InvestComics Comic Hot Picks 12-16-09

It’s Almost an Anti Marvel Week The Way DC Takes Over The Hot Picks. It’s Probably The Lamest Bunch of DC Hot Picks Ever, But We’ll have Fun Anyway…. 

It’s a dominating DC week for the first time in a while on InvestComics’ Hot picks. Nothing that will knock your socks off, it’s the week of lame villains for DC. But DC rules mostly this week, so let’s get started shall we?

Week number 51 (51 right?) of this year brings us a few of DC’s second rate villains, but for fun’s sake we’ll explore where they were hatched in the first place. It’s villains like ‘Vartox’ that DC brings back that really make you scratch your head and ask why?? The new Power Girl #7 pays homage to the original first appearance of this ridiculously looking circus villain by swiping the cover of Superman #281 from 1974. Not only is this villain totally lame, but to swipe the original cover too? Come on DC, Do you really expect to sell more books with a lame cover rip with a villain that no one cares about? Well maybe someone does care about him. If you’re that person, Superman #281 would be the first appearance and the first ‘post Crisis’ appearance is Superman #149 from 1999. Don’t think anyone will party like it’s 1999 for these first appearance, but it could be on someone’s radar out there, right?

Speaking of lame, another second rate character graces the pages of Supergirl #48. That would be Silver Banshee screaming Supergirl away on the cover. She looks a little pissed off doesn’t she? Anyway, the non-colored Silver Banshee first started her screaming fit in Action Comics #595 in 1987. Ahh, the good old 80’s! Remember them? Actually the best part of this first appearance is that John Byrne had a hand in introducing this villain. Any first appearance drawn by legend John Byrne is a keeper no matter how absurd it may seem.

Sticking with the DC lame week, we look at Batman #694. Is this Issue an Introduction of a villain named Kittyhawk? Can’t seem to find a record of her anywhere, so with a name like ‘Kittyhawk’ we can only hope we get a villain that isn’t as undesirable as the name. On the flip side here, a desirable comic book from DC this week though would point to Batman 80 Page Giant #1. A bunch of new up and coming creators take a crack at Batman. Last week Marvel gave us the X book with the same premise, this week with DC you could possibly be getting the next ‘Batman guru’ like Frank Miller or Neil Adams. Highly unlikely, a long shot, but Frank and Neal had to start somewhere too didn’t they? A $5.99 price tag might make some fans gun shy, this shouldn’t stop you. Pick this book up!

The red hot Dark Avengers series continues this week with a death! Oh my! Who cares right? Well we do okay?! Who doesn’t like a good comic book death?? We all know it’s going to be a temporary death, unless your name is Jack of Hearts most likely you’re coming back! So put on your black suit and tie, you have a funeral to attend in Dark Avengers #12.

Marvel almost escapes the lameness factor this week. With the probably the longest (which adds to the lameness factor) titles of the week, Amazing Spider-Man Presents: Anti-Venom – New Ways to Live #3, we see the cover with Anti with the Punisher Skull on his chest. Although it does look sort of badass, how long before we all look at this in 12 months and hate it?

Some Indie titles are to be recognized this week. Conan the Cimmerian: The Weight of the Crown written by Darick Robertson of The Boys. Should be a good one shot here. Mark Waid has made some real big noise with his Irredeemable series for Boom! Studios. Now Mark comes at us with a spin off with Incorruptible #1, although we all hope that his titles don’t become a pattern here, because talk about lame. What’s not lame is this book selling out. Bumblebee #1 gets his first mini-series ever. What took so long? Everyone loves the 21st Century version of Herbie the Love Bug. Finally, check out The Complete Alice In Wonderland #1 from Dynamite comics. This timeless classic brings a new story of Alice adventuring into Wonderland. 

See you next week, Invest Wisely.

Jay Katz

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Jay Katz

InvestComics CEO

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