Episode #4 of the Bagged and Bored Cast is now up on iTunes for your listening pleasure. Join us as we discuss:
The Week in Geek - We talk about the stories that got our nerd juices going from this past weeks San Diego Comic Con, and there is a LOT.
The List - Find out what comics we're looking most forward to next week Wednesday.
Main Topic - We talk about one of our favorite topics, ZOMBIES. We talk about how they've infected every form of media with their flesh craving and what we love the best about them.
Movie Fix - We sink our teeth into the Zach Galifianakis film, Visioneers, in which John and Paul argue. For some reason.
If you haven't already it's time to subscribe at iTunes, and make sure you follow us at twitter.com/baggedandbored to find out the latest B&B news today!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Here Wii Go Again
The Nintendo Wii, or as it's referred to in my house, the "Dr. Mario" Machine has just updated it's controls with "Wii Motion Plus". Honestly, the Wii is a box I place all the games I'm nostalgic for in. I've spent too much money over the past 3 years repurchasing some of the games I still have already in cartridges. Sure the nostalgia is one of the reasons I bought into the Wii hype, but there was also the promise of motion control. Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 both recently announced plans for their own motion controls at the past E3. Wii has found mass market success with the easy to pick up an play style of the Wii-motes dominating the top spot on monthly sales charts since it's launch. Now Nintendo is looking to stay ahead of their competitors with an update from "waggle" controls to a full 1-1 motion controls. The "Wii Motion Plus" add-on was first bundled with EA's "Tiger Woods 10" last month and has now been bundled with the released sequel to the mega hits "Wii Sports" and "Wii Play", "Wii Sports Resort" yesterday.
"Wii Sports Resort" comes with 12 different sports to choose from, and small variations on those sports to unlock. "Wii Sports Resort" also comes with one annoying unskipable 3 minute tutorial on how to plug in the "Wii Motion Plus". So, as a pro-tip pop in "Wii Sports Resort" before anyone come over to play. Back to the games: bowling and table tennis make a return with updated controls, and right away the difference can be felt. A simple twist of the wrist can change the behavior of a shot now, where as before hooking the ball in bowling or placing spin on the ball in table tennis seemed impossible. The only time I was disappointed in the control was in the archery section. Pulling back the nunchuk in this part mimics pulling the string of a bow, but there is some pretty heavy lag in the movement to the action on-screen. This might be due to the nunchuk not being designed with "Motion Plus" in mind.
Overall this game is going to be purchased and played by millions. Though, I'm not sure if it's enough to draw my friends into like the original "Wii Sports" did. The "Wii Sports Resort" competes for time against party games like "Guitar Hero", "Rock Band", "Boom Blocks" and a myriad of trivia games. "Wii Play" never grabbed attention away from "Wii Sports" and "Wii Sports Resort" just doesn't have the newness to win over get-togethers. However, played alone or by two people there is more then enough to entertain on a lazy day. That is the time for this game to shine. Played by two friends, fencing and basketball can kill many an hour. So when you purchase "Wii Sports Resort" make sure to buy a second "Wii Motion Plus". Keep the competition fierce and there will be more reason to turn on the Wii other then just nostalgia. Have fun.
"Wii Sports Resort" comes with 12 different sports to choose from, and small variations on those sports to unlock. "Wii Sports Resort" also comes with one annoying unskipable 3 minute tutorial on how to plug in the "Wii Motion Plus". So, as a pro-tip pop in "Wii Sports Resort" before anyone come over to play. Back to the games: bowling and table tennis make a return with updated controls, and right away the difference can be felt. A simple twist of the wrist can change the behavior of a shot now, where as before hooking the ball in bowling or placing spin on the ball in table tennis seemed impossible. The only time I was disappointed in the control was in the archery section. Pulling back the nunchuk in this part mimics pulling the string of a bow, but there is some pretty heavy lag in the movement to the action on-screen. This might be due to the nunchuk not being designed with "Motion Plus" in mind.
Overall this game is going to be purchased and played by millions. Though, I'm not sure if it's enough to draw my friends into like the original "Wii Sports" did. The "Wii Sports Resort" competes for time against party games like "Guitar Hero", "Rock Band", "Boom Blocks" and a myriad of trivia games. "Wii Play" never grabbed attention away from "Wii Sports" and "Wii Sports Resort" just doesn't have the newness to win over get-togethers. However, played alone or by two people there is more then enough to entertain on a lazy day. That is the time for this game to shine. Played by two friends, fencing and basketball can kill many an hour. So when you purchase "Wii Sports Resort" make sure to buy a second "Wii Motion Plus". Keep the competition fierce and there will be more reason to turn on the Wii other then just nostalgia. Have fun.
The List - 7/29/09
Another pretty light week of comic's coming out this week but there are a couple shining stars:
BLACKEST NIGHT: TALES OF THE CORPS #3 - In this 3-issue miniseries, writers Geoff Johns and Peter J. Tomasi (GREEN LANTERN CORPS) reveal the secrets behind the Lanterns of BLACKEST NIGHT! Bear witness to Blue Lantern Saint Walker's pilgrimage of hope, Star Sapphire Carol Ferris' sacrifice for love, Green Lantern Kilowog's courageous beginnings, Red Lantern Vice's source of rage, Orange Lantern Blume's bizarre creation, and the first appearance of the mysterious Indigo, leader of the Indigo Tribe! - So most of what has been teased in the solicitations for this 3 issue mini happened in the past two issues, so we know we'll get to see the origin of Kilowog in this one, but the other stories are a mystery. I'm hoping for a good Sinestro Corps story, and since there hasn't been one in the book yet a Black Lantern story maybe. Black Hand has been pretty well fleshed (pun kind of intended) out over the past few issues of the core (notice not "Corps" issues) of Green Lantern, so I'd like to see a story from the point of view of one of the Black Lanterns (namely Martian Manhunter).
DETECTIVE COMICS #855 - Elegy" part 2 of 4 by Greg Rucka and JH Williams III! Batwoman captures her enemy, a madwoman known only as Alice who sees her life as a fairy tale and everyone around her as expendable extras – including Kate! But when the tables are turned, Batwoman finds herself in a hallucination slamming the present into a collision with the past, and the hints of a threat that will claim the lives of every man, woman and child in Gotham City. And in the all-new co-feature starring the Question, Montoya's quest to find a missing young girl turns deadly. - I have to say that Detective Comics has been the most surprising of the Batman Reborn titles, based solely on the fact that in her previous appearances Batwoman didn't wow me at all. Now that writer Greg Rucka has more of a chance to explore her I'm excited to learn more about the character, and JH Williams artwork doesn't hurt at all. On the flip side while I've always loved Renee Montoya in her journeys throughout the Batman books, Gotham Central and ultimately 52, I feel like the back up might not be enough to really get into her story. But this is only the second batch so we'll see how things turn out.
TEEN TITANS #73 - In the first feature, the team attempts to rescue Wonder Girl from the new Fearsome Five, as Calculator enacts his revenge on the team for not protecting his children. In the 10-page co-feature, Ravager faces the drug problem that could kill her! - Both Teen Titans and it's sister title, Titans, have been floundering for a little while. Beyond Blue Beetle and Static there aren't many other characters on the cast that I care enough about. New writer and Smallville producer, Brian Q. Miller may change that though as DC is giving him a big vote of confidence handing him the keys to one of the DC Universe's key franchises, as well as the upcoming Batgirl book.
What's got me and the crew pumped for next week? Make sure you listen to this weeks episode of the Bagged and Bored Cast for our collective List!
TEEN TITANS #73 - In the first feature, the team attempts to rescue Wonder Girl from the new Fearsome Five, as Calculator enacts his revenge on the team for not protecting his children. In the 10-page co-feature, Ravager faces the drug problem that could kill her! - Both Teen Titans and it's sister title, Titans, have been floundering for a little while. Beyond Blue Beetle and Static there aren't many other characters on the cast that I care enough about. New writer and Smallville producer, Brian Q. Miller may change that though as DC is giving him a big vote of confidence handing him the keys to one of the DC Universe's key franchises, as well as the upcoming Batgirl book.
What's got me and the crew pumped for next week? Make sure you listen to this weeks episode of the Bagged and Bored Cast for our collective List!
Bagged and Bored Cast
Want a peek behind the curtain? Take a look at our state of the art* recording studios in this special behind the scenes clip from the recording of episode 2.
*State of the art refering of course to Paul's kitchen table.
*State of the art refering of course to Paul's kitchen table.
Bagged and Bored Cast Episode 3
Episode number 3 of the Bagged and Bored cast is now up for listening on the iTunes store! In this episode we bring you as always:
Week In Geek - We gush over the new Magic: The Gathering core set, and talk about Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, and the rerelease of Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 for download on the XBox Live Marketplace
The List - Next weeks comics that are going to have us rushing to the Comic Shop to get our
Main Topic - DC's growing Green Lantern-centric event: Blackest Night
Movie Fix - We hit up the Spanish film [REC] and the American adaptation Quarantine
So Subscribe today and make sure to review and rate us on iTunes, and check us out at http://twitter.com/BaggedandBored today!
Week In Geek - We gush over the new Magic: The Gathering core set, and talk about Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, and the rerelease of Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 for download on the XBox Live Marketplace
The List - Next weeks comics that are going to have us rushing to the Comic Shop to get our
Main Topic - DC's growing Green Lantern-centric event: Blackest Night
Movie Fix - We hit up the Spanish film [REC] and the American adaptation Quarantine
So Subscribe today and make sure to review and rate us on iTunes, and check us out at http://twitter.com/BaggedandBored today!
Monday, July 20, 2009
Gathering the Magic
I'd have to say it was the summer after 5th grade when I first saw a Magic: The Gathering deck. That year was 1994, a full year after Wizards of the Coast released the game. A friend of mine had just come back from California where he was visiting his father and new step-mother and brought back with him a box full of monsters, demons, angels and wizards. What a wonderful concept instead of boring sports stars printed on playing card, which I had collected up to the year before, these cards had all the fantasy allure my 11 year old mind could handle. Even more amazing is that these cards when sorted and arranged could do more then sit in a shoebox (my baseball cards are still in the same shoebox) they could play a game. A game full of strategy and sorcery, a game I still don't completely grasp. When I would point out the packs at the store or ask for the cards for my birthday or Christmas my parents didn't see the same magical adventure I did, they saw a complete money sink and fad.
It wasn't until 14 years later did I come into my own possession of any Magic cards. By random coincidence, I was looking for a board game of substantial depth and strategy but was quick in set up and play, when the 10th edition was released. The Christmas before I had received "BattleLore", a board game with so many pieces and a manual so think I still haven't put the game nor the idea of how to play together. So, there I was with Risk, a game I love though it has no fantasy to it and finding more then one other person to play is a pain and "BattleLore" a game which I should love, though teaching someone how to play is an even more daunting task then teaching myself. Then, then I remembered how quickly I learned how to play "MTG" during my middle school days. Each birthday party I went to during those days focused around all the kids bringing their decks and battling it out. I would borrow a friend's deck and be quickly defeated. Now however, I had time and more importantly the disposable income to learn the game of Magic and a new starter set came to market.
It's been 2 years since, and I have only played a hand full of games and still don't have a strong competitive deck. I still have holes to fill with "common" cards to build a basic deck. This is why I'm now shopping around looking to purchase a few booster packs from the newly released "2010 Core Set". Unlike the booster packs that have come out between the "10th Edition" and now, the "Core Set" is filled with more basic cards that a new player like me can easily understand.
Combine the new "Core Set" and the new "Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Plainswalker" Xbox Live Arcade game and I am ready to jump into the magic again. The Xbox Live Arcade game is downloadable for 800 Xbox Live points (roughly $10) and is a good premier into MTG. Just playing through the tutorial gave me an overview on all the play mechanics. Plus, it allows anyone to pick up and play without delving time and money into developing decks. On the downside, the full library of card aren't available, since the game is played with pre-built decks.
Hopefully, I can convince a few of my friends to dust off their old decks and put up with my need to ask questions every round to play a few games again. Maybe this time I can stick with it longer then a month and learn how to play well enough to win. I doubt it.
It wasn't until 14 years later did I come into my own possession of any Magic cards. By random coincidence, I was looking for a board game of substantial depth and strategy but was quick in set up and play, when the 10th edition was released. The Christmas before I had received "BattleLore", a board game with so many pieces and a manual so think I still haven't put the game nor the idea of how to play together. So, there I was with Risk, a game I love though it has no fantasy to it and finding more then one other person to play is a pain and "BattleLore" a game which I should love, though teaching someone how to play is an even more daunting task then teaching myself. Then, then I remembered how quickly I learned how to play "MTG" during my middle school days. Each birthday party I went to during those days focused around all the kids bringing their decks and battling it out. I would borrow a friend's deck and be quickly defeated. Now however, I had time and more importantly the disposable income to learn the game of Magic and a new starter set came to market.
It's been 2 years since, and I have only played a hand full of games and still don't have a strong competitive deck. I still have holes to fill with "common" cards to build a basic deck. This is why I'm now shopping around looking to purchase a few booster packs from the newly released "2010 Core Set". Unlike the booster packs that have come out between the "10th Edition" and now, the "Core Set" is filled with more basic cards that a new player like me can easily understand.
Combine the new "Core Set" and the new "Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Plainswalker" Xbox Live Arcade game and I am ready to jump into the magic again. The Xbox Live Arcade game is downloadable for 800 Xbox Live points (roughly $10) and is a good premier into MTG. Just playing through the tutorial gave me an overview on all the play mechanics. Plus, it allows anyone to pick up and play without delving time and money into developing decks. On the downside, the full library of card aren't available, since the game is played with pre-built decks.Hopefully, I can convince a few of my friends to dust off their old decks and put up with my need to ask questions every round to play a few games again. Maybe this time I can stick with it longer then a month and learn how to play well enough to win. I doubt it.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Bagged and Bored Cast Episode 2
As of tonight Episode 2 of the Bagged and Bored Cast is officially live on iTunes!
In this episode we debut our new segment the Week In Geek, then we dive into The List and talk about whats got us pumped for next weeks new books. Then we head right into our main topic where we discuss the weekly comics past and present from DC's 52 to Wednesday Comics. Finally we bend into our Movie Fix where we talk about the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender and the upcoming movie by M. Night Shamalyan.
If you haven't already, nows the perfect time to subscribe and join us for some weekly discussion!
In this episode we debut our new segment the Week In Geek, then we dive into The List and talk about whats got us pumped for next weeks new books. Then we head right into our main topic where we discuss the weekly comics past and present from DC's 52 to Wednesday Comics. Finally we bend into our Movie Fix where we talk about the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender and the upcoming movie by M. Night Shamalyan.
If you haven't already, nows the perfect time to subscribe and join us for some weekly discussion!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Exciting News!
Hey everybody, an exciting bit of news, the first episode of the Bagged and Bored Cast is now live! This little project will be our grand venture into the world of podcasting, with each episode bringing you a roundtable discussion of the comics were most looking forward to in The List, a rotating weekly rotating topic as well as a movie review.
This week's episode has us tackling The List in which we discuss the upcoming Blackest Night #1 from DC Comics, then we discuss the rising cost of comics today, and finally wrap up with some words about the film Time Crimes.
Give it a list at at the streaming site: http://baggedandbored.mypodcast.com/ or make sure you subscribe for FREE on the iTunes store, and soon the Zune Marketplace as well to have the newest episodes downloaded directly to your portable music machine of choice.
So please subsribe and rate us today, and thanks for the support! This is just the start...
This week's episode has us tackling The List in which we discuss the upcoming Blackest Night #1 from DC Comics, then we discuss the rising cost of comics today, and finally wrap up with some words about the film Time Crimes.
Give it a list at at the streaming site: http://baggedandbored.mypodcast.com/ or make sure you subscribe for FREE on the iTunes store, and soon the Zune Marketplace as well to have the newest episodes downloaded directly to your portable music machine of choice.
So please subsribe and rate us today, and thanks for the support! This is just the start...
Bend It Like Aang
"Avatar: The Last Airbender", debuted it's live action movie trailer last month with the release of "Transformers 2". Being marketed and named "The Last Airbender" (to reduce confusion with James Cameron's upcoming film "Avatar") will be the first in a trilogy retelling the cartoon fantasy epic that aired on Nickelodeon.
I have to admit that it was not the first season of "Avatar: The Last Airbender" that really dragged me into the series, since I first caught it on Nickelodeon during season 2. Going back and watching the first season, it does seem a little slower then the rest of the series which is to be expected, since the first season is a journey tale. A journey tale allows the viewer to experience new places, sites, people and cultures along side the main characters. "Avatar Book One" uses this plot device well, going from village to village giving a complete sense of the world. I have always enjoyed maps of fictional places in stories, from "The Lord of the Ring" books to the "Under Sea Over Stone" and "Narnia" series, as a kid I would pour over the maps included in the front and back of books. Luckily enough, each episode of "Avatar" starts with zooming into a map, harking back to my first travels into the fantasy genre.
Even though the setting for "Avatar" is one of high fantasy, the first season hits with humor hard. This could be the creators' roots showing up in this work both Michael Dante DiMartino and Byran Konietzko got their start in T.V. on "Family Guy" "Mission Hill" and "King of the Hill", not so much the kung-fu action. Granted the laughs can be immature at most points, though there are a few quick turns of phases and call back jokes for a little more sophisticated chuckle. I'm not saying animal snot doesn't make me laugh (it does), but it is nice to have another level of comedy mixed in to it.
It's that mix of comedy with action that has me nervous about M. Night Shyamalan's written, produced and directed adaptation "The Last Airbender". Shyamalan has been able to weave his plots in the past to surprise audiences, though I haven't thought of him as working well with comedy or action. I won't be surprised if his rendition focuses heavily on a small group of friends being chased throughout the world by the army of firebenders, instead of a coming to age journey. Playing up tension and suspense which are strong suits for Shyamalan, might not leave much room for humor in a 2hr. movie.
Watching the trailer and seeing this poster, point out M. Night's other calling card: his use of muted colors. Coloration in his past works have been important, the use of red in "The Six Sense" and purple in "Unbreakable". "The Last Airbender" however was a cartoon, a brightly colored spectacle. In the trailer and poster I don't see a vast color palette. Where the visuals missed for me the audio was a direct hit. James Newton Howard the composer from "The Dark Knight" nailed it. Every episode of "Avatar" was filled with eastern sounding drums, driving the action and emotion. I'm excited to find out if James Newton Howard is signed to do the whole trilogy or just came to work the trailer.
Overall I'm excited and no matter how "The Last Airbender" turns out next year, I will always have the DVD sets to watch over and over again.
I have to admit that it was not the first season of "Avatar: The Last Airbender" that really dragged me into the series, since I first caught it on Nickelodeon during season 2. Going back and watching the first season, it does seem a little slower then the rest of the series which is to be expected, since the first season is a journey tale. A journey tale allows the viewer to experience new places, sites, people and cultures along side the main characters. "Avatar Book One" uses this plot device well, going from village to village giving a complete sense of the world. I have always enjoyed maps of fictional places in stories, from "The Lord of the Ring" books to the "Under Sea Over Stone" and "Narnia" series, as a kid I would pour over the maps included in the front and back of books. Luckily enough, each episode of "Avatar" starts with zooming into a map, harking back to my first travels into the fantasy genre.
Even though the setting for "Avatar" is one of high fantasy, the first season hits with humor hard. This could be the creators' roots showing up in this work both Michael Dante DiMartino and Byran Konietzko got their start in T.V. on "Family Guy" "Mission Hill" and "King of the Hill", not so much the kung-fu action. Granted the laughs can be immature at most points, though there are a few quick turns of phases and call back jokes for a little more sophisticated chuckle. I'm not saying animal snot doesn't make me laugh (it does), but it is nice to have another level of comedy mixed in to it.
It's that mix of comedy with action that has me nervous about M. Night Shyamalan's written, produced and directed adaptation "The Last Airbender". Shyamalan has been able to weave his plots in the past to surprise audiences, though I haven't thought of him as working well with comedy or action. I won't be surprised if his rendition focuses heavily on a small group of friends being chased throughout the world by the army of firebenders, instead of a coming to age journey. Playing up tension and suspense which are strong suits for Shyamalan, might not leave much room for humor in a 2hr. movie.
Watching the trailer and seeing this poster, point out M. Night's other calling card: his use of muted colors. Coloration in his past works have been important, the use of red in "The Six Sense" and purple in "Unbreakable". "The Last Airbender" however was a cartoon, a brightly colored spectacle. In the trailer and poster I don't see a vast color palette. Where the visuals missed for me the audio was a direct hit. James Newton Howard the composer from "The Dark Knight" nailed it. Every episode of "Avatar" was filled with eastern sounding drums, driving the action and emotion. I'm excited to find out if James Newton Howard is signed to do the whole trilogy or just came to work the trailer.
Overall I'm excited and no matter how "The Last Airbender" turns out next year, I will always have the DVD sets to watch over and over again.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
TIME CAN BE A CRUEL MISTRESS
At 6 years old, Marty McFly and Doc Brown shook my world by introducing me to time travel. I wouldn’t say that I’ve been obsessed; but time has always been on my mind. My father, seeing a starry eyed boy in wonder over this thing called time, sat me down one night to see a doctor. 
This doctor wore a long coat, an even longer scarf and was called Who. This Doctor Who traveled through time and space in a ship know as the TARDIS. (Time And Relative Dimension(s) InSpace)
As I got older I lost my interest in time travel- being a mutant or a caped crusader was more important to me. It wasn’t until I was about 15 that time began to creep back into this poor soul's head. When Billy Pilgrim became unstuck in time in Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughter House 5, I was hooked again.
I read the book twice, I saw the movie made of the book and many others. The Time Machine, Time After Time, and Time Cop to name a few.
And now, 12 years after that, I’m making room for time again. This time, the time culprit is writer director Nacho Vigalondo and his 2007 Spanish film Los Cronocrimenes or Timecrimes for those of us in the US. Vigalondo’s film follows the exploits of Hector, a 40ish man who is reluctantly sent back in time a few hours. If I told you anymore about this film other than it is one of the best time paradox movies I ever seen you would hate me. I have enough people who hate me. And it’s not cause I’m a player- NO it’s cause I’m a Jerk! Timecrimes good movie, me jerk. Listen! I made up all that stuff in the beginning of this blog to show you I know something about time travel, and I'm telling you that Timecrimes is a good movie. Fine, FINE! Don’t listen to me. I hate you.
NERD4LIFE
This doctor wore a long coat, an even longer scarf and was called Who. This Doctor Who traveled through time and space in a ship know as the TARDIS. (Time And Relative Dimension(s) InSpace)
As I got older I lost my interest in time travel- being a mutant or a caped crusader was more important to me. It wasn’t until I was about 15 that time began to creep back into this poor soul's head. When Billy Pilgrim became unstuck in time in Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughter House 5, I was hooked again.
I read the book twice, I saw the movie made of the book and many others. The Time Machine, Time After Time, and Time Cop to name a few.
And now, 12 years after that, I’m making room for time again. This time, the time culprit is writer director Nacho Vigalondo and his 2007 Spanish film Los Cronocrimenes or Timecrimes for those of us in the US. Vigalondo’s film follows the exploits of Hector, a 40ish man who is reluctantly sent back in time a few hours. If I told you anymore about this film other than it is one of the best time paradox movies I ever seen you would hate me. I have enough people who hate me. And it’s not cause I’m a player- NO it’s cause I’m a Jerk! Timecrimes good movie, me jerk. Listen! I made up all that stuff in the beginning of this blog to show you I know something about time travel, and I'm telling you that Timecrimes is a good movie. Fine, FINE! Don’t listen to me. I hate you.
NERD4LIFE
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Worth A $1?
This past month saw the begining of DC Comics co-feature initiative. These 8 page add-on stories continue the exploits of what DC's Executive Editor, Dan Didio calls:
“...a number of characters and series ideas that we firmly believe in and that a lot of creators are passionate about, but unfortunately, when it comes to the actual production of an actual series or a miniseries, they always run into some challenge when it comes to sales."
So a character like Blue Beetle, who had their shot at a solo series, and developed a fan base not large enough to support a monthly publication can still see print in the pages of a book like Booster Gold.
“...a number of characters and series ideas that we firmly believe in and that a lot of creators are passionate about, but unfortunately, when it comes to the actual production of an actual series or a miniseries, they always run into some challenge when it comes to sales."
So a character like Blue Beetle, who had their shot at a solo series, and developed a fan base not large enough to support a monthly publication can still see print in the pages of a book like Booster Gold.
So now Booster Gold which used to run 32 pages for $2.99, will now be 40 pages long (with 8 of those pages being a Blue Beetle story) for a $3.99 cover price.
Also recieving the main title/co-features treatment are: Batman: Streets Of Gotham/Manhunter, Detective Comics/The Question, Teen Titans/Ravager, and the upcoming Doom Patrol/Metal Men, Adventure Comics/Legion Of Super-Heroes.
So are these extra add-on tales worth the $1 price hike? Well, thats a tricky question. While The Manhunter feature feels right at home in Batman: Streets Of Gotham, the Ravager feature feels like a Teen Titans B-plot, and not a bonus story. Likewise is the Question story, which feels tacked onto Detective Comics, despite being handled by a writer (Greg Rucka) who is known for both of the characters involved in the features. Although I haven't read it, it's also important to point out that the Booster Gold/Blue Beetle team-up has boasted some pretty positive reviews, and does warrant a looking into.
I'm more than willing to take into account that these are the first batch of stories and mostly just set ups for everything involved, so I'm not writing off anything yet. But at the same time I can see fans who aren't interested in the added material and the extra $1 added on to the price (namely books like Booster Gold and Teen Titans), even though most of these titles are new or in the case of Detective Comics, being relaunched with the new pricing.
Meanwhile when drawing company lines, last week Marvel released a total of 39 titles with 19 of which bearing a $3.99 price point, with little added material to any of the titles.
This is of course AFTER John Turitzin, Marvel's Executive Vice President, when addressing the Cowen & Company Tecnology Media & Telecom Conference stated that:
"...our company is a cash machine".
Like this, but with a Wolverine variant Dark Reign cover
Turitzin then continued on, "We’re always testing our pricing on our comic books to see the extent of which we can, you know, it is inelastic, and we can increase our profit in that business. We sell comics at different price points, we sell more popular comics at higher price points, we sell other ones at lower price points, we differentiate in pricing in that way, some of our comics aimed at kids, Marvel Adventures line is a lower priced line. We’re just looking to maximise our profits for business, without alienating our own fanbase, without making them feel that they’re gouged, which I hope you don’t feel. Our goal is to maximise our revenue, and if we’re not maximising our revenue then our pricing is wrong and we have to take a look at that. So you can hope that we see that attrition and our prices come down.”
So while one head is saying that it's all about pulling in the revenue and made no mention of increased costs in producing the books, over at Comic Book Resources, in his Cup O' Joe column, Marvel's Editor in Chief is holding onto the argument that the increased prices are going towards such costs as printing and distibution as well as maintaining the stable of creators. Maintaining that there is no conspiracy involving the raising prices.
So how much longer can Marvel and DC hold the line before bringing their entire catalogs to the #3.99 price point? We'll see.
Also recieving the main title/co-features treatment are: Batman: Streets Of Gotham/Manhunter, Detective Comics/The Question, Teen Titans/Ravager, and the upcoming Doom Patrol/Metal Men, Adventure Comics/Legion Of Super-Heroes.
So are these extra add-on tales worth the $1 price hike? Well, thats a tricky question. While The Manhunter feature feels right at home in Batman: Streets Of Gotham, the Ravager feature feels like a Teen Titans B-plot, and not a bonus story. Likewise is the Question story, which feels tacked onto Detective Comics, despite being handled by a writer (Greg Rucka) who is known for both of the characters involved in the features. Although I haven't read it, it's also important to point out that the Booster Gold/Blue Beetle team-up has boasted some pretty positive reviews, and does warrant a looking into.
I'm more than willing to take into account that these are the first batch of stories and mostly just set ups for everything involved, so I'm not writing off anything yet. But at the same time I can see fans who aren't interested in the added material and the extra $1 added on to the price (namely books like Booster Gold and Teen Titans), even though most of these titles are new or in the case of Detective Comics, being relaunched with the new pricing.
Meanwhile when drawing company lines, last week Marvel released a total of 39 titles with 19 of which bearing a $3.99 price point, with little added material to any of the titles.
This is of course AFTER John Turitzin, Marvel's Executive Vice President, when addressing the Cowen & Company Tecnology Media & Telecom Conference stated that:
"...our company is a cash machine".
Like this, but with a Wolverine variant Dark Reign cover
Turitzin then continued on, "We’re always testing our pricing on our comic books to see the extent of which we can, you know, it is inelastic, and we can increase our profit in that business. We sell comics at different price points, we sell more popular comics at higher price points, we sell other ones at lower price points, we differentiate in pricing in that way, some of our comics aimed at kids, Marvel Adventures line is a lower priced line. We’re just looking to maximise our profits for business, without alienating our own fanbase, without making them feel that they’re gouged, which I hope you don’t feel. Our goal is to maximise our revenue, and if we’re not maximising our revenue then our pricing is wrong and we have to take a look at that. So you can hope that we see that attrition and our prices come down.”
So while one head is saying that it's all about pulling in the revenue and made no mention of increased costs in producing the books, over at Comic Book Resources, in his Cup O' Joe column, Marvel's Editor in Chief is holding onto the argument that the increased prices are going towards such costs as printing and distibution as well as maintaining the stable of creators. Maintaining that there is no conspiracy involving the raising prices.
So how much longer can Marvel and DC hold the line before bringing their entire catalogs to the #3.99 price point? We'll see.
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