Prairie Sable

Here is a contribution that I have been struggling to find the time to post. It is contributed by Spruce213 from the Comicspriceguide.com forum.

1 - Walking Dead #1: Up from the second slot last month
is the hottest book of not only the new year, but possibly
of the last decade. The book has sold for between 500 and
600 bucks and show zero signs of slowing down. If you didn't
buy this book back when it was under the 100 dollar barrier
then chances are, you won't be able to afford this book
unless you really, really want it. And on a side note, can't
wait until Kirkman introduces Daryl into the Walking Dead
comic world. The guy is the Wolverine of the Zombie world.

2 - Amazing Spider-Man #678 Variant: Moving up a notch
is the Venom variant of Amazing Spider-Man 678 which has
the variant world in a frenzy. People are flocking to EBay and
plopping down big money for this book. Maybe it's Mary Jane
looking kick ass as Venom, but this book has staying power.
If you want a copy of this book, be prepared to shell out a
cool 150 to 200 bucks.

3 - Walking Dead #2: This book is hot because it's not
only the second issue of the classic Walking Dead series,
but because of the Vulture of Amazing Spider-Man fame
making an appearance on the cover and... oh wait... that's
not the Vulture? My bad. I guess people are paying 300
bucks for this book just cause it's the Walking Dead and
as we all know, fans of the Walking Dead have some of
the deepest pockets of all modern era collectors. Maybe
that's the reason why this book went from number 5 to
number 3? Hmmmm.....

4 - Walking Dead #19: Keeping it's footing at number four
this month is yet another Walking Dead comic book that
fans are throwing money at like the book was a stripper
at the Spearmint Rhino. The 1st appearance of Michonne
is hot now, but just imagine what's going to happen when
Michonne makes her eagerly awaited debut on the TV show?
That 100 dollar price tag right now is going to look like
chump change compared to what the book is going to be
selling for at the moment.

5 - Thief of Thieves #1: Entering the top 10 at number 5
is the Thief of Thieves #1 Image Expo variant that is fully
responsible for giving poor Mail Men hernias for having to
carry all the orders to the homes of all the fanboys that
keep buying this variant. People are buying this book
cause it's not only a hot variant, but because the story
is actually really good. It's only going for between 20 and
30 bucks at the moment so trust me... get this while you
still can.

I will be posting a contribution from someone who gave me permission to post it from another source. I had hopped to do it last weekend but I just didn't get around to it. So ... hopefully I will get it up on Sunday. It will be on currently hot selling books.

And here is is,

TEX's my pick of the month:

It's Men of War #7. And it's a thing of wonder.

We start of by being introduced to one tough soldier, Captain Georges Saint of Special Air Service (British S.A.S. or Spec Ops), in a story called, "Remembering the Leopard," written by James Robinson and penciled and colored by Phil Winslade. It's his 1st app and he is showing signs of becoming an amazing character. The story is told mostly by a fellow soldier and recounts Cpt. Saint's reticence in regards to bugging out of Afghanistan. He feels there is yet work to do there. An insurgent, The Leopard, has committed atrocities for which he has not answered and Cpt. Saint wants to bring him to justice before he leaves the AO (area of operations). This is the story of how and why he gets the job done.

The story is engrossing and very tight, while the art is a bit dainty and faint - delicate even, done up with bright, flighty colors that bare stark contrast to the heaviness of the subject matter. Bewitching choices.

The second story, "Survival Mode," penned by J.T. Krul, penciled by Scott Kolins and colored by Mike Atiyeh, introduces us to SGT. Derek Fishman AKA Fish. In my mind it is a masterpiece of storytelling. It chronicles Fish's fight for survival in Iraq AND it chronicles his fight for survival/adjustment after returning home. We are shown the parallels between his efforts to survive after his helicopter goes down after being hit by an RPG 15 miles outside of Mosul and his efforts to find a job and fit back in to normal, civilian, civilized society after his Chapter 4 (military speak for a discharge due to expiration of service obligation). The story is non-linear, yet linear, as both story lines run chronologically but are interspersed - intercepting, interrupting one another and driving each other forward. The parallels and the message are crystal clear - the story is meant to move you - and, at least for me, it did just that. It sucks to remember those days after coming back. This story took me there and I think it will take anyone there who really sits down to read it thoroughly. There are several particularly poignant, heartbreaking scenes in this story.

Men of War is going away. I will be very sorry to see it go. Issue after issue it has delivered especially good stories with likeable characters, but this issue was out of the ballpark. I fell in love with both of these characters and it has been some time since a comic book story has moved me, affected me in such a powerful way.

This is my book of the month and one of the best comics going today.

TEX

This is TEX talkin' at ya,

I'm no comics critic nor connoisseur - I'm just a guy who loves comics. Some probably think I'm not a real collector because I only collect what I like. I don't need no full runs. Don't need every comic printed. Don't need to WOW people with what I got. Ain't building a collection to sell on a rainy day.

Selling my comics ain't even a consideration lessin' the day gets REAL rainy-like or...unless I just decide one day I don't like comics no more.

Fat chance.

I love to learn about history - and comic book history is interesting to me. I love to watch how our collective fears, hopes and dreams were translated into color and ink. It makes me feel connected to the past - as we know, one of the best ways to study history is by reading it in the words of those who lived it; old notes and letters often better serve to convey what life was really like in a certain time frame than books written by Ph.Ds. I see Platinum, Golden, Silver, Bronze and early Modern Age comics as letters from our ancestors to us. What did they imagine and why did they imagine it? What were their limitations? Where did they think we were going and did we ever get there? What did they love? What did they hate? What did they fear? Why did they fight and what did they believe in? What would they die for? I can glean many answers from comics.

Do I dig [post] modern comics? Sure as shootin' I do! I love a good ol' engrossing story. I love to read about heroes and legends and the little guy beating the odds. I am a romantic by necessity - I have witnessed and partaken in the evil that men do. I need to believe that there is more to myself and mankind than blood and spit, dirt and feces. I need to believe that we're better than animals. So, I choose to place my eyes on the best of the human race every day and reading comics helps keep me in a good place. Comics remind me that there are some of us who are truly good and truly believe that the world can be a better place.

While superhero and science-fiction comics are my favorites, I do dig other genres, such as horror, crime-drama, suspense, fantasy (sword-and-sorcery) and war. I do not enjoy these others genres for the shock value; in my opinion uber-violence and excessive sexuality might as well be pornography if it does not serve as a vehicle to move the story forward or make the reader care. I enjoy the vertical fight. When characters are afraid, pressed, oppressed, outnumbered or overwhelmed and continue to fight, win or lose, I just can't resist that story when it's written well.

I love comics. I collect what I like. I read what I want. No rules, no pressure.

I have fun. And as long as it don't hurt no one, including one's own self, then it's all right, it's all good, it's all gravy.

Word?

Word up.

TEX

This blog is for the contributors to Prairiesable.com to post their musings on Comics, Movies and whatever else tickles their fancy.

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