Every week I do a column full of comic book reviews as I've done since March 2003 and currently published at Comic Book Resources. Then, after the reviews post, I try to come over to Komplicated and expand on the thoughts and ideas listed there. Why talk about stuff at some other site? Oh, like you've never done any private projects when you're at work! Sometimes things get profound, sometimes it's gibberish, but it's always about comics … let's see what we get this week!
What? This week's reviews …
BROADCASTING LIVE FROM LOS ANGELES: You may have noted the news that Komplicated will be at Comikaze, doubling down on "companies that spell things funny" at the LA Convention Center, oddly enough the same weekend as Blogworld. My talented and gorgeous wife Myshell Tabu will be on hand, debuting new Komplicated t-shirts (that she designed as well, as seen here) and passing out flyers to raise awareness of the site. If you're there and have a chance to check out booth #3303 (alongside our pals at The Antidote Trust), well, that'd be just ducky.
ALL IS PROCEEDING AS I HAVE FORESEEN: A Facebook friend named Dudley Bryan Jr. noted the CBR story about Marvel going "day and date digital," joining the other major publisher DC which made that move a while ago. What's that mean, for the uninitiated? Well, the same day comics come out in retail stores, they're available digitally. Same price, though, which sucks. Still, this is a step into the direction of the future, and I approve of that. Today, digital sales are a fraction of a fraction of revenues for the publishers. When the first DVDs hit, same story. How'd that work out, VHS? Which doesn't discount retail — heck, I had a VCR hooked up at home up until last month when my wife tossed the TV — but it signifies that there's more money to be made and it's time to stop fooling around. Look for much of the industry to follow suit.
YOU REALLY ONLY RACE YOURSELF: Today, I had a Facebook conversation with Aspen EIC Vince Hernandez about pace in regards to his book, Charismagic. He said …
I've heard some critiques about the length exposition, but I feel for a large-scale fantasy tale, it's important to establish all the particulars and get to know the characters before we jam into the narrative.
That led to the following exchange …
- H: Have you considered using the inside cover to do some of that heavy lifting, like they did in Rex Mundi? They had to expand to two interior recap/character pages, but if you could provide some referential frame outside of the actual narrative, wouldn't that solve the problem and make it a smoother read for the collected edition?
- V: That's a plan but I really don't see it as a problem. We have many plans for the story beyond the first six issues, so I really wanna make sure I flesh out each angle my way, and let the story set it's own pace. I've outlined far into future issues so I know the pacing will ramp up with each subsequent issue, if that makes any sense…lol
- H: It *kind* of makes sense … but you're also asking people to pay for you to "ramp up," which *may* not seem fair and some readers (present company included) may not be on board for. Times are hard, and grabbing somebody by the throat early and often makes it easier to hang on to their money, right?
- V: True, but for the most part, I've only heard good things from the fans and readers on the story. It's only been a select few (I know of) comic book reviewers that haven't been feeling the pace. Which is understandable, considering the delay … between issues one and two, and two and three, and the initial setup of issue #1. So, while I definitely agree I would never ask for readers to invest before getting their money's worth–It's only been a minority that have been critical in that regard. We have vanished the entire Earth population of humans, killed an entire bar full of creatures, seen giant godzilla-sized bugs, a huge reptile creature destroying Vegas, and lots of other stuff. So I think there's been plenty to enjoy 😀
- H: Fair enough.
- V: I did see it made your "honorable mentions" so hopefully I got you onboard for issue 4 if possible.
- H: I'm totally paying attention. The ideas are riveting, but I am among that "minority" that has concerns about pacing and what not. I had similar concerns about Y: The Last Man and a few others. I've jumped on when things really made a dramatic leap, as I did with Lucifer for example (the first dozen or so issues are a snooze, and I can wikipedia the relevant facts to get caught up). So yeah, I want to come on board, no doubt there.
- V: Well I think if you've gotten this far into it, and still find some aspects fascinating, it'll be more a more rewarding read for you from here on out hopefully.
Vince and I agree to disagree here. Me? I'd liketo make a thorough reference point — inside cover or online website — so I can have more room to do the crazy stuff I really wanna do. I fall that way, and my buying reflects that. It does, however, inform me of the difference between the way I wanna write things and the way some editors might wanna receive it, which is good to know.
THAT'S THE NEWS, AND I AM OUTTA HERE: Super sleepy and the day job beckons … hasta!
Playing (Music): "Who Dat?" by J. Cole
[Source: Comic Book Resources]