WLG #207: An Authoritatively Green Christmas!


By Michael A. Diaz

Pick of the Week – The Authority: Prime #2; Welcome to What Looks Good!Well, it's now POST Thanksgiving here in the States, which mean that the mad dash of shopping before Christmas is now in full swing. Are you one of those people that shops all year round and come August you're done shopping? If so, I hate you.

Of course, if I can make an assumption about my readership I can probably guess that most of them are guys. Nothing sexist here, ladies, it's just that your average comic book reading fan is a dude, usually in his mid-20's to early 30's. That being that case, I am thinking I can make yet another assumption: that, as men, you wait until the last possible minute to shop for Christmas.

I fully admit that I am one of those people. Shopping on Christmas Eve? Yeah, I've done that. To my credit, though, the last time I had to do I had the smarts to get up early and hit the stores the MINUTE they opened up, meaning that I finished my shopping before the throngs of other shoppers (men) rushed in for last minute gifts.

Already I've started shopping. This past weekend the fiancée and drove to an outlet mall a couple hours away from our home. Many deals were to be had, and though I bought a COUPLE of Christmas gifts, mostly I bought things for myself (I need new clothes, what can I say?)

So, with keeping with the Christmas spirit and things that I want, here are some comic related things that I am hoping magically appear under the tree for me:


  • The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Black Dossier - I know this came out just a couple of weeks ago and I didn't get all geeked about it. Well, there's a reason for that. You see, my birthday is in mid-October, so with Christmas being only six weeks away I usually put myself into a personal buying freeze. During that time I am NOT supposed to buy things for myself at all. I purposely avoided coverage of the release of ...The Black Dossier because I also know something else about myself: I'm obsessive. If I read the about it and got all excited there was EVERY reason to believe that I was going to whip out my credit card and buy that thing immediately. It certainly didn't help that week when I picked up my weekly comics that my store had a copy of it sitting RIGHT BE THE CASH REGISTER. Yes, they were trying to tempt me, yet, I resisted.

    I've calmed down a bit since then, and now I'm in full “Christmas shopping mode”. That means I REALLY know that I cannot buy it now, but there's certainly nothing wrong with me dropping hints to my family and other loved ones that I really must have this book or I will die a slow, long, torturous death.

    I know some of you out there already have this, and yes, I hate you all very much. You don't have to tell me how good it is because I already know that it is awesome.

    So please, someone just get this for me for Christmas. Please and thank you.

  • Lost Girls (Top Shelf) - the last two years at the Wizard World Chicago convention I very much wanted to pick this up. Sure, the price is pretty hefty, but I REALLY want it. Still, the idea of lugging these massive tomes through the convention floor and then onto the El while I rode all the way back into Chicago and then took the bus several blocks to my friends house was very Unappealing.

    I've considered buying it other times, but pretty much this year when it came time to spend money on stuff, well, the new house I bought in July took precedence. Lawnmowers, garbage bins, invisible fencing for the new dog, well, all of these take money, money that I would RATHER spend on comics, but also money that my lovely fiancée would rather I spend on upkeep of the house.

    She wins. She always wins.

    Still, I can lust after these for Christmas, can I? Of course, I don't know if someone is going to want to buy me something that borders (or crosses over into) comic book porn (erotica?), but I still want it anyway.

  • The Ultimates 2 hardcover (Marvel) - I have the first collection of the Ultimates in hardcover as well and I have to say that sitting down and reading the entire run from start to finish in one large, hardcover collection is awesome.

    I can't wait to do it with the second part as well.

  • The Walking Dead trades 2 on up (Image) – I don't know if I've made it clear enough yet, but zombies scare the HECK out of me. I know, they're fake, they don't exist, and that mostly likely I'll die of a heart attack or something else mundane, like a car accident. Still, I am TERRIFIED of zombies.

    Yet, for some reason I picked up the first trade of this series. OK, it wasn't just SOME reason, it was because the buzz online and offline about how GOOD this book was (and is) was getting to be quite deafening, so I had to see what the hype was all about.

    Well, I was pulled into the book and now I HAVE to know what happens next (remember what I said about being obsessive above?). Again, I would have started buying these on my own already if not having to buy stuff for the house as well as the “buying freeze.”

    And really, what says Christmas like zombies?

  • Brit: Volume 1, Old Soldier (Image) - I already have every single one of the Brit one-shots and am currently enjoying the new ongoing series, but to have those one-shots collected together and in COLOR? Kirkman, you're making me pay TWICE and I'm thanking you for it.

    Well played, Kirkman, well played.

  • Aliens Omnibus, Predator Omnibus, Aliens vs Predator Omnibus (Dark Horse) – Any and all things Alien and/or Predator touch me in a very special place.

    Anything.

  • Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Xbox 360) – Yes, I realize that this is not even CLOSE to comic related, but it's the coolest game that I've played in some time. I'm obsessing hardcore and I MUST own this game.

    Of course, I'll need an Xbox 360 as well.

    Obsession is tough, kids.
    • I'm sure I could fill pages and pages of things that I want, but that's a good enough start for now.

    Before I get too ahead of myself, here's this:Standard Disclaimer: For those of you new to the WLG experience, here's how it works: Every week I check out the release schedule from the Diamond Comics Shipping List and decide which comics that I am going to spend my hard-earned money on. Yep, my money. That's good, because it helps to maintain my objectivity. If I spend money on a comic book and it turns out to be crap I'm going to be upset.Is there anything that you are hoping that Santa puts under YOUR tree? Think about it and get back to me, but for now, let's take a look at What Looks Good...

    DC


    AUTHORITY PRIME #2 (OF 6) $2.99 (Christos Gage / Darick Robertson)

    I've made no secret my love for the Authority or ANYTHING that goes back to the days of Ellis era StormWatch (or even StormWatch: Team Achilles), so for a fan that has been around for a while this is a real treat.

    You see, ever since the former Weatherman Henry Bendix died people have been trying to get into his virtual memory data tower, a 3D computer construct that housed information that Bendix wanted kept secret for some reason. Now, Bendix was one sneaky cat as it was, created black ops teams that his official black ops teams knew nothing about, so what could Henry be hiding?

    Was it information would be beneficial to the world, ushering in a new golden age, or was it something terrible that would ultimately destroy the world?

    Well, that information was just unlocked and now both the Authority and the StormWatch Prime team want the information for themselves.

    Expect that's of butts being kicked.

    JOY!

    GREEN LANTERN CORPS #18 $2.99 (Peter J. Tomasi / Pat Gleason)

    Dear DC Comics,

    Ever since the mid-80s when I was first exposed to the GLC I have been in love with them. Later the Corps was destroyed, then rebuilt, destroyed again, rebuilt, blah blah blah....

    For a long time now I was hoping, praying that the GLC would return. The fact that you gave the GLC their own title was enough for me, but then you let loose the Sinestro Corps War and have made the GLC everything that they ever should have been.

    THANK YOU, DC, THANK YOU.

    My first born male child will be shipped to you via UPS upon his birth.

    Sincerely,

    Michael A. Diaz
    GLC super geek.
    What books are getting you all fired up this week? Or, better yet, what comic-related items are you hoping for this Christmas season? I want to hear it all, so now that you've read the column what's stopping you from hitting the What Looks Good message boards (see link below)? Hit me with your weekly picks and your Christmas wants and we'll gush like only fanboys can.

    Until then,

    Peace!

    -Diaz