Month: February 2020

Hey, Folks!

 

Well, the latest edition of “Snowmageddon-Toledo-Style” has finally come and gone and we can pick up the pieces and move on with our snow covered existences. While I am happy that my customers who plow snow for a living got some work yesterday (I just love that PHAT snow plow comic money!), I found it extremely irritating that the storm that was supposed to be passed by the time I got off work was actually just picking up speed at exact moment I had to go over to my Dad’s place to clean up the mess. Honestly, it was Wednesday night and it had been a loooong day and all I wanted was to go home and slob out in front of the TV and maybe do a little laundry and instead I was stumbling through a winter wonderland trying to shovel huge snowdrifts and clear off Dad’s car while the snow just kept coming down. The job did get done, but I am so sore this morning that its going to take a real effort to get through all of the end of the month comic retailing stuff that needs to be attended to today. As a humorous post script to this gripping narrative, Hillman showed up literally five minutes after I finished Dad’s drive to help out…lol. Thanks, Hill, you really are the best, but we need to work on your timing…😊

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Speaking of end of the month retailer duties, today is the day that I will be entering initial orders for the February Previews. Of course, as I’m sure you are all aware of by now, initial orders are not quite the same thing as final orders so there is still some time to put it any special requests. The four biggest titles on initial orders today are the Joker 80^th Anniversary 100-Page Spectacular #1, Catwoman 80^th Anniversary 100-Page Spectacular, and Batman #92 and 93. The Joker and Catwoman titles are part of D.C.’s big $9.99 specials with ten variant covers each, most of which represent different decades of the character’s development by w wide arrange of artists. We have a Good News/Bad News thing going on with the Joker/Catwoman covers. Unfortunately, D.C. Comics has only provided the regular cover for the Joker title, although I do have a list of the artist’s slated to do the covers. The good news is that D.C. just released all of the Catwoman covers save the 2000’s Jim Lee variant this morning so at least I have that to put in front of you.  Adding to my conundrum is the information that current quasi-fan favorite/speculator darling Punchline will have her origin story in the Joker title only makes my order predictions even foggier. I will have a small amount of each cover available for the rack, but if there is a specific cover(s) you are interested in then please let me know. Monarch Comics is also continuing our special sale deal on folks who order a complete set of covers. The price for a full set of either Joker or Catwoman is $80 (plus tax).

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I’m not sure what to make of Batman #92 and 93, at least in terms of what demand is going to be. I mean, the story and art has been top notch since the new team of James Tynion and Tony Daniel took over and I expect the high quality will continue with artist Guillem March joining on these issues. D.C. Comics made the issue of demand a little more difficult to gauge yesterday when they told us that the previously announced card stock variant cover by Francesco Mattina will now be replaced by a card stock variant cover featuring Punchline by star artist Stanley “Artgerm” Lau. In addition, issue #93 will have the big finale to Tunion’s “Their Dark Design” story line and will also be the prologue to the big “Joker War” story arc that officially begins in Batman #94 (and will also include several tie-in issues, but that’s a problem for the March Previews…)

 

I’ve got some numbers in mind for both issues and a hazy idea of what I’ll need in terms of folks who always buy Batman, but I’m almost completely in the dark on what I’m going to need on hand to satisfy folks who are going to be curious about this new story line or the cool covers. So, if you don’t regularly read Batman or do read Batman, but have a specific cover choice in mind, then by all means please let me know. Anyone who requests specific a specific cover (or mulitples) who gets me their order by the FOC (4/1/20 for #92 and 4/15/20 for #93) will have their copies guaranteed. After the FOC, the best I can do is guarantee that if you regularly buy Batman through our subscription service then I will have a record of it and you will get at least one copy of the titles to read.

 

The drama of the missing box from UPS ended up being resolved fairly quickly yesterday. I mean, it was a pain in the neck (or other, less identifiable body parts) to deal with behind the scenes, but I have to admit that I pulled it off with considerable aplomb. It’s nice to see that the system I’ve gradually developed over the last thirty years is sturdy enough to withstand the weight of a crushing shipping error. Please let me know immediately if you missed a title you requested this week and I will do my best to take care of you. I think I got everyone covered properly, but I have been known to make the occasional error ( shocking, I know!)

Next week we have the arrival of another big D.C. anniversary issue, this time Flash #750. Flash is one of those mid-tier comics that has a surprisingly robust fanbase, but whose numbers don’t change much from issue to issue. So when I sat down to do orders for the title with its 10 variant covers and very little solicitation information, well, I decided to backpedal and go a bit light on this offering. In any event, I will have a small number of each cover available for order this week, but the last time I checked all covers were still available for reorder which could change at any time. As a result, if there is a specific cover you are looking for Flash #750 then please let me know by placing a request VIA the subscription form. We will be offering a full set of ten covers for $63 (20% off the retail price) for anyone interested.

One final quick mention…we will be limiting orders for Batman #90, due out next week, to copy per customer to make sure that everyone gets a copy who wants one. This restriction does NOT apply to those of you who ordered multiple covers before the FOC or who regularly buy both Batman covers. So please only choose one cover or the other when filling out the subscription form this week. If you choose more than one cover then I will fill your order with either one or the other based on which cover I have more copies of in stock. Thanks for understanding on the limitations and know that this means more Batman for more people!

That’s it for me this week, Folks! I’m already running a bit behind schedule this week in regards to getting the subscription form posted, so I suppose I better wrap this up and get it going. Thanks again for all of your understanding with the UPS snafu this week and I hope everyone has a great weekend!

 

Eddie

Hey, Folks!

 

Did you ever have one of those days when you just wanted to call off sick and stay home and bake all day? No? Well, I’m having one of those days today and it is somewhat frustrating. I spent the morning having my usual breakfast at Doc Watson’s and I spent the time perusing the Paul Hollywood bread baking book I bought recently. As I read the instructions, it kept heightening my desire to get my hands into a big blob of dough. I started chatting with my bartender about baking over my morning coffee and as we discussed past baking attempts and triumphs my desire to spend the day over a hot oven just continued to grow. By the time I finished my fourth cup of Joe I had already charted a new baking course for myself that included the creation of a caramel/chocolate mousse tart as well as experiments involving Choux pastry and, of course, baking bread. I wrestled with my conscience in the van, but ultimately I decided I couldn’t forego a day in the office as there is so much to do to keep this comic business running smoothly so I made the trip into work. Unfortunately, by the time I get off of work tonight and get home it will be far too late to attempt any real baking unless I plan on being up half the night cursing weak pastry dough and burnt attempts at caramel. I wish I had a kitchen at the shop…lol.

I got through Wednesday pretty easily this week despite the colossal headaches involved with the distribution of Batman #89. For those of you not in the know, Batman #89, released this week, contains an extremely brief and unnamed cameo of a new member of the Batman Rogues gallery…Punchline! Punchline is apparently going to be Joker’s “replacement” for a quasi-reformed Harley Quinn and there are many people banking on these early cameos exploding with demand. I won’t speak on that except to say that I am rather proud that I do believe I managed to get Batman #89 into the hands of all of my regular Batman readers and I’m going to count it as Mission Accomplished.

 

Putting aside matters of the secondary market, speculators, and eBay, I’d like to say that the current Batman creative team of James Tynion and Tony Daniel are certainly knocking it out of the park. The current storyline, built off of some the elements left behind from Tom King’s so-so Batman run, is fast-paced, exciting, and is promising to introduce a couple of new Batman villains (including the aforementioned Punchline) as well using the current Rogues Gallery in new and interesting ways. I’d still like to see more Robin in the book, but it is fun to have Catwoman currently playing top partner for Batman as it harkens back to Doug Moench’s 80’s Batman run, a favorite of mine.

 

Getting back to the debut of Punchline, there is a lot of interest in next week’s Year of the Villain: Hell Arisen #3. This is because it has been being billed online as Punchline’s first full appearance. Well, according to Dan DiDio, YOTV #3 is actually another cameo appearance as opposed to a full appearance. Obviously I haven’t read the issue myself yet, but after DC dropped the ball with Batman #89 I’m somewhat confident that this assessment is true. The lack of availability of Batman #89 to curious onlookers and the jacking up of prices on the secondary market has left a bit of egg on DC’s face and I doubt they want to compound their miscalculation with another book next week.

 

Unfortunately, Monarch Comics will only have enough copies of YOTV #3 to cover regulars who bought the second issue and will not be available on the subscription form or the new release rack. I simply don’t have enough copies coming in. There will be a second printing available on 3/11 (the same date that Batman #89 2^nd printings go on sale) and I will have a limited amount of the second printings. Please let me know if are interested in second printings of either title and I will do my level best to see to it that you are covered.

Dan DiDio, in a Facebook post to retailers, did mention that Punchline’s first full appearance will be in Batman #93 which also heralds the prologue to the new Joker War storyline in the title. Batman #93 is due out 4/15 with an FOC of 3/23, so I have plenty of time to put in final orders. If you are interested in single or multiple copies of either the regular cover or the card stock variant (by Francesco Mattina) then now is the time to let me know. If you normally buy Batman then you are covered, but if you are looking to jump on board for the new character/storyline then let me know so that I can have an idea of how many extra copies I am going to need. I already have an idea of how many extras I’m going to order, but any solid data is worth it to help with my (admittedly) dodgy calculations.

 

February is quickly coming to an end and so is Monarch Comics’ Annual Post-Holiday Sale! You still have until Saturday, February 29^th, to enjoy big savings on our back issue boxes and wall display books! All back issue boxes will remain 50% off the price marked and wall display books will be 25% off until the 29^th. The Dollar Boxes will also be 3 for a dollar until the end of the month. Help us reduce our inventory and bolster your own collection before time runs out!

 

That’s all for me this week, my friends. I’m going to turn my attention to finishing up the subscription list, posting everything, and then finish the job of shopping for a new laptop for the store. My current laptop took a big dump on Tuesday and it’s running to a final breakdown. Big thanks to Cyn and Tim Mackley for their technical expertise over the last two days and the loan of a USB keyboard to keep the ship of state running smoothly. BEST CUSTOMERS EVER!

 

Have a great weekend, Folks!

 

Eddie

Hey, Folks!

 

Well, THAT “snowstorm” was a fart in the bathtub! I mean, I wasn’t expecting Snowmageddon or anything, but I was certainly expecting more than this trickle of snow and ice. I’m not complaining, per se, but I had to get up and hour early in order to have the time to clean up both my sidewalks and drive as well as my Dad’s and it would have felt more satisfying when I completed the tasks if there had been a bit more snow on the ground to clean up. I briefly considered not even bothering with my Dad’s house, but I had already told him I’d be there and his car did need cleaning off for a doctor’s appointment this morning and I was up already anyway. I have a feeling that this may be it for the year, but Mother Nature does have a way of throwing us snowy curveballs.

It was a pretty big comic shipment this week, but I am pleased to say that I think I got my orders just about perfect. By “perfect” I mean that there were no glaring omissions or too many of one title or too few of another. I didn’t have a moment of panic as copies of this book or that book went flying out the door with no relation to previous sales on the title. It was a nice full rack when we opened yesterday and it remains healthy looking despite near perfect sales yesterday. It’s nice when a plan (and an order) comes together so well.

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That being said, next week looks like there may be a title that is going to make my head spin. Batman #89, set come out next Wednesday, is apparently already sold out from DC and Diamond with a second printing already on the way. I got wind of this yesterday, but since it was Wednesday I didn’t really have a chance to figure out why. I’ve poked around a bit and figured out that Batman #89 is the first appearance of a new character….Punchline, Joker’s new girlfriend. She is being hailed as a replacement for Harley Quinn. Naturally DC didn’t give retailers any kind of head’s up regarding the new character debut, so my Batman numbers are essentially set at what’s been selling for the last couple of issues. So in the interests of fairness as well as making sure that those of you who regularly buy Batman get a copy of the new issue I am going to limit sales to one copy per person. Those of you who preordered more than one copy (for example, one regular and one variant cover) with your monthly order forms will still have your order honored. I honestly hate having to do this, but I can’t very well let one person buy 3 or 5 or 10 copies of a title while leaving no copies for the regulars. If you do end up missing the first printings I will also have copies of the 2^nd printing available in limited quantities on 3/4/20.

Wolverine #1 is another big book debuting next week. As per my current policy regarding Marvel Comics and their incessant number of variant covers, I will only be carrying the main cover on the rack for this title. I have just been perusing Diamond’s website, however, and I see that they still have quantities available for two of the variant covers…the Skottie Young variant and the Chip Kidd Die Cut variant. Please let me know if you would prefer one of these variants versus the main cover and I will be happy to order them in for you.

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I also wanted to mention the upcoming Joker and Catwoman 80^th Anniversary 100 Page Super Spectacular #1’s, both of which are scheduled to drop in April. Both titles will retail for $9.99 and there will be ten different variant covers for each, much like the recent Wonder Woman and Flash special issues. They will be divvied up as “decades” variants as well as a regular and blank cover with a variety of fan favorite artists. Unfortunately, as is often the case, DC does not have any of the cover images available save for the main covers and I realize that it makes it difficult to commit to something you haven’t seen, but I wanted to let you know that we will be offering complete sets of each title for $80.00. I will have limited amounts of each cover available for the rack, but I can guarantee sets or just specific covers if the orders are placed with me before the FOC. FOC date for Catwoman is 3/16 and the FOC for the Joker is 3/20. Cover artists slated for Catwoman are Joelle Jones (Regular Cover), Adam Hughes (1940’s Variant), Travis Charest (1950’s Variant), J Scott Campbell (1960’s Variant), Frank Cho (1970’s Variant), Stanley “Artgerm” Lau (1980’s Variant), Gabrielle Dell’Otto (1990’s Variant), Jim Lee (2000’s Variant), and Jeehyung Lee (2010’2 Variant). Covers artists slated for the Joker include Greg Capullo (Regular Cover), Arthur Adams (1940’s Variant), David Finch (1950’s Variant), Francesco Mattina (1960’s Variant), Jim Lee (1970’s Variant), Bill Sienkiewicz (1980’s Variant), Gabrielle Dell’Otto (1990’s Variant), Lee Bermejo (2000’s Variant), and Jock (2010’s Variant). I will post the variants as soon as DC makes them available.

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That’s it for me today, Folks! I managed to get the subscription form and shipping list done yesterday afternoon so all that is left is to post this message and I can get ready for meeting later this afternoon with the fine folks from Card Advertising. Yes, it’s that time a year again when Steve and I have to start planning out the Annual Free Comic Book Day fun and games!

 

Have a great weekend…😊

 

Eddie

Afternoon, Folks!

 

Thanks to this terrific winter wonderland we all woke up with this morning I am running inexcusably behind schedule this week! I mean, I got up extra early this morning so that I could dig myself out and then head over to my Dad’s place and clear his walks and driveway as well as head over to the pharmacy for him and have my regular Doc Watson’s breakfast and it still all just got away from me. Add to that the fact that it took me FOREVER to finish the subscription form this week because of the weak internet I deal with here at work and, well, let’s just say that it is has been a rather frantic Thursday. My only hope is that everyone else is either running behind for similar reasons or were lucky enough not to have to go to school/work this morning and might be sleeping in or lazing around without looking for the subscription list.

 

At least I didn’t hurt my back again shoveling. That’s one thing going for me and I do believe it will please Hillman to no end that his boyfriend is fully functional this weekend rather than hobbling around like an 80 year old.

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I must beg your forgiveness this week as I fumbled the ball a bit with a couple of titles that I apparently under ordered in the extreme this week. X-Men Fantastic Four #1 and Star Wars Darth Vader #1 are currently sold out here at the store and unavailable from Diamond. It is still relatively early in the week though and they may pop back into stock and I will definitely be monitoring the situation all weekend. There have been second printings for both titles offered for advance orders today and those are due out 3/11. I will be carrying quantities of the second printings if more first printings don’t magically show up in the system after Diamond deals with all of their damages/shortages. If you missed either issue then please let me know and I will put you down for one once I get them back in stock. Sorry about that, my friends, I’ll try to be a little better at orders next time.

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We also got in the Mandalorian and Child standups this week and, before you ask, yes, they are cute as a button! The Mandalorian standup retails for $39.99 and the Child (A.K.A. “Yoda Baby”) is available in one of two ways, $12 for one of the individual standups or $39.99 for a set of all four. Quantities are limited, so pick up your Mandalorian and Child Standups today!

 

That’s it for me this week. I honestly have nothing else left to blather on about save that next week is a pretty big ship week. Here’s hoping I actually ordered enough comics to go around! Enjoy your weekend!

 

Eddie