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Post by Deleted on May 24, 2015 23:09:19 GMT -5
I have some of the Marvel Knights sketch books, the Earth X sketch book and the 1/2 issue of Avengers that was part of the Ultron Unlimited storyline by Busiek and Perez, but I don't think I have a single issue of Wizard anywhere among my stuff-the sketchbooks I've picked up in quarter bins and the Avengers issue I've had since it came out, but I long since ditched the Wizard that it came with.
-M
Edit to add...funny thing about Wizards and current demand for them, 2-3 years ago on FCBD the lcs I used to help out at was trying to get rid of copies, they had been sitting in the dollar bin for a couple years and hadn't moved, so he put them out as free take one on FCBD, no one took a single issue....they were the only free things in the store no one touched.
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Post by Deleted on May 24, 2015 23:22:50 GMT -5
I only bought The Maxx 1/2 and sent away for the Spiderman: Trial of Venom one-shot. I don't remember a darn thing about either one. I had both of those as well. I didn't remember the Trial Of Venom being from Wizard though. I know it was a Unicef charity comic and I think it cost something crazy like $9 back then. It may have been advertised in Wizard but I don't think it was a Wizard exclusive. I think it was advertised all over comics at the time. I think The Maxx is the only special I sent away for, but after a while they started just including them with the mag and I think I got a couple that way. And of course the quarter bins years later. And when I was a kid I thought those things would be worth a fortune  I ended up with two of the Maxx ones, one I bought for nothing at a yard sale, along with the glow in the dark #1 that was SO EXPENSIVE when I was a kid. |
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Post by Deleted on May 24, 2015 23:29:26 GMT -5
(A) I really like this thread. Agreed. Glad to see it back. I don't know why I'm hooked on these reviews but I find them incredibly interesting. |
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Crimebuster
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Post by Crimebuster on May 25, 2015 0:25:03 GMT -5
Astro City #1/2 pretty much single-handedly justified the existence of Wizard.
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Post by Deleted on May 25, 2015 0:44:33 GMT -5
Astro City #1/2 pretty much single-handedly justified the existence of Wizard. I had that way back when, but sadly no longer. -M |
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Post by shaxper on May 25, 2015 6:52:55 GMT -5
I only bought The Maxx 1/2 and sent away for the Spiderman: Trial of Venom one-shot. I don't remember a darn thing about either one. I had both of those as well. I didn't remember the Trial Of Venom being from Wizard though. I know it was a Unicef charity comic and I think it cost something crazy like $9 back then. Yeah. I thought it had been a partnership between UNICEF and Wizard. Much like with your 1/2s, I was convinced it would be a collector's item because 1) this was the only way you could get it, and 2)no one else in their right mind was going to pay $9 for it  |
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Post by Deleted on May 25, 2015 15:21:19 GMT -5
I had both of those as well. I didn't remember the Trial Of Venom being from Wizard though. I know it was a Unicef charity comic and I think it cost something crazy like $9 back then. Yeah. I thought it had been a partnership between UNICEF and Wizard. Much like with your 1/2s, I was convinced it would be a collector's item because 1) this was the only way you could get it, and 2)no one else in their right mind was going to pay $9 for it VF copies of it are currently selling for $10 on mycomicshop so someone is buying it still..... -M |
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Post by shaxper on May 25, 2015 15:32:08 GMT -5
Yeah. I thought it had been a partnership between UNICEF and Wizard. Much like with your 1/2s, I was convinced it would be a collector's item because 1) this was the only way you could get it, and 2)no one else in their right mind was going to pay $9 for it VF copies of it are currently selling for $10 on mycomicshop so someone is buying it still..... -M That's what they're asking, but that's no guarantee anyone's paying. Does mycomicshop.com ever list a comic for less than cover price? |
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Post by Deleted on May 25, 2015 15:40:23 GMT -5
VF copies of it are currently selling for $10 on mycomicshop so someone is buying it still..... -M That's what they're asking, but that's no guarantee anyone's paying. Does mycomicshop.com ever list a comic for less than cover price? Yes. They have a minimum price that goes up as time goes on (minimum price low grade copies when I started buying form them were 90 cents and it looks like that is now $1.35, but books do get listed at less than cover if it is a low demand book. Their list prices for back issues are roughly 3-4 times what they are paying for them. They are buying NM 9.4 copies of that book for $5.18 cash ($6.22 credit), so there is a demand for them, as they have at least 4 copies in stock and are still buying it at a decent price so they must be moving copies at that price to keep acquiring copies. Meanwhile, they are not buying the classic Neal Adams Avengers 93 in any grade (except slabs of 9.0 or higher) as they have 6 copies (5 consignment) and haven't for a year now as a friend of mine is sitting on a copy in F/VF that he keeps looking to trade or sell and can't seem to find a taker, mycomicshop included. So a lot of times what makes a good classic book in our minds is not what is demand and selling on the market while things we consider junk keep churning and moving copies. -M |
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Post by shaxper on May 25, 2015 19:52:51 GMT -5
Wizard #24 (August 1993)  Ah, the controversial cover in which Wizard apparently ran the above advance image of Azrael as Batman against DC's wishes. Funny thing is though, Advance Comics' advertisement in this issue sports a cover that also has Azrael as Batman on it. Go figure... Well the party really does seem to be wrapping up at this point. Even the letter column, much to Pat McCallum's surprise, reflect the voices of fans who have awoken out of their daze and no longer want the Kool-Aid. Two criticize Wizard for depicting female heroes as sex objects (Wow. I didn't think Wizard fans had it in them), and one criticizes Wizard for being too much of a mouthpiece for Image. "Geez, usually by this time I'd have answered about half a dozen silly questions and at least one hate letter from some jerk," responds McCallum. Hindsight glimpses into the comic industry:Though Deathmate is in full swing and yet to miss a deadline, Gareb Shamus has to apologize for the absence of the second part of a promised Rob Liefeld sneak preview because Liefeld has (surprise!) fallen behind on his deadlines. Meanwhile, Savage Dragon is now up to issue #3. The book launched as a monthly title over a year ago. Seriously, Market Watch goes on to admire the fact that Spawn is the consistently top selling monthly comic book right now, but that's likely because it's the ONLY Image comic getting out on time each month, and considering the amount of hype that publisher has received, their one consistently published book had better be doing well. Meanwhile, the hype surrounding "Knightfall" has convinced fans that DC is worth paying more attention to. Death of Superman and Reign of Superman back issues are now back in demand, Batman back issues are quickly rising in value, and Wizard even gives their lead interview to Peter David about writing Aquaman. Seriously...Aquaman. Granted, Peter David had star power at this point, but that's quite a departure from Wizard full blown ignoring even the biggest things DC was doing as recently as six months ago. DC is also pimping Batman out for a slew of crossovers, including with Grendel and Spawn. For the moment, they are where the buzz is. And Wizard, very much aware of how fleeting a moment can be, isn't sure where to turn the spotlight next. They write off Continuity Comics as of this issue and the luke-warm reception Deathwatch 2000 has received, but will the next big thing be Defiant, Malibu, Dark Horse's Greatest World, or will it revert to Image, Valiant, or stay with DC? The only thing they seem sure of is that Marvel is out of gas, even though Wizard's about to give the X-Men their own 30th Anniversary Special Edition this very month. Incidentally, no one seems at all interested in it being the Avengers' 30th anniversary as well. Marvel: 35.46% (up slightly, but still shockingly low for the publisher) Image: 22.63% (wow. Their first time being measured without Malibu, and they came in at #2 for the month) DC: 20.32% (their slump prior to Knightfall beginning) Valiant: 9.74% (up slightly) Dark Horse: 1.82 % (still struggling to remain visible) Other: 10.03% I wonder what the reason was for Topps' spike last month, as they are off the radar once again with this issue. Industry news:DC is currently on top, but that's pretty much all riding on the hype of Knightfall. Can DC capitalize on that and sell fans on some other properties before their minute of fame is up? Marvel seems to have absolutely nothing in the works beyond reinventing Daredevil and putting Tony Stark back in the armor. Image is still launching a new title for every prime hour of the day, but few of them appear to really be sticking. Spawn and Cyberforce are the only two that Market Watch recognizes as continuing to hold fans' interest. Valiant just keeps churning out new surprise first appearances ahead of their ongoing slew of new titles, but most of the excitement is gone. Wizard is beginning to wonder if the magic didn't leave along with Jim Shooter, and so his new company, Defiant, gets a nice featured article in this issue. Also, a VF copy of Action Comics #1 is about to go on auction at Southbys and is expected to fetch $80,000. Remember when that sounded like a lot of money for a bunch of printed paper and staples? Who would have thought that, twenty years later, you could turn around and sell it for about twenty times that amount? Wizard shaping the comic book market?The market has become a speeding car without a driver, and no one's quite sure where it's headed and whether or not a crash will soon follow. The market is more fractured than its ever been with no stable publisher really holding on to sales. Even Marvel is down more than 50% from its high over the past two years. Wizard's Comic Watch:Superman: The Man of Steel #1: 1st appearance of the Eradicator, who is expected to turn out to be one of the four new Supermen. Megaton #1: 1st appearance of Vanguard, a dude who is scheduled to return in a flipbook shared with Savage Dragon #2. I think Wizard messed up their timeline a bit, though. Savage Dragon #3 is already published. Wizard's Top TenApparently, Valiant's practice of sneaking first appearances into their books is working right now. Fans are still speculating like its 1991.  1. Bloodshot #1 (1st Ninjak) 2. Shadowman #16 (1st Dr. Mirage)3. Sword of Azrael #1 (1st Azrael) 4. Vengeance of Bane #1 (1st Bane) 5. Batman #492 (part 1 of Knightfall) 6. Spawn #4 (low print run, Image #0 coupon) 7. Spawn #2 (get this -- lower print run than #1. Seriously)8. Youngblood #2 (1st Shadowhawk; 1st Prophet) 9. Rai #0 (sets up the Deathmate crossover, 1st new Rai, lays the foundation of the Valiant Universe) 10. Amazing Spider-Man #300 (1st full Venom) Final Thoughts:Even Wizard doesn't understand the comic book market anymore, but, interesting enough, though it's finally grown critical of Image and Rob Liefeld, it's also still worshipping Todd McFarlane. "That McFarlane boy is certainly a smart cookie. Instead of getting lost with all the other names involved with the Deathmate crossover series, he's keeping the highest profile possible by doing team-ups with only Spawn and one other character, like working with Neal Adams on the Valeria the She-Bat crossover, and with DC on the upcoming Spawn/Batman crossover. Like we said before, he's one smart cookie. Anyway, before we're accused of brown-nosing or something, this issue, like most of the Spawn back issues (with the exception of the mega-print run issues #1), is experiencing brisk sales thanks to dealers dropping their orders (just a little, mind you) after issue one." What the hell was that? Most of that paragraph had absolutely nothing to do with Spawn #2 or the Top 10 and was just random praise of Todd McFarlane in contrast to the rest of the Image staff, finally spending the very last sentence explaining why Spawn #2 is on this list, which really just comes off as a commercial for why everyone should continue to buy Spawn and see it as a good investment. Need I remind you all that Wizard has a definite agenda for promoting Todd McFarlane? |
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Post by shaxper on May 26, 2015 20:31:43 GMT -5
Wizard: X-Men Turn Thirty (August 1993)  In response to my review of Wizard's Superman Tribute Edition, dupont2005 suggested that the reason for the special edition may have simply been that DC paid for it. That certainly feels like the story behind this special edition, which is far more promotional in nature than lovingly assembled in the way that the last two special editions were. After all, the lead feature of the book is a whopping twelve page write-up of where the X-titles are heading now, including extensive input from editor Bob Harras himself. As further proof that this was likely done at Marvel's request, Chris Claremont's interview (one would think this would be the big draw of the issue) gets pushed to the middle of the issue, after the gatefold poster and before the centerfold, traditionally the least likely part of the magazine for someone to flip to randomly and, thus, not premium space at all. Ahead of his interview is a write-up about John Byrne's contributions to the franchise (note: not even an interview), a write-up of every key member of every X team, a bunch of ads, and (yes) 12 pages of advertising for the languishing current X-titles. Really, there's almost nothing remarkable about this special edition. Stan Lee misremembers a bunch of stuff (he even explains how he created the Angel, completely forgetting the original Golden Age character), Dave Cochrum literally takes full credit for inventing every member of the All-New All-Different X-Men except for Wolverine, we get a section highlighting the Saturday Morning animated series, complete with episode guide, a list of the artists who worked on and defined the X-Men, a list of hot artists who built their reps on the X-titles and then left for Image, and two features on the death of Doug Ramsey. Really, the only treat in this issue (unless you didn't already know the stories Claremont goes into about starting on the X-Men, the death of Jean Grey, and the decision to resurrect her against his wishes), is this quote that Louise Simonson gives about Bob Harras during her interview about her time on New Mutants and X-Factor: "My problems were not so much with Liefeld, because all freelancers are greedy and like to grab what they can, and that's fine. I was an editor for a long time, and I know how that works. My problems were really with the editor, who was not handling things well at all. It's up to an editor to choose the people who will work on any given project, and to let them know when their services are no longer needed. I think that Bob was not willing to make those decisions. What he did to me, to Chris Claremont, to Peter David, and to Jo Duffy, was to nickel-and-dime us to death. He would change plots and blame it on the artists. He would change dialogue, and then say 'I'm sorry, but I tried to call you and you weren't home,' or 'I'll be sure and tell you the next time.' He would change some of the dialogue, but not other parts, so the things people said wouldn't make sense. It was his way of letting you know he was wishing you'd go away." If Marvel really did pay for this Special Edition, then it's at least impressive that Wizard asked Simonson about Harras and then published this response. They mention Harras and imply that he has mismanaged his talent at least one other time in the book as well, when introducing Chris Claremont's interview. It is worth noting, though, that Simonson's interview appears about 25 pages from the back of the book -- another dead spot that people never flip to. Overall, this is a sincere disappointment considering the quality and passion Wizard put into both The 100 Most Collectible Comics, and The Superman Tribute Edition. Did Wizard continue doing Special Editions after this point? My knowledge of most things Wizard pretty much drops out around here. |
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Post by shaxper on Jun 15, 2015 16:10:12 GMT -5
Wizard # 25 (September 1993)  Well, the market is in clear decline at this point. As freelance writer Clifford Meth writes in this issue, So, in this issue, we see the Big Four (Image, Valiant, DC, and Marvel -- seemingly in that order) fighting to generate enough hype to boost a few more "high-glitz" titles and events in the short term, but even Wizard's tone is less enthusiastic these days, and they've pretty much given up expecting any of the smaller publishers to make it big and steal a piece of the pie at this point (with the possible exception of Defiant, which they are watching with interest largely because Jim Shooter is at the helm). Hindsight glimpses into the comic industry:Interesting news from image this month, as they announce the cancelling of many of their new creator-owned titles that were recently launched, sighting publishing delays and lack of synergy with image's overall vision as their rationale. Wizard devotes a lot of time to exploring this further, outright pointing out that the founding creators' titles are notoriously behind schedule and also that one of the reasons these newer titles by other creators are often late is because any comic by a founding image creator "jumps the line" when in production, pushing everyone else's books back. Wizard then goes on to ask every major publisher out there if they'd welcome these creators who just got ousted, and everyone says "probably" with the exceptions of Valiant (which already has a six year plan for new titles) and Marvel (which wasn't asked. Ouch). Essentially, Wizard's subtle point appears to be that, while image claimed to be a champion for creator rights, it really exists just to serve the interests of its founding creators. By the way, while image will be cancelling these titles, they are instead going to release more tie-ins with their six core properties. That's right, we're getting MORE Youngblood tie-ins while the main title hasn't even hit issue #5 yet even after having launched nearly two years ago. Going further, while this issue makes jabs at Rob Liefield for his publishing delays and Erik Larson for his comments in response David Michelinie's "I created Venom" letter, Wizard, yet again, has absolutely nothing negative to say about it's best friend, Todd McFarlane. Somehow, he's utterly blameless while image is getting vilified. I wonder why.... DC remains the flavor of the moment with Bane breaking Batman's back and the big Batman #500 being solicited, and apparently, some folks are still anticipating the return of Superman here. Wizard seems to support the former over the latter because it poses a potentially lasting change, though we know better. Valiant is still garnering significant attention, but that above quote about the returned Turok #1s certainly doesn't bode well for them. How many folks are reading and enjoying these stories, and how many are just speculating? Marvel isn't exactly dead yet, as there appears to be renewed interest in the X-Men with their major crossover event in which Wolverine's adamantium skeleton was lost, and Venom remains a hot commodity as well. Tony Stark getting back in the Iron Man armor is already forgotten as of this issue though, and Marketwatch isn't discussing Daredevil's new costume at all. Apparently, there isn't much excitement about it. Marvel: 32.01% (a 3% drop and new low for the publisher) Image: 21.07% (down only 1%. I'm assuming Wizard's numbers are older than the ones image was using when it decided to slash all those new titles) DC: 16.19% (a 4% drop. Are these numbers sitll pre-Knightfall?) Valiant: 8.69% (down 1%. I'm honestly surprised to see image selling 3x as much at this late date) Dark Horse: 2.97% (up 1%) Others: 20.04% (That's a 10% increase! No explanation is offered. I guess several new comic book universes were launched around this time, especially from Malibu, and Continuity) Industry news:Batman and Azrael are the talk of the town. No other individual comic book properties seem to be attracting high levels of attention this month. Valiant seems especially quiet this month, with nothing big coming up. Deathmate is concluding, and Defiant's Warriors of Plasm (just called "Plasm" here) is debuting. Daredevil is getting that new costume, but no one seems excited about it. Wizard shaping the comic book market?I think Wizard has given up on that racket by this point, though they clearly have an anti-image-but-not-anti-McFarlane bias. They're also cold on Marvel at this point, but not actively criticizing them. They've taken a wait and see approach to DC and Defiant, and are very neutral on Valiant. In short, they're not in any publisher's corner right now, but, to be fair, that was probably a safe decision to make at this point. Wizard's Comic Watch:I bought a used copy of this issue off ebay and just now discovered the previous owner tore this page out Wizard's Top TenWorth noting: Once again, Market Watch comments on the hottest back issues for this month, and their list barely resembles this one at all.  1. Batman #497 (Back broken by Bane)2. Shadowman #16 (1st Dr. Mirage) 3. Bloodshot #7 (1st costumed appearance of Ninjak)4. Bloodshot #6 (1st Ninjak) 5. Spawn #2 (1st Violator, smaller print run than #1. I know, I know!) 6. Rai #0 (sets up the Deathmate crossover, 1st new Rai, lays the foundation of the Valiant Universe) 7. Sword of Azrael #1 (1st Azrael) 8. Vengeance of Bane #1 (1st Bane) 9. Amazing Spider-Man #300 (1st full Venom) 10. Batman #492 (part 1 of Knightfall) Final Thoughts:I'd intended for some time that this should be my final review for this thread, and I'm convinced now, more than ever, that it's the perfect choice for an ending. The party is over; the speculation boom is crumbling, and what's left in its wake is a ravaged industry full of empty, soulless properties that were pimped out for short term sales. In starting this thread, I set out to learn how it happened, and I can't say that I found many surprises in that regard, but at least I've chronicled it all in detail for posterity. I had fun with this thread. I really did. But the fun is gone. I'm past the issues that cause me to wax nostalgic because I, along with many others, had already quit comics by this point. I don't remember these comics and events, and Wizard isn't particularly excited about any of them either. Anyway, thanks for the fun. It really was a blast while it lasted -- this review thread AND the speculator boom of the early 1990s. |
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Post by Trevor on Jun 15, 2015 16:25:01 GMT -5
Sad to see you stop, but thanks for the great posts and comments shaxper!
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Post by shaxper on Jun 15, 2015 16:28:17 GMT -5
Sad to see you stop, but thanks for the great posts and comments shaxper! Hey, it's not like I don't have other review threads you can check out  Seriously, thanks for the kind words. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 15, 2015 19:27:35 GMT -5
Awesome thread, I enjoyed it thoroughly. At this point I was still very into comics but just becoming seriously discouraged. I remember buying almost all the X-titles, and while enjoying them, not enjoying them as much as the late 80's and early 90's ones. The direction the comics took seemed like they should be cooler and more exciting, but they weren't. I had already decided the Venom hype wasn't worth it but still followed ASM out of habit (and through discounted subscription). At this point the superhero drek was causing me to fall behind in my Groo, Usagi, TMNT stuff, and Elfquest wasn't any fun anymore either. Also worth noting, ALL of the above had gone full color by this point as well. I wasn't a fan of that. I wish I had paid more attention to Wizard though, I think I owned fewer than I remembered because I see so little familiarity in this thread. Maybe I would have known all along my drek wasn't worth anything and it would have saved me the shock in 2003 when I tried to sell the hype stuff. Then again, if I didn't think I had a goldmine tucked away in a closet maybe I would have given it all to the LCS for pennies on the dollar and I'd be regretting it today, buying back drek out of nostalgia.
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