1 ULTIMATE WAR

The Top 300 Selling comic books December 2002

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

I can't find the first version of this page I did, so I'll be going through this pretty quickly. Keep up and try to pay attention.

1 ULTIMATE WAR #1 (Of 4) $2.25 MAR 122,884

2 ULTIMATE WAR #2 (Of 4) $2.25 MAR 116,013

The X-Men meet the Avengers! Oh, it's by Mark Millar, who's "Ultimates" strikes me as a story by someone bereft of ideas ("I know, I'll make Ant Man a wife beater, just like Jim Shooter did! Except I'll make the Wasp like it! And since I'm British, I'll make Captain America a jerk!") and his X-Men drags with the pace of a Kevin Costner movie. I think I'll pass.

3 BATMAN #610 $2.25 DC 109,415

Jim Lee's art still seems like someone trying to sell posters instead of telling a story to me. As I flipped through this, I saw a ton of T & A drawings, pages that made no sense, and not a single page with more than 4 panels. I know it sells, but I just don't want to read an Image book from 10 years ago.

4 ULTIMATES #9 (RES) $2.25 MAR 101,811

#9? When #7 just came out? And this is the SECOND time they've missed the publishing deadline?

5 ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #33 $2.25 MAR 99,404

Great issue, as always. The best Super-hero book out there, and it shows that you can reinvent a character without having to add a bunch of extra crap to it. Ultimate Spider-Man tells solidly entertaining stories exceedingly well, and doesn't talk down to its readers. Highly recommended.

6 NEW X-MEN #135 $2.25 MAR 96,154

Grant Morrison starts another major storyline, this time dealing with the attitudes of those mutants who feel superior. It feels fresh, new and chilling, which is strange since those are the stories this book has done since day one, which is a testament to the skills of the creators involved. Highly Recommended.

7 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #48 $2.25 MAR 93,867

An OK issue that isn't great, but doesn't suck. For all the hype, this is simply what an average super-hero comic should be.

8 ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #32 $2.25 MAR 92,160

While it does wrap up some loose plot threads, each issue of this comic is readable on its own. I'm a bit nervous about the plan to have Venom show up (Oh how I hate that character), but I trust it will be just as fresh and fun as this story wrapping up the "imposter Spidey" story was. Highly Recommended.

9 UNCANNY X-MEN #416 $2.25 MAR 88,276

Chuck Austin continues to improve, making this book readable by doing character stories that read like short stories instead of long drawn-out epics. I know they are pushing this as the first issue by a hot Japanese artist, but it just looked like a mid 90's X-Men book to me. Mildly recommended.

10 ULTIMATE X-MEN #26 $2.25 MAR 87,893

11 TRANSFORMERS WAR WITHIN #3 $2.95 DRE 73,385

12 TRANSFORMERS ARMADA #6 $2.95 DRE 67,870

Mark my words, the retro movement will be done by the end of 2003, with NONE of the "retro" books in the top 50. Nick at Night was pretty cool when it started up too, but eventually, you need something new...not books based on 20 year old toys.

13 ULTIMATE DAREDEVIL & ELEKTRA #2 (Of 4) $2.25 MAR 67,761

14 ULTIMATE DAREDEVIL & ELEKTRA #3 (Of 4) $2.25 MAR 66,360

I screwed up last month when I said this was be Bendis. It's by Greg Rucka, who is just as good in a different way. I'm buying it as a collected trade paperback next month. You should to.

15 WOLVERINE #184 $2.25 MAR 64,620

16 MASTERS O/T UNIVERSE #2* $2.95 IMA 62,454

From #1 to #16 in a single issue. The He-Man cartoon sucked so hard it has lip burn in the 80's, and making him more of a steriod freak just makes it more painful to watch.

17 JLA #76 $2.25 DC 61,557

The Return of Aquaman is over (after a kerjillion issues) and now we get a standard "who will be in the team" issue. Every time someone does one of these, it is boring and pointless. Even Avengers #16. This is just as bad.

18 TRUTH #2 (Of 6) $3.50 MAR 60,889

19 CAPTAIN AMERICA #7 (RES) $2.99 MAR 57,410

Since #6 just came out a week or so ago, I'm not going to review this book because it isn't out yet. At the rate they are publishing, try back in two months.

20 THUNDERCATS #5 (Of 5) $2.95 DC 57,257

Make the bad mans stop making these shitty shitty books!

21 AVENGERS #61 $2.25 MAR 55,506

22 AVENGERS #62 $2.25 MAR 55,145

I find the art still subpar, but Geoff Johns has me interested in where he is going with the comic, and has a good handle on the interpersonal stuff (which is the most fun when reading The Avengers most of the time). Mildly recommended for super-hero fans.

23 GI JOE #13 $2.95 IMA 54,904

Yuk. And dropping in sales too. Will be selling below the Dark Horse GI Joe series levels within 6 months if the trend continues.

24 DAREDEVIL #40 $2.99 MAR 54,292

Another comic by Bendis, and he continues to make Daredevil a surprising, innovative book. The current story, a super-hero accused of killing a policeman and the subsequent trial, is the best legal story done in comics...ever. Very dark art, and no super-heroics in the story, but it's still a riviting read that is Highly Recommended.

25 GREEN ARROW #20 $2.50 DC 53,745

Still well done, but not as fun as it was a while back. Don't know if I'm losing interest because I'm losing interest or the story is losing steam.

26 ROBOTECH #1 (Of 6) $2.95 DC 53,023

More retro. Unnecessary retro, but a weird fact...this version is selling far better than the adaptations that Comico did of this anime series in the 80's. The He-Man and Thundercats comics are also selling better than comics based on those properties did in the 80's. Maybe it's because we were smart enough to know back then that they SUCKED.

27 SPIDER-MAN PETER PARKER #51 $2.25 MAR 52,968

Since Paul Jenkins came on this book, I have been praising it. That all stops right now. The art in this issue was some of the worst I have seen in a Marvel comic, and the story was a waste of paper. Stay away. Stay far away.

28 X-TREME X-MEN X-POSE #2 (Of 2) $2.99 MAR 51,020

Just the title is enough to make me tell people not to buy it. "Look, three Xes! Does that mean it's like the movie Triple X?" No, it is even worse than that movie.

29 LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN VOL II #5 (Of 6) $3.50 DC 50,823

Great stuff. Waiting for the trade paperback when I don't have to wait between chapters.

30 FANTASTIC FOUR #64 $2.25 MAR 50,211

For the longest time, this book has just been sitting there, wasting paper and going nowhere. The current team shows that there is still life in the concept, and makes every issue entertaining and FUN. And they didn't take six months doing it, they jumped in right with the first issue. Highly recommended for super-hero fans.

31 INCREDIBLE HULK #48 $2.25 MAR 48,668

Another comic that has really turned around over the past few years. Bruce Jones has taken the concept (Bruce Banner become the Hulk when upset) and changed it from a super-hero book to a horror comic without dropping a single element...just looking at them in a different way. Highly recommended for super-hero and horror fans...hey, this is what Vertigo should be doing with properties.

32 ROBOTECH #0 $2.50 DC 47,880

No number 0 comic is worth reading, unless R. Crumb did it. Period.

33 GI JOE FRONTLINE #3 $2.95 IMA 47,300

34 AQUAMAN #1 $2.50 DC 45,112

I have never much liked undersea characters in comics. Not Aquaman, not Namor, not the Snorks...none of them. This series probably won't be any different, but it sold out at my local, so someone must care. Just not me.

35 PUNISHER #20 $2.99 MAR 43,514

Another good issue by Garth Ennis, this one wasn't funny, which is a good change of pace. It uses one of the supporting characters from the 12 issue mini-series to show the horror of what The Punisher does and the repercussions of his actions. Highly recommended and a one-shot issue.

36 JSA #43 $2.50 DC 41,249

DC's best super-hero book, and always Highly Recommended as the creative team goes from strength to strength. Don't worry about knowing the history of the characters, it gets filled in as you need it. Thankfully, a writer remembers that you can have history and meaningful character relationships without having to leave readers in the dark. It's a fast, action filled read, and you can hop aboard at any time.

37 DETECTIVE COMICS #777 $2.75 DC 40,867

Losing a lot of its luster with write Greg Rucka leaving, and the current team turning out bland stories. Pass.

38 SPAWN #129 $2.50 IMA 39,072

Does anyone read this? Anyone? How can we review it when it's running 6 issues behind or more? If it's in the top 50 by the end of 2003, I'll be very surprised.

39 BATTLE O/T PLANETS #6 $2.99 IMA 38,208

Started at #1 with 120,000 copies, now down to one third of that. You want more proof that Retro was a retailer and invested fueled boom and not a genuine interest in old toy and TV properties?

40 GREEN LANTERN #157 $2.25 DC 37,869

41 EXILES #20 $2.25 MAR 36,796

Every month, these two Judd Winnik written comics are next to each other on the sales charts. I like Exiles, but dislike his Green Lantern.

42 X-MEN UNLIMITED #40 $3.50 MAR 36,391

Moving more in the direction of short stories by name creators than what it used to be..."print whatever we have on the shelf by people who have pages left in the contract" comics. #39 was well done, and #40 is going to have an issue by Steven Grant (whose work I enjoy). Maybe this will be a decent comic finally.

43 X-STATIX #6 $2.25 MAR 35,899

Each issue of this comic gives me an odd kind of reading bliss. It captures the Feel of an old Marvel comic without being a retread. The early Marvel stuff by Ditko and Kirby was subversive and inventive without being offensive, and this comic captures that same way of creating comics. Highly Recommended, and the people who don't like the book have lost their sense of wonder about comics and need to be smacked repeatedly and hard.

44 THOR #57 $2.25 MAR 35,286

45 WEAPON X #4 $2.25 MAR 34,531

46 SUPERMAN #189 $2.25 DC 34,488

Superman is dull and boring, despite have some top line creators on the book. To me, that means poor editing and a lack of drive for the creators to do their best. Maybe the new teams coming in will rev things up a bit, otherwise, I think more than one Superman comic will be cancelled soon.

47 IRON MAN #62 $2.25 MAR 33,492

48 IRON MAN #63 $2.25 MAR 33,350

A solid, entertaining comic that I would simply call an average comic. Not one I would tell people to go out of their way for, but not one I would put back on the shelf either. Grell's art a couple issues ago made up for some of his storytelling problems, and I HATE the new armor, but if you are just looking for a decent super-hero comic, you could do a lot worse.

49 BATMAN GOTHAM KNIGHTS #36 $2.75 DC 33,011

Thankfully, they got rid of the "Bane is Batman's Brother From Another Mother" story, but this comic still leaves a nasty taste in my mouth under the new team. Devin Grayson did stories that explored other character's reactions to Batman, now the comic is just another Batman book, and not a good one at that.

50 ACTION COMICS #798 $2.25 DC 32,617

51 BATGIRL YEAR ONE #1 (Of 9) $2.95 DC 32,343

No, Chuck Dixon didn't leave CrossGen, and no he isn't freelancing outside of CrossGen. This is just another of his series pitches that DC is finally doing. Am I the only one who doesn't think Batgirls' first year is Worth 9 issues with Batman's first year only got four?

52 ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #611 $2.25 DC 32,080

53 HAWKMAN #10 $2.50 DC 31,894

DC's version of a solidly entertaining average super-hero book. The first bunch of issues were REALLY good, but now it seems to have settled down and is just going through the motions. Not horrible, but I'm not as Geemed on it as I was say six months ago.

54 BATGIRL #35 $2.50 DC 31,588

55 SUPERMAN MAN OF STEEL #133 $2.25 DC 31,577

56 PARADISE X #8 (Of 13) $2.99 MAR 31,150

For hard-core Marvel fanboys only. Everyone else will be lost.

57 AGENT X #6 $2.25 MAR 30,603

58 CAPTAIN MARVEL #4 $2.25 MAR 30,439

Yow. It's dropped pretty fast, and while it's still about 10,000 above its old sales levels, the U-Decide stunt doesn't seem to have worked. The comic is already becoming confusingly dense again, and is stretching a good 2- 3 issue story out for 6.

59 NIGHTWING #76 $2.25 DC 30,100

I think the Devin Greyson move has been bad all around. Gotham Knights is worse than when she was writing it, and her work on Nightwing is making me consider dropping the book. Subplots have all but vanished, stories tend to lurch to conclusions and start out of the blue, and all of it feels rushed and confusing.

60 WOLVERINE NETSUKE #4 (Of 4) $3.99 MAR 28,973

Next will be "Wolverine Somewordthatsoundsjapanese", a sequel mini-series. How bad must a book suck to be a Wolverine mini-series and unable to crack 30,000 copies?

61 AUTHORITY SCORCHED EARTH (MR) $4.95 DC 28,557

This would be a story about how DC has taken a very hot property and let editorial turn it into shite. "Take Warren Ellis's ideas and destroy the originality. Leave nothing alive."

62 FLASH #193 $2.25 DC 28,185

How can this be? A Gorilla Grodd story I couldn't give less of a shit about? I LOVE Gorilla stories...

63 BIRDS OF PREY #50 $2.50 DC 27,879

64 BATMAN FAMILY #7 MR FUN (Of 8) $2.25 DC 27,671

Here you go, friends. Proof that DC has officially run out of decent super-villain names. I made up better names when I was in 4th grade writing Strong Teddy stories because the only thing I could draw was a highly stylized version of a teddy bear. OK, maybe I have shared too much.

65 ELEKTRA #18 $2.99 MAR 27,660

Greg Rucka has done the impossible...taken a character that was created as a one-note supporting character and made her a three-dimensional character that I care about. Not by a whole bunch of stupid events but simply by understanding the basis of the character and building on it. It shows the difference between a writer and a hired hand, and this comic is Highly Recommended.

66 BATMAN FAMILY #8 BLACKOUT (Of 8) $2.95 DC 27,649

Which is exactly what you will feel if you buy every issue of this crappy excuse to create a bunch of new lame villains. Trust me, no character ever created in a mini-series to "introduce exciting new creations" have ever worked. How many long running character were created in Crisis on Infinite Earths, Infinity Wars, Armageddon 2000 or Blood-whatever the horrid series with aliens giving people powers by sucking out their spinal columns was? None. Because you can't turn on creativity like a faucet.

67 ELEKTRA #19 $2.99 MAR 27,638

You know, what I said up there about Elektra is still true for this issue. Funny how that happens, isn't it?

68 SPIDER-MAN LEGEND O/T SPIDER CLAN #3 (Of 5) $2.25 MAR 27,529

More manga Spidey for people who like that sort of thing. I don't. But then, I'm not the target audience.

69 BATMAN FAMILY #6 TECHNICIAN (Of 8) $2.25 DC 27,518

Mr. Fun sold better than this? MR. FUN?!?!?!?!? What little faith I have in mankind is slowly slipping away.

70 ALIAS #17 (MR) $2.99 MAR 27,474

Brian Bendis writing a detective series for grown-ups that happens to be set in the Marvel Universe. I love it. Some people don't. They are wrong, and this is Highly Recommended.

71 ULTIMATE ADVENTURES #4 $2.25 MAR 27,365

Utter and complete shite with no redeeming qualities. Even the staples are a waste of metal. Look for it in bargain bins next year if you really want to read it.

72 THUNDERBOLTS #75 (Note Price) $3.50 MAR 27,233

The conclusion of the interminable story that has been going on for almost 15 issues. And, with the conclusion, the creative team is being let go, the concept is being jettisoned and none of the old characters will be showing up. Why does this not surprise me? When the creators said they were starting a 15 - issue run to "turn things around" I cringed. If a book sucks, make it readable with the next issue, don't waste our time and money as you figure out how to tell a good story. Maybe you could get away with it when comics were less than a buck, but now, each issue is someone's first...and could be someone's last.

73 BATMAN LEGENDS O/T DARK KNIGHT #162 $2.50 DC 26,949

A series with a great idea (mini-series arcs by different creative teams) that succeeds more times than it doesn't. I just wish they'd get more daring with their choices, much like the Spider-Man team does with Tangled Webs.

74 GOTHAM CENTRAL #1 $2.50 DC 26,785

A new book focusing on the cops in Gotham City. I LOVE the idea (and actually wrote a bunch of stories like that in the mid 90's), and it's being done by Greg Rucka, who writes crime novels. Highly Recommended, even though the first issue has sold out at my local.

75 POWERS #27 (MR) $2.95 IMA 26,621

I remember when this comic was selling about 12,000 copies a month and I was recommending it constantly. Now it's one of the bigger indy success stories and is STILL a great comic. The premise is that they are policemen in a city with Super-Heroes, and is told with crime-fiction dialogue. Highly recommended.

76 BATMAN/ALIENS II #1 (Of 3) $5.95 DC 25,155

Anyone else sick to death of super-heroes fighting Aliens? The movie was almost 20 years ago now.

77 MICRONAUTS #4* $2.95 IMA 25,001

#3 isn't out yet, so I don't think #4 will be out this month. I read the first two issues, but I'll be damned if I can remember anything but that the art was pretty bad.

78 CATWOMAN #14 $2.50 DC 24,739

Another well-done crime comic, with very simplistic art. No, that's not an insult. The art goes by the rule of older artists who drew knowing that the fewer lines you can use to render a scene appropriately, the better. This comic is a bit more involved, story-wise, but is still Highly Recommended for people who are willing to pick up a couple of back issues to get what's going on.

79 GOTHAM CENTRAL #2 $2.50 DC 24,651

The second issue of the comic recommended above.

80 MEKANIX #3 (Of 6) $2.99 MAR 24,487

Kitty Pryde (from the X-Men about 15 years ago) in a solo mini-series with a dumb name and a passable script by Chris Claremont, missing most of his endless plot thread stuff. Mildly recommended to old school X-Fans.

81 SPIDER-GIRL #54 $2.25 MAR 24,389

A solid super-hero book aimed at younger readers. Too bad there AREN'T any younger readers anymore.

82 TOMB RAIDER #26 $2.99 IMA 24,257

Pretty good for a comic based on a series of games that hasn't had a decent addition in about 5 years. However, this was once a #1 book...

83 ROBIN #109 $2.25 DC 24,170

84 STAR WARS EMPIRE #4 $2.99 DAR 23,962

85 LEGION #15 $2.50 DC 23,962

86 SHANG CHI MASTER OF KUNG FU #4 (Of 6) (MR) $2.99 MAR 23,404

I'm pretty happy that this reunion of Moench and Gulacy on MOKF is selling well enough to be considered a hit by Marvel (it's in the top 20 of moneymaking books). Yesh, I'll be waiting until it's collected, but this was one of the best comics of the 70's, and instead of having some new creator take a swing at it, they reunited the team that make the book great for one more swing at it.

87 SPIDER-MAN TANGLED WEB #21 $2.99 MAR 23,360

Best J. Jonah Jameson story EVER. Not just Highly Recommended for super-hero fans, but this is the best Marvel book of the month. Funny, well done and eminently entertaining. Quit reading this and go buy it NOW.

88 SOJOURN #18 $2.95 CRO 23,284

OK, this review is for ALL CrossGen books, so that I don't have to go on and on about them. I read them in the collected versions (Forge and Edge) and think they are appealing visually, but ultimately average fantasy stories that I would ignore if not for the collected books. If you like fantasy novels, you'll probably like this stuff too.

89 SOLDIER X #6 $2.25 MAR 23,218

90 YOUNG JUSTICE #52 $2.75 DC 22,758

Cancelled. This comic never really took off for me, having a lot of Big Crossover stories and inside jokes that never seemed to pay off. It was entertaining enough, but the inside stuff drove away what few young readers it had, and the teen soap opera stuff never really clicked. Some nice ideas overall, but a lack of focus kept me from ever feeling that it was more than just an average comic.

91 FILTH #7 (Of 13) (MR) $2.95 DC 22,736

Getting it as a trade. Ask me what I think then.

92 FABLES #8 (MR) $2.50 DC 22,222

DC's new Vertigo hit, and while it's not the most original of ideas, it is well done. The premise is: fairy tale characters in a semi-modern world. By this point, I would suggest that people buy the books as they come out, as it is VERY geared toward trade paperback compilations.

93 GHOST IN THE SHELL 2 MAN MACHINE INTERFACE #3 (MR) $3.50 DAR 21,478

The first issue isn't out yet. Way to go, Dark Horse...the best selling Manga ever, and you can't get it out on time.

94 GLOBAL FREQUENCY #3 (Of 12) $2.95 DC 21,369

95 TITANS #48 $2.75 DC 21,336

Also cancelled. Never much liked the comic. I bought it and it was a tolerable read, but it never grabbed me the way a comic should. Here's hoping the next Teen Titans series is good, because we've had four since the Wolfman/Perez stuff, and they have all sucked.

96 STAR WARS TALES #14* $5.99 DAR 20,876

This comic shows that there ARE good Star Wars stories that can be done in comics. This is also the only comic that uses the Star Wars characters we actually give a damn about. Recommended for Star Wars fans.

97 MARVEL DOUBLE SHOT #2 (Of 4) $2.99 MAR 20,548

98 SUPERGIRL #77 $2.50 DC 20,307

ALSO cancelled. Lots of DC books getting chopped...and it's weird that they are canceling books in the top 100. Normally, a DC comic has to be below #130 to be stopped. And the problem with this comic was that it went on a VERY Long story that didn't wrap up for over a year, with a lot of "Oh, we're building to a good story" sort of stuff going on. You can't do that anymore. You have to tell a good story out of the gate every issue.

99 STAR WARS REPUBLIC #49 $2.99 DAR 19,990

100 TOM STRONG #19 $2.95 DC 19,957

Alan Moore doing a near perfect pulp action story that appears to be simple, but holds tons of interesting ideas, and every issue is amazingly entertaining. Highly Recommended.

101 LIBERTY MEADOWS #29 $2.95 IMA 19,837

Looks like moving to Image was a good plan. This is a comic that reprints the Liberty Meadows comic strip, which I avoided reading for a long time since it seemed like a ripoff of Bloom County. I was horribly, horribly wrong. The art is amazing, and the strip is hilarious. Why my newspaper runs Fred Basset instead of this, I have no idea. Highly Recommended.

102 GEN 13 #4 $2.95 DC 19,837

It sold a lot better under the previous creative team, which I liked a lot more as well. Guess I'm not the only one, eh?

103 Y THE LAST MAN #6 (MR) $2.95 DC 19,334

And in Vertigo, this is a HUGE HIT!! There are DC books above it that have been cancelled...so I don't understand what DC uses to decide if a book is successful or not. And since I missed out, I'm going to get the trade paperback to see what all the shouting is about.

104 RUSE #15 $2.95 CRO 19,202

105 KILLRAVEN #3 (Of 6) $2.99 MAR 19,016

I like Alan Davis and all, but I don't want to read a Killraven story that isn't by Don McGregor. Sorry.

106 BLACK PANTHER #52 $2.50 MAR 18,393

107 ALIAS AGENT BRISTOW #0* $2.99 ACO 18,261

It's a Rob Liefeld book. That means it won't ship on time. And it didn't. It's also a zero issue, which means it will suck MORE.

108 ARCHARDS AGENTS #1 $2.95 CRO 18,218

109 KISS #5* $2.99 DAR 18,207

110 OUT THERE #15 $2.95 DC 18,086

I've utterly lost interest. And since it's a "limited series" I doubt it's going to be gaining in sales anytime soon.

111 HARLEY QUINN #27 $2.50 DC 17,857

Probably next on the chopping block. DC got about 12 good issues out of the character, and now it's just a confusing mess.

112 HELLBLAZER #179 (MR) $2.75 DC 17,572

An OK version of the character. The new team still hasn't grabbed me yet.

113 MARVILLE #4 $2.25 MAR 17,266

Note to Bill Jemas: This isn't funny. It's painful. Please go back to issuing press releases and doing...whatever the hell it is you do. Leave comic writing to comic writers. Thanks.

114 PROMETHEA #24 (Note Price) $2.95 DC 17,222

Just named as one of the ten best comics of the year by Time magazine. Guess they've been reading my praise of the book. Highly recommended, but NOT light reading.

115 WILDCATS VERSION 3.0 #5 (MR) $2.95 DC 17,200

Anyone want to put money on if there will be a 4.0? Oh yeah, and this book blows.

116 100 BULLETS #41 (MR) $2.50 DC 17,123

117 WAY O/T RAT #8 $2.95 CRO 17,102

118 WARLANDS VOL 3 #2 $2.95 DRE 16,894

119 PATH #10 $2.95 CRO 16,675

120 LONE WOLF 2100 #6 $2.99 DAR 16,522

We really don't need a futuristic Americanized retelling of the story. Really. We'll just buy the original, thanks.

121 FUTURAMA SIMPSONS SP CROSSOVER CRISIS #2 (Of 2) $2.50 BON 16,325

The first issue was fun, in a goofy sort of way, so this one (if it ever ships) should be as well. One of the better comics from a company that always seems to put out good books. Highly recommended.

122 GOTHAM GIRLS #5 (Of 5) $2.25 DC 16,325

123 HELLBLAZER SPECIAL LADY CONSTANTINE #1 (Of 4) (MR) $2.95 DC 16,281

In a previous life John Constantine was a Lady. Now he's a MAN baby. OK, the Austin Powers bit was lame, but is it as lame as yet another spin-off of the Sandman series? I didn't make a mistake, Lady Constantine first appeared in Sandman, but they made it a Hellblazer special when Hellblazer sales started going up.

124 WAR STORY J FOR JENNY $4.95 DC 16,029

Yeah, well, C is for Cookie, that's good enough for me.

125 STORMWATCH TEAM ACHILLES #6 (MR) $2.95 DC 15,996

126 BTVS #52 VIVA LAS BUFFY (2 Of 4)* $2.99 DAR 15,701

Sounds like the creative team (headed by the two writers of the X-Men books in the mid 90's) has been let go. The Buffy books suffer from not really doing anything interesting with the characters. I gave up a long time ago.

127 SPECTRE #24 $2.75 DC 15,471

Also cancelled. Too bad, but it's easy to see why. People picked it up wanting to see Hal Jordan dishing out hot vengeance, and instead they got a spiritual JM Dematties comic about redemption and faith. I liked this book a lot, but its really not telling a story that works well in comics.

128 EDENS TRAIL #2 (Of 6) $2.99 MAR 15,318

I finally saw an issue of this book...it's printed sideways and...well...it's printed sideways. Marvel didn't tell anyone anything about what it was about, and thought people would care. We don't.

129 SCION #31 $2.95 CRO 14,848

130 MEK #2 (Of 3) $2.95 DC 14,694

131 DOOM PATROL #15 $2.50 DC 14,552

Buy it for the art, because the story is probably too confusing to new readers by now. And why is this book still going with sales this low, when books that sell better are getting axed.

132 JUSTICE LEAGUE ADVENTURES #14 $2.25 DC 14,519

133 RA SALVATORE DEMON WARS TRIAL BY FIRE #1 (Of 5) $2.95 CRO 14,388

134 SIMPSONS COMICS #77 $2.50 BON 14,333

Probably the surest bet in comics. Often funnier than the show it's based on, this comic is always Highly Recommended

135 POWER COMPANY #11 $2.75 DC 14,235

Not as bad as its sales would indicate. Tom Grummet's art is an unsung joy, mixing the fine figurework of John Bucema and solid panel placement of George Perez, he not only draws well, but leads the eye along the page in a way that causes the story to flow perfectly. The story itself isn't great shakes, but certainly an average super-hero book. Mildly recommended to super-hero fans.

136 LUCIFER #33 (MR) $2.50 DC 13,918

137 AZRAEL AGENT O/T BAT #97 $2.95 DC 13,502

Almost done. Is anyone still reading this? I keep imagining people getting ti every month in their pull box and saying, "I still get this? Really? Are you sure?"

138 MYSTIC #31 (Net) $1.48 CRO 12,944

139 ROUTE 666 #7 $2.95 CRO 12,867

140 NEGATION #13 $2.95 CRO 12,856

141 CRUX #21 $2.95 CRO 12,616

142 FIRST #26 $2.95 CRO 12,298

143 SIGIL #31 $2.95 CRO 12,276

144 REX MUNDI #1 $2.95 IMA 12,222

145 SAVAGE DRAGON #106 $2.95 IMA 12,145

The last Image book done by the original creator. I'd give it props for that if it wasn't such a slapdash affair, with poor art and an over-reliance on knowing the history of the book. This is fan fiction dressed up as a professional comic.

146 ATHENA INC #5* $2.95 IMA 12,123

147 TOM JUDGE END OF DAYS #1 $3.99 IMA 12,068

148 MERIDIAN #31 $2.95 CRO 11,992

149 HUNTER AGE OF MAGIC #18 (MR) $2.75 DC 11,937

I hear this book is a favorite of DC's Prez Paul Levitz, and that must be why it's not ever mentioned as being on the chopping block, even though it can't be making much profit selling less than 12,000 copies.

150 HAWAIIAN DICK #1 $2.95 IMA 11,828

For all the hype, no one cares.

151 BATMAN GOTHAM ADVENTURES #57 $2.25 DC 11,740

152 HELLSPAWN #20 $2.50 IMA 11,696

Hard to believe this book started as a Bendis written Spawn book. Just think how well it would be selling now if McFarlane hadn't pissed off yet another writer who was happy to play with his toys. Now it's a painful embarrassment, if it even ships. I haven't seen a new issue in ages.

153 CODENAME KNOCKOUT #19 (MR) $2.75 DC 11,303

Cancelled. Not a surprise. Not that great either. Tries to be a sexy "Austin Powers" without the jokes that make you laugh.

154 WONDER WOMAN ANNUAL 1967 #1 $4.95 DC 10,909

I LOVE these 100 page reprint annuals. I see that DC priced the Wo9nder Woman one lower than the others, mostly because no one gives a damn about Wonder Woman. It's amazing how bad her silver age stories are.

155 ZERO GIRL FULL CIRCLE #2 (Of 5) (MR) $2.95 DC 10,351

156 GRENDEL RED WHITE & BLACK #4 (Of 4) $4.99 DAR 10,176

Two great Highly Recommended comics I will be buying in collected volumes, thank you very much.

157 AMERICAN CENTURY #21 (MR) $2.75 DC 9,771

158 FATE O/T BLADE #5 (MR) $2.95 DRE 9,705

159 VAMPIRELLA #16 REG ED $2.99 HAR 9,650

160 21 DOWN #4 $2.95 DC 9,596

161 AUTOMATIC KAFKA #6 (MR) $2.95 DC 9,224

162 XIN LEGEND O/T MONKEY KING #2 $2.99 HAR 9,103

163 SHONEN JUMP VOL 1 #2 FEB 2003 $4.95 VIZ 8,917

It only sells this many in comic shops, but Viz announced that they had sold over 250,000 of it through newsstands and bookstores. Does that let anyone in on the fact that comics are a HUGE UNTAPPED MARKET???? It focuses on Manga that is for young teenage boys, so I'm not all that interested, but it's not for me anyway. Congrats, on breaking down the stupidity wall, Viz...now show other publishers how to do it, ok?

164 ARKANIUM #4 $2.95 DRE 8,731

165 NOBLE CAUSES FAMILY SECRETS #3* $2.95 IMA 8,731

166 POWERPUFF GIRLS #33 $2.25 DC 8,720

167 POINT BLANK #5 (Of 5) (MR) $2.95 DC 8,523

168 FOREVER MAELSTROM #2 (Of 6) $2.95 DC 8,305

169 3 LITTLE KITTENS #3 (Of 3) $2.95 BRO 8,294

Yep, 3 issues of looking for their mittens. Unless this is a "dark gritty" version, which means they are looking for their hands. THEIR HANDS!!!

170 VERTIGO POP LONDON #2 (Of 4) (MR) $2.95 DC 8,140

171 TECH JACKET #2 (MR) $2.95 IMA 7,517

172 BLACK SUN #4 (Of 6) (MR) $2.95 DC 7,473

Black hole sun, no one cares, no one cares.

Commentary by a ten year old grunge song. Because I couldn't care less either.

173 OH MY GODDESS #93 TRAVELER (3 Of 5) $2.99 DAR 7,364

174 TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #7 $2.95 MIR 7,364

Soon to be relaunched AGAIN to try and take advantage of the nostalgia boom. I predict it still won't sell.

175 FIGHT FOR TOMORROW #4 (Of 6) (MR) $2.50 DC 7,265

176 RESISTANCE #4 $2.95 DC 7,035

177 KNIGHTS O/T DINNER TABLE #74 $3.99 KZR 6,992

Love this Highly Recommended comic, even if it only has about half comics and half gaming articles, it's still one of the funniest things ever produced in comics. If you have ever played D&D or a game like it, you'll love this book. And besides, you get 100 pages of comics and articles for $4.

178 REID FLEMING/FLAMING CARROT CROSSOVER #1 $3.99 DAR 6,937

I would have gone nuts for this back when these two comics were being produced and were the strangest, funniest comics being created. Now, it just makes me sad that neither of the creators have followed through with their talent and are just putting out a crossover parody ten years after crossovers were hot.

179 QUEEN & COUNTRY DECLASSIFIED #2 (Of 3) (MR) $2.95 ONI 6,740

Buying it as trades. Loving it as trades. I'm a trade paperback whore.

180 BLADE O/T IMMORTAL #74 FALL FROST (2 Of 6) $2.99 DAR 6,532

181 CEREBUS #285 $2.25 AAR 6,215

15 issues of anti-female ranting to go before #300!

182 SCOOBY-DOO #67 $2.25 DC 6,051

183 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #118 $2.19 ARC 5,854

184 J SCOTT CAMPBELL DANGER GIRL SKETCHBOOK NEW PRTG $6.95 DC 5,733

Does it NEED a new printing? Does anyone care about Danger Girl anymore since J. Scott Campbell can't even tear himself away from videogames to do a single issue every year?

185 SUPER MANGA BLAST #28 (MR) $5.99 DAR 5,427

The last of the Big Manga anthologies that were to bring back the anthology to comics. I like it, and every issue is filled with very good stories. Highly recommended for Manga fans.

186 PARADIGM #4 $3.50 IMA 5,318

187 DRAGONBALL PART 5 #7 (Of 7) $2.95 VIZ 5,143

188 BANZAI GIRL #3 (Of 4) $2.95 SIR 4,946

A comic featuring the adventures of a girl who draws herself and dresses like she draws herself. I think in the last issue, she dies trying to kiss a reflection of herself in a pond.

Oh come on, you HAVE to know where that reference is from, or I will lose all respect for you.

189 CANNON GOD EXAXXION STAGE 2 (4 Of 5) #12 (MR) (Note Price) $3.99 DAR 4,825

190 RANMA 1/2 PART 11 #10 (Of 11) $2.95 VIZ 4,814

One of the few manga series I am still buying since I started buying it a kerjillion years ago before they had trade paperback collections of everything they printed. A typically odd series that mixes martial arts, sitcom love triangles and curses that are triggered when people are splashed with hto water. Mildly recommended, even if you haven't read it before

191 BATTLE ANGEL ALITA LAST ORDER PART 1 #4 $2.95 VIZ 4,716

192 MAGE KNIGHT STOLEN DESTINY #3 (Of 5) $3.50 IDW 4,595

193 BLACK HOLE #10 (MR) $4.50 FAN 4,508

The new book by Charles Burns, frightening and disturbing in a way few horror comics can be. However, since it's so infrequent, just wait for Fantagraphics to collect it into a trade paperback.

194 TOP COW CLASSICS BATTLE O/T PLANETS #1 $2.99 IMA 4,442

It's a classic from 6 months ago.

195 BIG DADDY DANGER #5 (Of 9) $2.95 DC 4,398

Think DC feels stupid that they said yes to 9 issues of this? They have to be losing money on it with every issue.

196 SHI ILLUSTRATED WARRIOR #6 (Of 7) $2.99 CRU 4,366

197 DARKNESS FALLS TOOTH FAIRY TRAGIC LIFE OF MATILDA DIXON $2.99 DAR 4,278

198 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS BLACK & WHITE #6 (Of 6) $2.99 KZR 4,267

199 GOLD DIGGER #38 $3.50 ANT 4,103

200 GLOOM COOKIE MONSTERS CHRISTMAS COLOR SP (MR) $3.95 SLA 4,005

Love Love Love this comic, and this one is written as a very gothy Children's book with a nice backup strip included. Highly recommended and a perfect gift for that gothy girl you have a crush on. Come on. Buy it. Maybe she'll talk to you if you give it to her.

201 WARREN ELLIS SCARS #2 (Of 6) (MR) $3.50 AVA 3,950

202 ALL NEW TENCHI MUYO PART 2 #3 (Of 5) $2.95 VIZ 3,840

203 DORK TOWER #22 $2.99 DOR 3,775

204 COURTNEY CRUMRIN & COVEN OF MYSTICS #1 (Of 4) $2.95 ONI 3,742

205 TICK GOLDEN AGE COMIC #3* $4.95 NEW 3,644

If it's a Tick comic not be Ben Edlund, it's not worth buying.

206 RADISKULL & DEVIL DOLL RADISKULL HATE CHRISTMAS ONE-SHOT $2.50 IMA 3,490

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's a nasty Christmas comic, how original. *drops off to sleep until the comic is safely ensconced in the bargain bin, never to see the light of day again for good reason*

207 LOONEY TUNES #97 $2.25 DC 3,447

208 LUBAS COMICS & STORIES #3 (RES) (MR) $3.50 FAN 3,425

209 INU YASHA PART 7 #5 (Of 8) $2.95 VIZ 3,381

210 KODT ILLUSTRATED #17 $2.99 KZR 3,304

211 CAVEWOMAN PANGAEAN SEA #6 $3.25 AMR 3,293

Oh my heavens! A Cavewoman comic that isn't a Pin-Up or Swimsuit special. This has to be a record!

212 RAIJIN COMICS #1 (MR) $4.95 GUT 3,282

213 DEXTERS LABORATORY #33 $2.25 DC 3,272

214 DRAGON ARMS #1 $4.95 ANT 3,261

215 ARCHIE #531 $2.19 ARC 3,118

$2.19? That has to be the weirdest price point for a comic I have ever seen.

216 KILLBOX #1 $5.00 ANT 2,998

217 RAIJIN COMICS #2 (MR) $4.95 GUT 2,954

218 AWESOME MAN #1 $2.95 AST 2,943

And his friends Totally Radical Woman and Tubular Boy!

219 BETTY & VERONICA #183 $2.19 ARC 2,878

220 RAIJIN COMICS #3 (MR) $4.95 GUT 2,867

221 RAIJIN COMICS #4 (MR) $4.95 GUT 2,845

222 ENNIS & MCCREAS DICKS 2 #4 (Of 4) (MR) $3.50 AVA 2,823

223 BETTY & VERONICA DOUBLE DIGEST #112 $3.59 ARC 2,779

Calm down, ya bastids, it's just a double SIZED digest. Not a threesome involving Reggie.

224 DOGWITCH #3 (MR) $2.95 SIR 2,735

Either it's about your average Wiccan, or the new sammich at Burger King. Either way, I'm getting sued.

225 RIPLEYS BELIEVE IT OR NOT INVADERS #4 (Of 4) $2.99 DAR 2,724

Dark Horse printed all four issues, despite horridly bad sales. Believe it....or not.

226 NINJA HIGH SCHOOL #101 $3.50 ANT 2,713

227 WARREN ELLIS STRANGE KILLINGS BODY ORCHARD #6 (Of 6) (MR) $3.50 AVA 2,681

228 PVP #8 $2.99 DOR 2,648

Moving to Image, and probably will still be filled with inside jokes, slams at comics that are better done and low sales. But hey, they are at Image now!

229 BETTY #121 $2.19 ARC 2,648

230 SABRINA VOL 2 #40 $2.19 ARC 2,626

231 JUNGLE FANTASY #1* (MR) $3.50 AVA 2,593

232 VERONICA #135 $2.19 ARC 2,549

233 SABRINA VOL 2 #41 $2.19 ARC 2,538

234 PALS N GALS DOUBLE DIGEST #72 $3.59 ARC 2,462

235 ARCHIE & FRIENDS #66 $2.19 ARC 2,451

236 LITTLE GLOOMY ADVENTURES #1 $3.95 SLA 2,440

Yes, an honest review this far down the page. Dont' get used to it. Little Gloomy reminds me of the old Harvey comics like Spooky the Tuff Little Ghost and Hot Stuff, and I would buy and read them if they had a bit more substance to them (I can read an issue cover to cover in less than 5 minutes) and didn't cost so much. Mass marketing would bring prices down, but the companies like Slave Labor who DO comics that would succeed in a mass market can't afford to break into those markets.

And right below this comic is Alice in Sexland, which shows that comics fans need to go to other stores and buy REAL smut instead of kids stories turned into smut.

237 ALICE IN SEXLAND #8 (A) $3.50 ERO 2,418

238 BETTY & VERONICA SPECTACULAR #58 $2.19 ARC 2,407

239 BASTARD #13 EMPRESS (MR) $3.95 VIZ 2,407

240 CERES CELESTIAL LEGEND PART 4 #3 (Of 4) $3.50 VIZ 2,385

241 POISON ELVES COMPANION $3.50 SIR 2,352

You know,. most of the companions I have met who read Poison Elves, I get rid of just as soon as I can. Usually by distracting them with McDonald's gift certificates and boxes of cookies.

242 GOON #3 $2.95 ALB 2,331

243 BETTY & VERONICA DIGEST #135 $2.39 ARC 2,331

244 ARCHIE DIGEST #195 $2.39 ARC 2,309

245 JUGHEADS DOUBLE DIGEST #91 $3.59 ARC 2,287

246 SUPERCAR #1 $2.95 MIS 2,177

247 GENUS #57 (A) $3.50 RAD 2,013

Furry porn. This makes me more irritated than regular porn.

248 LAUGH DIGEST #181 $2.39 ARC 2,002

249 JUGHEAD W/ARCHIE DIGEST #180 $2.39 ARC 1,937

250 BATTLE O/T PLANETS #2 ANIMATION CVR EXC (Net) $5.00 IMA 1,893

251 DFE MASTERS O/T UNIVERSE ALT CVR #1 $6.99 DYN 1,838

How about the BFD alternate cover?

252 BIG O PART 3 #2 (Of 4) $3.50 VIZ 1,816

My girlfriend always tells me about her Big Os, so I don't need to read a comic about them. Oddly enough, she says they happen when she is shopping with my credit card.

253 MONSTER CLUB #1 $3.50 APC 1,729

254 THREE DAYS IN EUROPE #2 (Of 5) (MR) $2.95 ONI 1,696

A comic about riding on trains, bad food, not understanding a damn thing anyone is saying, overpriced tourist shops and dreading the plane ride home. Next time, just go to Canada.

255 SKY BETWEEN BRANCHES #0 (O/A) $2.99 CMX 1,619

256 LUFTWAFFE 1946 #4 $5.95 ANT 1,576

257 JACK STAFF #12 $2.95 DEP 1,554

This comic just got a big push in Previews and is moving to Image...not bad for a Union Jack series that Marvel didn't want. And no, I haven't read it yet.

258 SILENT MOBIUS PART 12 HELL #1 (Of 5) $2.95 VIZ 1,554

259 SPACEHACK #3 (Of 3) $2.99 KZR 1,532

260 ZENDRA VOL 2 #6 (Of 6) $2.95 PEN 1,521

261 ENNIS & MCCREAS DICKS 2 OFFENSIVE #4 (Of 4) (MR) $3.95 AVA 1,521

262 AG SUPER EROTIC ANTHOLOGY #6 (A) $4.99 ICA 1,488

Who is driving? Oh No! Super Erotic Bear is driving!

263 JUNGLE FANTASY #1/2* $3.95 COM 1,488

I think my Jungle Fantasy is that everyone who does Jungle comics gets the Ebola virus and never does anymore comics about brave white people in a land of savages.

264 FURRLOUGH #120 $2.99 RAD 1,477

No, I'm not saying anything about this issue either.

265 WARREN ELLIS SCARS #2 (Of 6) WRPRND (MR) $3.95 AVA 1,444

Remember Cory's Rule On Warren Ellis Comics. If his name is in the title, it's worthless crap. Thank you.

266 JASON & ARGOBOTS #4 (Of 4) $2.95 ONI 1,422

Just a note to people. Taking old stories (like Treasure Island and Jason and the Argonauts) and doing Sci Fi versions of them never EVER work.

267 ARSENIC LULLABIES JAN 2003 #4 $2.65 AMP 1,379

268 CHERRY PRIME #1 (A) $6.00 HIP 1,335

269 SPIRIT O/T AMAZON #1 (MR) $2.95 NWS 1,335

270 NAUGHTY BITS #37 (MR) $2.95 FAN 1,335

More stuff by Roberta Gregory. Some people really like her, I think her work is bad underground retreads. Your mileage my vary.

271 VAGABOND #14 (MR) $4.95 VIZ 1,280

272 LOST STOCK OF CHILDREN #1 $2.99 NEK 1,280

I can't seem to find my Campbell Canned Children Stock and it's time to make the gravy.

273 REAR ENTRY #2 (A) $3.50 ERO 1,280

Oh, just make it go away, OK? Please?

274 TUESDAY #2 (Of 2) $2.95 KIM 1,247

275 INQUISITOR #1 (MR) $3.95 VER 1,225

NO ONE EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISITION!!!

276 WARRIOR NUN AREALA #13 $2.99 ANT 1,182

Remember when this was a hot book with an action figure and a animated movie deal? Neither do I.

277 JOHNNY THE HOMICIDAL MANIAC #6 (STAR14549) $2.95 SLA 1,149

278 WARREN ELLIS STRANGE KILLINGS BODY ORCHARD #6 WRPRND $3.95 AVA 1,127

For an extra $1 you can avoid the ad on the back cover. And you can avoid the whole damn thing for free if you leave it on the shelf, ignored and untouched.

279 OH MY #1 (A) $2.95 ICE 1,116

280 HIP FLASK UNNATURAL SELECTION (O/A) $2.99 ACT 1,105

This was a very cool comic, with unbelievable art by Jose Ladronn. If you didn't get it the first time, pick up a copy now because it's Highly Recommended.

281 RGA MAGAZINE #1 (MR) $9.90 GUT 1,083

282 PROJECT ARMS PART 1 #4 (Of 16) $3.25 VIZ 1,083

283 JOHNNY THE HOMICIDAL MANIAC #5 (STAR14548) $2.95 SLA 1,072

284 ORIENT SEXPRESS #4 (A) $3.50 ERO 1,072

It's either bad sex stories about oriental women or bad sex stories set on a train. Either way, it makes me wonder why anyone would draw this stuff and give it to an editor saying, "This is my very best work, please publish it!"

285 COLONIA #8 $2.95 COL 1,050

286 DIGITAL WEBBING PRESENTS #6 $2.95 DIG 1,039

287 WEAPON BROWN $4.95 DEA 1,029

I just drop to my knees and pray that this isn't a porn comic that is doing a spy spoof by way of Mr. Hankey.

288 WARHAMMER MONTHLY #62 $3.50 GAM 1,029

289 WARHAMMER MONTHLY #63 (Note Price) $5.95 GAM 1,018

OK, I'm noting the price. There's $5.95 I am not going to spend since this is a GAMING MAGAZINE AND NOT A COMIC BOOK YOU IDIOTS.

290 VAMPIRE YUI VOL 5 #4 $2.95 ICE 996

291 RGA MAGAZINE #2 (MR) $9.90 GUT 974

292 ZOIDS #11 $5.95 VIZ 952

293 HEARTCORE #3 (A) $2.95 ICE 952

Oh, look a stupid pun. Must be a porn comic. The saddest thing is that the title is probably the most interesting thing about it.

294 VAMPIRELLA #16 LTD ED* $9.95 HAR 941

Limited to people stupid enough to pay $10 for a $3 comic that gives about $1 worth of entertainment.

295 COLLIERS VOL 2 #2 (MR) $3.50 DRA 930

296 RGA MAGAZINE #3 (MR) $9.90 GUT 930

297 RGA MAGAZINE #4 (MR) $9.90 GUT 930

RGA? Sadly, I don't even care enough to figure out what RGA stands for or make a joke about it.

298 ELVIRA #116 $2.50 CLA 919

I'm guessing that Elvira has 900 friends and 19 other people bought it by accident thinking it was a retro book like Robotech.

299 OPPOSITE FORCES #2 $2.95 FPP 908

300 BASEMENT COMICS AMRYL SAN DIEGO 2002 JAM BOOK* $5.00 AMR 908

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