "stock poses" in his panels. This series is also one that only appeals to long-time fanboys who understand the concept of Batman and Superman aging as if they started in 1937, with lots of time travel, family members and the like. For hard core fans only.

81 AUTHORITY VOL 2 #0 (MR) $2.95 DC 25,497

See the review of this comic further up the chart. And I hate #0 issues. A LOT.

82 PARADISE X SPECIAL A $2.99 MAR 25,482

The next to last issue of this series of mini-series. The stories are entertaining, but if you haven't been a Marvel fan for YEARS, you are going to be horridly lost. Besides, with this being the end of the run, you wouldn't understand anything going on anyway. For the people who bought every other issue anyway.

83 FABLES #16 (MR) $2.50 DC 25,365

Vertigo's second biggest hit, and deservedly so. Always a solid read, but now getting to the point where if you haven't read it yet, you should just get the trades.

84 BATMAN LEGENDS O/T DARK KNIGHT #170 $2.50 DC 25,335

I still read this comic, but it's not very special any more, and doesn't seem to go out of its way to tell Batman stories that you can't get in the regular Batman comics. My opinion is that they either start scaring up Big Time creators to do Big stories or just fold this comic into the other Batman books.

85 NAMOR #5 $2.25 MAR 25,026
86 JLA SCARY MONSTERS #6 (Of 6) $2.50 DC 25,011

I would have to say that the sales on this Chris Claremont written mini-series don't' bode well for him and John Byrne doing a run on the regular JLA comic.

87 ELEKTRA #26 $2.99 MAR 24,188

After passing from one creative team to the next, the book has suffered in quality. This story, of Elektra dealing with a African dictator and showing the moral ambiguity of situations like that, is good enough, but not the GREAT comic it used to be. Mildly recommended.

88 GI JOE FRONTLINE #11 $2.95 IMA 24,026
89 GI JOE FRONTLINE #12 $2.95 IMA 23,864
90 GI JOE FRONTLINE #13 $2.95 IMA 23,614

Yep, Image started putting this out weekly, knowing that the sales were falling as people lost interest. Amazingly, this is written by Larry Hama, who wrote most of the old Marvel GI Joe series, so if you are going to do nostalgia, I guess that is how to do it. Then again, I hated the old Marvel GI Joe series.

91 GHOST I/T SHELL 2 MAN/MACHINE INTERFACE #6 (Of 11) $3.50 DAR 23,599

Another manga series, but one that is so popular in the US that Dark Horse is printing it pretty much at the same time it is being released in Japan. The first one was amazing, and the movie only did a surface version of the comic. I'm waiting for the collected trade, as manga reads way too fast to have to wait two months between issues.

92 INHUMANS #4 $2.50 MAR 23,599
93 SMAX #1 (Of 5) $2.95 DC 23,452

A new Alan Moore and Gene Ha mini-series. Moore is, as always, telling a great story, and Ha's art is some of the best in comics. If he ever quits working on the ABC line and gets another X-Men or High profile super-hero book, he'll beomce a VERY hot artist. As is, this comic is highly recommended.

94 AGENT X #13 $2.99 MAR 23,408

This used to be Deadpool, and now it has Gail Simone writing it again to clean up the whole "Agent X" thing and get it ready for yet another revamp and new #1. Thankfully, Simone remembers that the reason Deadpool worked was the humor. Not one I recommend, but it is a decent enough comic for the people who pick it up.

95 SOJOURN #26 $2.95 CRO 23,040
96 SPIDER-GIRL #63 $2.99 MAR 22,584

One of the few Marvel comics that feels like a GOOD comics from the 70's and 80's, with that Marvel mix of soap opera and super-heroics. I wouldn't hold this up as a stellar example of a great comic book, but month in and month out it IS fun to read. Mildly recommended for super-hero fans.

97 MAGDALENA VOL 2 #2 (Of 3) $2.99 IMA 22,496
98 LEGION #23 $2.50 DC 22,466

I used to LOVE this comic, but now it just seems sort of there. The "Universo" story was good enough, but there doesn't seem to be a big "Sense of Wonder" in the comic. Maybe it's just me, but I have lost a lot of interest in the Legion with this new series.

99 HUMAN TORCH #5 $2.50 MAR 21,789

I like this book, despite the art. Karl Kessel is telling a solid little mystery that also shows the character of The Human Torch, who for YEARS has just been a guy who flies around and throws fireballs. Highly recommended if you can get past the bad manga style art that is prolly aimed at people who like graffiti.

100 WITCHBLADE #67 $2.99 IMA 21,716
101 ROBIN #117 $2.25 DC 21,554

This comic is now just marking time until the new creative team. The writer who took over with #100 showed that he had NO idea how to write this comic and actually took a fun little comic and made it really bad. In fact, the "mutant Amish monster" was possibly the worst mainstream comic I have read since the mid 70's.

102 MASTERS O/T UNIVERSE VOL 2 #6 (Of 6) $2.95 IMA 21,495

Think the whole 80's Retro boom is over?

103 TMNT ANIMATED #3 $2.95 DRE 21,319

WAY outselling the other Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles book, but this still is NOT very good, sales-wise.

My dirty little secret about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? I bought the first issue and loved it, but by the 3rd, I didn't much care anymore as the joke had gotten worn out. I kept buying it until the Cerebus crossover in #8, and then dropped it. I sold my first printing of #1 at its peak to buy a new car stereo. I still have a bunch of the early issues in my collection and will prolly start selling them off next year sometime.

104 FRANK MILLERS ROBOCOP #1 (Of 9) (MR)* $3.50 AVA 21,289

This is the comic adaptation of Frank Miller's script for Robocop II that was butchered by the studio. I tend to avoid the books by Avalon because they usually look so BAD. The art is in black and white, but not DRAWN for black and white, with messy composition, no line variance and a feeling that the artist wanted to color to "clean it up". I may buy it as a collected trade. However, these are GREAT sales for Avalon, which nornally has their comics lingering under the #200 spot.

105 DARKNESS WANTED DEAD ONE-SHOT $2.99 IMA 21,230

Obviously it wasn't THAT wanted.

106 BATTLE O/T PLANETS #12 (Of 12) (Note Price) $4.99 IMA 21,142

Not a horrible showing until you realize that this is a book that was hyped incessantly, has Alex Ross behind it and is considered to be one of the comics that started the 80's Retro boom. Then, you have to wonder if it was worth it for a comic based on an animated series fully 7/8th of today's comics audience has NO clue about.

107 ARROWSMITH #2 (Of 6) $2.95 DC 20,671

This one kind of snuck up on me, as I am hearing a LOT of people saying it's a good fantasy comic, and shows that fantasy doesn't have to be bland. Yeah, I'm talking to YOU, CrossGen. I'll have to buy it as a collected trade. As usual.

108 TOMB RAIDER #32 $2.99 IMA 20,303
109 SENTINEL #5 (Note Price) $2.50 MAR 20,230
110 HELLBOY WEIRD TALES #4 $2.99 DAR 19,833

I always love Hellboy, not just for the odd stories, but for Mignola's incredible art. He didn't draw much of this, but it's still a solid, entertaining book. Mildly recommended.

111 JOSS WHEDONS FRAY #8 (Of 8) (RES) $2.99 DAR 19,435

The mini-series by Joss Whedon that told you how Buffy would end. It only took him TWO YEARS to get the damn thing out, but the good news is that the trade paperback is coming before Giftmas, so all of you Buffy fans can finally pick it up and see what all the fuss was about.

112 EMPIRE #2 (Of 6) (MR) $2.50 DC 19,391

Another highly recommended book, this one telling the story fo a world where a super-villain HAS taken over the world, and how he rules it. A different take on the typical comic book story with breathtakingly solid art by Barry Kitson.

113 BATMAN TENSES #1 (Of 2) $6.95 DC 19,391

Another 2 issue Prestige format mini-series. Why didn't they just put it in Legends of the Dark Knight is what I want to know.

114 RUNAWAYS #5 $2.50 MAR 19,332

I was amazed at how good this comic was. Marvel shoved it out the door with all the other "Tsunami" titles, and I always think it's a bad idea to group 5 or 6 books together and have them all start at the same time, because it actually makes it easier for the comics fan to ignore them. This is a series about teenagers who find out that their parents are super-villains, and are slowly getting powers of their own. Yeah, it's written to be collected in trade paperbacks, but it has a freshness to the dialogue, and a feeling of real suspense. I have been ignoring this comic, but after reading the first 2 issues and this one, it's now Highly Recommended.

115 ROBOTECH LOVE & WAR #3 (Of 6) $2.95 DC 19,244
116 CRIMINAL MACABRE CAL MCDONALD MYSTERY #4 (Of 5) $2.99 DAR 18,935

By the writer of "30 Days Of Night", and it's good to see that Dark Horse CAN get some new talent to do some work for them that isn't licensed. Too bad they do such a poor job of promotion. I just picked up this whole series as a "bargain set", so I'll review it with the next issue.

117 FILTH #12 (Of 13) (RES) (MR) $2.95 DC 18,494

Ah, Grant Morrison doing a weird mini-series for Vertigo. And it will be in a trade paperback soon so that I can read it.

118 LIBERTY MEADOWS #33 $2.95 IMA 18,317

Still a fun comic strip that never got a decent run in newspapers, and is now going to be comics only. This is as close to a "general audience" comic as is being produced, and I don't think anyone who picked it up would be disapointed. Highly recommended.

119 STAR WARS JEDI AAYLA SECURA ONE-SHOT $4.99 DAR 18,258

I have seen the movies and have no clue who this character is by just the name. I wonder if I could tell who it was if there was a picture? Hey, Dark Horse, what about Luke Fucking Skywalker, huh?

120 HERO #7 $2.50 DC 18,244
121 ETERNAL #3 (MR) $2.99 MAR 18,199
122 TOM STRONG #21 $2.95 DC 18,199

The Alan Moore comic that I most enjoy. It's not the BEST he is doing, but it is by far the most fun. A throwback to the old "pulp" feel, with AMAZING art by Chris Sprouse, this book is Highly Recommended.

123 FALLEN ANGEL #2 $2.50 DC 18,023

PAD's new comic, which is "selling out." I think it's more that shops didn't order many, thinking they could get re-orders and not have to order it up front. Unlike most of PAD's other mainstream comics work, this reads VERY well, with a sense of humor that doesn't come from inside jokes, a main character who is mysterious without being confusing, and a backdrop that makes me want to know more. Highly recommended, and it's NICE to recommend a PAD book after seeing him churn out bland fanboy comics for so long.

124 BATMAN NEVERMORE #5 (Of 5) $2.50 DC 17,743

A mini-series that should have sold better, setting Batman in the time of Poe, and telling a solid, if uneventful story. Len Wein, who is one of my favorite writers when I first started reading comics, knows how to plot an average story, but I don't think he's made for the current comic climate. Mildly recommended if your shop has all five issues.

125 HUMAN TARGET #1 (MR) $2.95 DC 17,626

Another DC #1, this one from the Vertigo line, spinning out of a mini-series and a hardcover graphic novel, neither of which did very well. But Vertigo seems to grow its hits from low sales and word of mouth. We'll know if that is happening with this in about 6 to 8 months.

126 TERRA OBSCURA #3 (Of 6) $2.95 DC 17,376

An Alan Moore mini-series. Yep, you got it. Waiting for the trade. Or Godot. Whoever comes first.

127 JOHN CARPENTERS SNAKE PLISSKEN #2* $2.99 CRO 17,243
128 GOTHAM CENTRAL #10 $2.50 DC 17,022

This is a VERY good book that deserves to sell better. The stories of the cops who work in Batman's city, it has done a good job of giving crime stories, building interesting characters and giving a feel of a city under siege by crime, which has always been the backdrop for Batman. Highly recommended.

129 CREW #4 $2.99 MAR 16,302

Last issue. Another case of Marvel dumping a book out on the stands with very little buildup or publicity. I'm a HUGE comics fan, and I can't tell you what this book was about other than after the first issue came out, they said it tied in to "The Truth" mini-series.

130 RUSE #22 $2.95 CRO 16,125
131 ULTIMATE ADVS #5 (Note Price) $2.99 MAR 16,096

Oh my GOD! There are still comics from that horrid "U-Decide" thing yet to come out. I think the the readers lost.

132 HELLBLAZER #187 (MR) $2.75 DC 16,037
133 REIGN O/T ZODIAC #1 $2.75 DC 15,845

Keith Giffen said that all of his work in his comics career has led up to this and it is his life's work. I would have to think by the horrid sales that not a lot of people feel the same way. It's too bad, since Giffen IS a talented creator, and can do good work, but more often than not, his stuff is just too strange to work with most readers.

134 STARTLING STORIES THING LAST LINE O/DEFENSE #1 $3.50 MAR 15,581
135 WITCHBLADE ANIMATED ONE-SHOT $2.99 IMA 15,389

Based on they Witchblade cartoon which doesn't exist. And...um...well...I think no one cares.

136 RED #2 (Of 3) $2.95 DC 15,375
137 HARLEY QUINN #35 $2.50 DC 15,139

Oh how this series has fallen. A little over a year ago, this was on of my 5 favorite comics, with "good girl" art by Terry Dodson and his imitators, and witty, silly scripts by Karl Kessel. Now it's a mess that is nearly impossible to slog through. It should have ended when Kessel left.

138 LOSERS #3 (MR) $2.95 DC 14,948
139 SUPERMAN METROPOLIS #7 (Of 12) $2.95 DC 14,874

Chuck Austin's mini-series, which is selling REALLY poorly, but seems to have gotten him a job on the regular Superman comics. DC must think there's something wrong with the idea of this mini-or they'd look at the sales and realize that he's not going to bring in new readers.

140 WILDCATS VERSION 3.0 #13 (MR) $2.95 DC 14,742
141 BTVS #60 STAKE TO HEART (1 Of 4)* $2.99 DAR 14,580
142 GEN 13 #12 $2.95 DC 14,521

Falling fast and soon to be over. Its not like they didn't try to keep this book going for a long time, but when you base a series on teen trends, you have to be ready for when that trend dies out. Revamping the comic into a typical Claremont angst driven series was probably not the best way to go.

143 SAM & TWITCH #24 $2.50 IMA 14,359
144 WAY O/T RAT #16 $2.95 CRO 14,154
145 BRATH #6 $2.95 CRO 13,845
146 SIMPSONS COMICS #85 $2.99 BON 13,771

Every month, you can count on this comic to be funny and well done. It's better than the old Dell comics based on TV series, and in some way, better than the show it is based on, lately. Highly recommended.

147 HEDGE KNIGHT #1 (Of 6)* $2.95 IMA 13,697

In this issue, he fights...a shrubbery!

148 BATMAN ADVS #5 $2.25 DC 13,609
149 SCOOBY DOO DOLLAR COMIC $1.00 DC 13,580

I think this shows that the whole "cheap comic" concept is dead.

150 LUCIFER #41 (MR) $2.50 DC 13,447
151 JUSTICE LEAGUE ADVS #22 $2.25 DC 13,315

This book is starting to have the trouble some of the other "Adventures" comics get, and that is that DC dumps mediocre creative teams on the comics, when they should be putting their most talented on the books. Why? These are the ones that kids who haven't read comics, but watch Cartoon Network will pick up. So these are the ones they should be REALLY putting a high shine on.

152 POSSESSED #2 (Of 6) (MR) $2.95 DC 13,153
153 PATH #17 $2.95 CRO 13,035
154 STORMWATCH TEAM ACHILLES #14 (MR) $2.95 DC 12,314
155 CSI BAD RAP #1 (OF 5) (MR) $3.99 IDW 12,138

WAY over-priced, but when you read them as collected stories, they are pretty good. Max Allen Collins knows his crime fiction, and writes the CSI novels, so the comics have a solid chance of being good. But $4 for 24 pages? That's just crazy.

156 TEEN TITANS #1 3RD PRINTING $2.50 DC 11,947
157 BAD GIRLS #1 (Of 6) $2.50 DC 11,888

DC has announced that this series will end an issue early. With covers that look like mid 60's "pop art" and no super-heroes, I'm actually surprised DC even published one issue. But at least they are trying new things.

158 CASEFILES SAM & TWITCH #2 (MR) $2.50 IMA 11,505

Wow. THAT'S a slap in McFarlane's face. And I guess they are finally going to ship the last few issues of the first Sam and Twitch series. The mistake was that the book was SO dependent upon Bendis's writing that anything afterward wouldn't have been worth reading.

159 EXTINCTION EVENT #2 (Of 5) $2.50 DC 11,446
160 ARIA USES O/ENCHANTMENT #3 (Of 4) $2.95 IMA 11,432
161 MYSTIC #39 $2.95 CRO 11,329
162 MICRONAUTS #10 $2.95 IMA 11,314

So, it's canceled, it's back, it's canceled, who knows anymore? With the first issue selling SO WELL and the rest dropping rapidly, it means that people were interested in the series, read it, and didn't like what they saw. I personally could not make it through the first issue, dropped it with the second, bought the trade, thinking that maybe it would all come together as a whole, but it didn't. A failure by the creative team.

163 KISS #12* $2.99 DAR 11,299
164 BEWARE THE CREEPER #5 (Of 5) (MR) $2.95 DC 11,270

By the time the 5th issue came out, I had lost interest. So I guess that's your review.

165 STRANGERS I/PARADISE VOL III #59 $2.95 ABS 11,196
166 MERIDIAN #38 $2.95 CRO 11,034
167 NECROWAR #2 $2.95 DRE 10,961
168 MARK O/CHARON #5 (Of 5) $2.95 CRO 10,917
169 FIRST #34 $2.95 CRO 10,652
170 HUMAN DEFENSE CORPS #4 (Of 6) $2.50 DC 10,196

A cool idea, but I think it didn't work because it came out of the blue. If it would have "shown up" in a few other DC books before this and gotten some curiosity about what it was all about, it might have sold better. Or not.

171 DRAGONS LAIR SINGES REVENGE #1 (Of 6) $2.95 CRO 9,843

When I think about the money I wasted trying to play this game in the arcades, I weep. Why couldn't I have played more Sinistar and Burgertime rather than this? WHY?

172 CINNAMON EL CICLO #1 (Of 5) $2.50 DC 9,813

A stunning Chaykin cover on this western made me wish that Chaykin would have actually drawn the interiors. As is, it's a pretty bland western

173 BATMAN #617 $2.25 DC 9,578
174 XIN JOURNEY O/T MONKEY KING #3* $2.99 HAR 9,195
175 SLEEPER #8 (MR) $2.95 DC 8,975

I'm still buying and enjoying it, but it's over with issue #12, to come back as another "mini-series." This is an overlooked gem and is highly recommended.

176 SHONEN JUMP VOL 1 #9 SEP 2003 $4.95 VIZ 8,754

I'll say it again: A quarter of a million outside of comic shops, less than 9,000 in them. Do you need any more proof that comic shops can't sell things that appeal to the general public anymore?

177 DH GOON #2 $2.99 DAR 8,548
178 VAMPIRELLA #22 REG ED $2.99 HAR 8,504

Canceled again. The problem with the Vampirella series is that they start with a top notch creative team who tell a good story, then slowly pass it off to creators who are untested and just getting started in comics, meaning they don't know quite how to tell a great story yet. If the editor of Harris is reading this, get a solid creative team, keep them on the book for a while and get this back up the charts instead of making a big splash and fading quickly. Then you won't have to re-start the comic every 2 years.

179 HELLHOUNDS #1* $2.95 IMA 8,430
180 SPYBOY 13.3 MANGA AFFAIR #3 (Of 3) $2.99 DAR 7,871

If the comic was a bit confusing in color, it's almost impossible to read in black and white. The art is like most bad black and white art, in that the artist doesn't seem to realize that there won't be color to help sort things out, so that the art is busy, confusing and doesn't do a good job of telling the story. It also (Yeah, PAD, I WILL keep harping on this) tells what happened between two issues of Spyboy without filling you in on who the characters are, what they are doing or why any of it matters.

181 RA SALVATORE DEMON WARS VOL 2 #4 EYE FOR AN EYE (Of 5) $2.95 CRO 7,827
182 ASSASSIN #1 (Of 4) (MR)* $2.99 ARC 7,754
183 NOBLE CAUSES DISTANT RELATIVES #1 (Of 4) $2.95 IMA 7,680

Oh wow. I though this book would sell a LOT better than this. It's a well done comic that could work in any of the major comics universes, and plays with the idea of a super-hero family/team better than any comics has in a while. Still, I buy it as collected trades, and I hope it is doing well enough in that format to survive. Mildly recommended to super-hero fans.

184 FEATHER #1 (Of 6) $2.95 IMA 7,606
185 POWERPUFF GIRLS #41 $2.25 DC 7,489
186 FACTION PARADOX #1 $2.95 IMA 7,445
187 VERTIGO POP BANGKOK #4 (Of 4) (MR) $2.95 DC 7,033

The three Vertigo Pop mini-series have bombed. Maybe next time they will come up with some other sort of theme to get readers to try it rather than...well, they didn't have a theme that they communicated very well, did they?

188 GALACTIC #1 $2.99 DAR 6,944
189 SYN #1 $2.99 DAR 6,856
190 OH MY GODDESS #100 DR MOREAU (1 Of 5) $2.99 DAR 6,827

The other manga series still comic out as comics, and really, the only reason I buy the monthly and not the books is because I have been buying it in this format so long. It's a nice series that always gives you a nice mix of Japanese comics, with humor, adventure and Japanese "weirdness" that infects most of their comics. Still, I'd only recommend it as trade paperbacks.

191 TERMINATOR 3 EYES O/T RISE #3 (MR) $5.95 BEC 6,753
192 TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #11 $2.95 MIR 6,694

Wow. If you would have told me that the 80's revival series that would have failed BIG would be the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, I would have disagreed. It even has some of the original creators working on it, but I guess people aren't ready for them to come back yet.

193 ROTOGIN JUNKBOTZ #2 (Of 8)* $2.95 IMA 6,650
194 KNIGHTS O/T DINNER TABLE #82 $3.99 KZR 6,591

Love this comic. 100 pages, over half of them comics, and if you have ever done any role playing gaming, you WILL laugh at least once with every issue. It's very limited in art, but makes up for it with deft scripting and a TON of funny characters that seem like people who know when you game. Highly recommended.

195 UNCLE SCROOGE #321 $6.95 GEM 6,488
196 GRENDEL GOD & DEVIL #7 (Of 10) (MR) $3.50 DAR 6,371

These are still great sales for a 15 year old reprint, and it's one of the greatest comic series of the 80's, getting a makeover so that it can be printed as a graphic novel. If you haven't read the Grendel series, I'd wait for the trade and then take an afternoon and read this when it is collected. It's one fo the most amazing comics of the era, and Highly Recommended.

197 TITANS/YOUNG JUSTICE GRADUATION DAY COMPENDIUM $6.95 DC 6,253

OK, it was three issues, and just came out a little while ago. Why isn't it a trade paperback? I didn't care for this story, as it felt too much like they were trying to shock the reader, rather than give them a story. However, the two series that spun out of it did VERY well, so I guess the "shock and awe" worked. First time for everything, I guess.

198 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #126 $2.19 ARC 6,165
199 SCOOBY DOO #75 $2.25 DC 6,135
200 SHI SEMPO #1 (Of 2)* $3.50 AVA 6,091
201 CEREBUS #292 $2.25 AAR 6,017

Coming in for a landing now, as there are 8 issues left. When Sim first said that he would do 300 issues of this comic, people thought he was nuts. Now that we've read what he thinks of women, we KNOW he is nuts, but this is still an amazing achievement.

202 BLADE O/T IMMORTAL SHADOWS ONE-SHOT #81 (MR) $2.99 DAR 5,988
203 WALT DISNEYS COMICS & STORIES #636 $6.95 GEM 5,929
204 GO BOY 7 HUMAN ACTION MACHINE #2 $2.99 DAR 5,797
205 JACK STAFF #3 $2.95 IMA 5,576

I bought the first issue of this, couldn't find the 2nd issue, and then just gave up on it. Bi-monthly comics that are super-hero oriented and continued are just hard to keep track of with so many comics coming out. I'll buy the upcoming trade paperback of the first series and see if I like it before trying this book again.

206 MISPLACED #2 $2.95 IMA 5,458
207 SWEATSHOP #5 $2.95 DC 5,282

Next to last issue, and I liked this comic, even though it was missing a lot of Peter Bagge's venom in his humor. Still, it was nice to see DC try something different, and I still think the series could do well in a non-comic format (like an animated Adult Swim series on Cartoon Network).

208 OUTSIDERS DOUBLE FEATURE $4.95 DC 5,032

Reprinting the sold out #1 & #2, which is a nice thing for fans who want to leap in with the 3rd issue. And, DC doesn't have as speedy a turn-around on trade paperbacks as Marvel, so if you want to get reading on this mildly recommended for hard core super-hero fans series, this is how to do it.

209 TONY MILLIONAIRE SOCK MONKEY #2 (Of 2) $2.99 DAR 4,870
210 SUPER MANGA BLAST #34 $5.99 DAR 4,649

The best Manga anthology being published, with a mix of action and humor stories. The "What's Michael" stoires are some of the best manga being published, but mix that with the other stories like "3 by 3 Eyes" and you have a top-notch anthology for people who don't know manga very well, as well as for people who have reading it for years. Highly recommended.

211 HEIRS O/ETERNITY #4 (Of 5) $2.95 IMA 4,517
212 PUFFED #2 (Of 3) (MR)* $2.95 IMA 4,414
213 SHADOWS #3 $2.95 IMA 4,399
214 CANNON GOD EXAXXION #16 (MR) $2.99 DAR 4,384

Dark Horse is the only publisher still doing monthly "comic book" style manga, and with sales like this, I wonder how much longer they can keep doing it?

215 STRANGERS #5 (Of 6)* $2.95 IMA 4,311
216 AGENTS #4 (Of 6) $2.95 IMA 4,281

Two more of Image's mini-series that seem to be dumped on the market without any advertising or publicity. When will they learn that people won't buy a mini-series from anyone who's not Marvel without a LOT of information and a big name artist?

217 POISON ELVES #74 $2.95 SIR 4,237
218 OUTSIDERS #2 $2.50 DC 4,002

So, it only took 4000 copies for this book to sell out? I thought DC said it had sold out before it shipped? I'm confuzzled, but the comic has monkeys in it, so I liked it.

219 FLASH #200 (Note Price) $3.50 DC 3,899

Re-orders of a mildly recommended series.

220 DFE WITCHBLADE DEMON #1 $6.99 DYN 3,884
221 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS WHERE SHADOWS FALL #1 (Of 5) $3.50 KZR 3,840
222 TERRY MOORES PARADISE TOO #14 $2.95 ABS 3,781
223 DORK TOWER #24 $2.99 DOR 3,737

I just picked up a few issues of this, and it reads like a gaming sit-com. Unlike Knights of the Dinner Table, we learn about the characters away from the gaming table, however, a LOT of things tend to either drag on endlessly or happen "off-stage", making the series a bit hard to follow. For hard core gamers only.

224 SCOOTER GIRL #3 (Of 6) (MR) $2.99 ONI 3,634
225 SHI SEMPO #1/2* $3.95 COM 3,605
226 LOONEY TUNES #105 $2.25 DC 3,502
227 BATMAN/SUPERMAN/WONDER WOMAN TRINITY #2 (Of 3) $6.95 DC 3,472

Reorders of Matt Wagner's mini-series. So, since it's by Matt Wagner, it will rock. Rockin like the Dokken. Not really, as Dokken is firmly committed to sucking, but it is really good and Highly Recommended.

228 MARQUIS SIN O/ONE #1 (MR) $2.99 ONI 3,340
229 ARCHIE #539 $2.19 ARC 3,104
230 GI JOE/TRANSFORMERS #1 (Of 6)* $2.95 IMA 3,075
231 GUN FU LOST CITY #1 $3.50 AXI 3,075

There's Gun Fu, Leg Fu, Chicken Fu, Chainsaw Fu, and Car Fu. Joe Bob says check it out.

232 LOVE FIGHTS #3 $2.99 ONI 3,060

The lesser known song by Nazareth as they desperately tried to recall the glory of their song "Love Hurts", followed by "Love Stings", "Love Tastes Funny" and "Love Is Good For Getting Laid."

233 BETTY & VERONICA #191 $2.19 ARC 3,031
234 WARREN ELLIS STRANGE KILLINGS STRONG MEDICINE #2 (Of 3) (MR) $3.50 AVA 2,928

The titles for these keep getting longer, and the work isn't getting any better. Funny how that works.

235 KODT TABLE ILLUSTRATED #25 $2.99 KZR 2,898
236 ARTESIA AFIRE #3 (Of 6) (MR) $3.95 ARC 2,854
237 EMPIRE #1 (Of 6) $2.50 DC 2,722

You would think this is bad sales, but this is all re-orders, showing that Mark Wait and Barry Kitson's book didn't do very well when they self-published it, but is a hit when DC is behind it. And it's one fo the better comics being published, so it deserves the good sales. Highly recommended.

238 BETTY #129 $2.19 ARC 2,648
239 CARTOON CARTOONS #21 $2.25 DC 2,545

Hard to believe this comic does so poorly, since it has Cartoon Network's most popular characters in it. If comics were out of comic shops, DC would be making hella money with this. As is, it's prolly a loss leader, and the stories are done for foreign markets.

240 VERONICA #143 $2.19 ARC 2,486
241 GIFT #1 (MR) $2.95 OVE 2,472
242 ARCHIE & FRIENDS #74 $2.19 ARC 2,457
243 SABRINA VOL 2 #49 $2.19 ARC 2,457
244 ARCHIE DOUBLE DIGEST #145 $3.59 ARC 2,442
245 TROUBLE #1 (Of 5)* $2.99 MAR 2,428
246 NEOTOPIA VOL 2 #1 $2.99 ANT 2,398
247 BATMAN #616 $2.25 DC 2,339
248 BIG BANG SUMMER SP #1 $4.95 IMA 2,236

I picked this up, since it had a neat cover, and I like retro style comics, but this series just annoys me, I guess. It's thinly veiled version of other comic company's characters, but they don't do anything more than re-hash old stories. Alan Moore does this kind of thing and makes it brilliant, this comics off as just a fanzine.

249 NINJA HIGH SCHOOL #108 $3.50 ANT 2,222
250 AP HOW TO DRAW MANGA #25 $4.95 ANT 2,192
251 PALS N GALS DOUBLE DIGEST #78 $3.59 ARC 2,192
252 JUGHEAD #153 $2.19 ARC 2,133
253 TEENAGERS FROM MARS #7 (Of 8) (MR) $2.99 TEE 2,104

Are they here for the women? Because all teenagers care about is the sex and the baggy pants and the loud hair and the big music and the listening to the No Doubt and ....*rambles on like the old fart he is*

254 ARCHIE DIGEST #201 $2.39 ARC 2,089
255 TRANSFORMERS GENERATION ONE VOL 2 #4 (Of 6) $2.95 DRE 2,089
256 ARCHIE MYSTERIES #30 $2.19 ARC 2,074
257 MARVEL MUST HAVES ULTIMATE X-MEN #34-#35 $2.99 MAR 2,074

A reprint of the start of Bendis's new story arc on the book, and easily the most readable story arc the comic has ever seen. For $3 you can take it for a tes drive and see if you like it as much as I do. Highly recommended.

258 BETTY & VERONICA DIGEST #141 $2.39 ARC 2,060
259 JUGHEADS DOUBLE DIGEST #97 $3.59 ARC 2,016
260 BATMAN #615 $2.25 DC 1,913
261 AWESOME MAN #2 $3.50 AST 1,869

He's TOTALLY AWESOME and maybe his comic would have sold in 1983 when people actually used that word without ironic connotations.

262 JUGHEAD W/ARCHIE DIGEST #186 $2.39 ARC 1,721

Do you think that Jughead ever says to himself, "Why do all the hot babes like him? He's MINE!"

263 OUTLOOK GRIM #2 (MR) $2.95 SLA 1,677
264 FRANK MILLERS ROBOCOP #1 PLATINUM FOIL INCENTIVE $3.75 AVA 1,648

OK, so they are taking the script Frank Miller wrote for Robocop II, taking out the changes that the studio put in it, and having someone else write it as a comic book. Does anyone think that comics have become WAY too inbred when you hear about things like that? And this is a SPECIAL COVER TO THAT COMIC.

265 GENUS #60 (A) $3.50 RAD 1,648
266 JUNCTION 17 #1 $3.50 ANT 1,604
267 RAIJIN COMICS #33 (MR) $4.95 GUT 1,545
268 RAIJIN COMICS #34 (MR) $4.95 GUT 1,545
269 RAIJIN COMICS #35 (MR) $4.95 GUT 1,530
270 RAIJIN COMICS #36 (MR) $4.95 GUT 1,515
271 TICK CIRCUS MAXIMUS UPDATE 2003 #1 $3.95 NEW 1,515

*shakes head* When will they learn. Comics with the Tick in them suck unless they are by Ben Edlund? Silly rabbits.

272 LOSERS #2 (MR) $2.95 DC 1,486
273 KICKASS GIRL SKELETONS I/CLOSET #1* $2.99 NEK 1,324

So, what kind of a girl is she? She kicks ass! No word yet on if she kicks the asses that need to be kicked or if it is just whatever ass happens to be near when it is kicking time.

274 FINDER #32 (MR) $2.95 LIG 1,309
275 BIRDS O/PREY #57 $2.50 DC 1,280
276 LUFTWAFFE 1946 #12 $5.95 ANT 1,251
277 WARREN ELLIS STRANGE KILLINGS STRONG MEDICINE WRAP CVR #2 (MR) $3.95 AVA 1,177
278 SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #2 $2.25 MAR 1,162

Re-orders of the new series, which is running a Venom story that doesn't make me want to throw the comics in a hibatchi, like I want to do with most Venom comics.

279 BEELZA BOB #1 $3.95 CMC 1,162
280 ANGRY YOUTH COMIX #5 (MR) $2.95 FAN 1,162
281 MARVEL MUST HAVES WOLVERINE #1-#3 $3.99 MAR 1,133

This is a GREAT way to read the first few issues of the new Wolverine series, which is Highly Recommended, by the way. Greg Rucka knows how to tell a story that keeps you interested as it builds toward its climax, and Darrick Robertson's art is the best the character has seen in his solo book since Buscema drew the first 10 issues or so.

282 BATMAN #610 $2.25 DC 1,118

STILL more re-orders of the early Jim Lee stuff. I'm not surprised it still sells, I'm surprised DC still had any to sell.

283 DARKNESS #2 MEGACON CON ED (Net) $3.00 IMA 1,118
284 SILENCERS #2 (MR) $3.50 MNS 1,089
285 TWILIGHT X STORM #4 $3.50 ANT 1,089
286 LAUGHTER O/T DAMNED #3 (MR) $2.75 AMP 1,089

This would be anyone who is seeing Carrottop and paid good money to do so.

287 TRANSFORMERS MORE THAN MEETS EYE OFF GD #4 $5.25 DRE 1,089
288 CRIMINAL MACABRE CAL MCDONALD MYSTERY #1 (Of 5) $2.99 DAR 1,059

More re-orders for a book from the person who wrote "30 Days Of Night". Dark Horse has to be happy about this, and this comic is $1 less than his work at IDW, which is always a good thing if you like saving money.

289 FURRLOUGH #126 $2.99 RAD 1,030
290 VAMPIRELLA #22 LTD ED* $9.95 HAR 1,015

The limited edition still sells this well? I wonder how well it would sell if they quit worrying about special photo covers and models and instead worried about decent stories?

291 WARHAMMER MONTHLY #71 $3.50 GAM 1,000
292 DILDO #3 (A) $3.50 ERO 956
293 SUPERNATURAL LAW #38 $2.95 EXH 956

I wish this comic sold better. It's a fun little book about a law firm that works with vampires, zombies, and the like. All very funny and very well done. Mildly recommended.

294 HIT THE BEACH 2003 $4.99 RAD 927
295 I FEEL SICK #2 $3.95 SLA 927

J. Vasquez stuff still sells. I'm almost scared that if he ever puts out anything new, it will be the number one selling comic that month. And the lettering will be so bad I STILL won't be able to read it.

296 WARRIOR NUN AREALA #20 $3.50 ANT 912
297 BOOTLEG #8 (A) $3.95 WLP 912

The worst crap I ever had to listen to in my whole life was when I worked at Shinder's, and one of the employees was a Grateful Dead fan. He had boxes and boxes of Dead bootlegs, all of which sounded like they had been taped off of someone's radio at a party. Half the time it sounded like they were out of tune, and the other half of the time you couldn't hear the "music" over people asking to pass the joint.

Now, I know nothing about this comic, but I HATE bootlegs because of this.

298 RED #1 (Of 3) $2.95 DC 912
299 JLA #83 $2.25 DC 912
300 DEMOLUTION ENGINE #1 (Of 7) (MR) $3.95 DFC 897

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