Comments for Comic Picks By The Glick http://comics.podbean.com Jason brings his expert opinon to the world of comics Sun, 20 May 2012 05:05:13 +0000 http://podbean.com/?v=3.2 Comment on Eden: It’s an Endless World! vol. 13 by JG http://www.glickscomicpicks.com/2011/09/10/eden-its-an-endless-world-vol-13/#comment-573530 Sun, 18 Sep 2011 19:29:28 +0000 http://www.glickscomicpicks.com/2011/09/10/eden-its-an-endless-world-vol-13/#comment-573530 A couple years ago, there was a PDF that surfaced with the lifetime sales for all of the mangas that Dark Horse was currently serializing at the time. “Eden’s” sales were pegged at 40K for the first 11 volumes (I don’t believe vol. 12 had come out at the time). As for what I’ve heard about the latest volume, the news isn’t good. The sales estimates from Diamond Distribution, tracking comics sold to comic shops (courtesy of Comic Book Resources), have the initial orders for vol. 13 at a measly 697 copies. That’s less than half of what the latest volume of “Gantz” and the initial volume of “Drifters” did in the same month. It also shows that the readership for the series in comic shops hasn’t grown at all in the two years that it has been away. This isn’t the complete picture as it leaves out sales through bookstores and online retailers such as Amazon (where I got my copy). Also, since the volume didn’t actually hit retail until earlier this month, there’s a chance that we could see some more activity on next month’s chart. I’m not holding my breath on that, though. I wish Dark Horse had done something to promote its release, because the odds are looking slim for us getting vol. 14 sooner than we did for the last volume, if we get it at all. The moral of this story: If you want the rest of this series to be published in English, you’re going to have to go out and spread the word yourself. The series may be fantastic, but it can’t sell itself. A couple years ago, there was a PDF that surfaced with the lifetime sales for all of the mangas that Dark Horse was currently serializing at the time. “Eden’s” sales were pegged at 40K for the first 11 volumes (I don’t believe vol. 12 had come out at the time).

As for what I’ve heard about the latest volume, the news isn’t good. The sales estimates from Diamond Distribution, tracking comics sold to comic shops (courtesy of Comic Book Resources), have the initial orders for vol. 13 at a measly 697 copies. That’s less than half of what the latest volume of “Gantz” and the initial volume of “Drifters” did in the same month. It also shows that the readership for the series in comic shops hasn’t grown at all in the two years that it has been away.

This isn’t the complete picture as it leaves out sales through bookstores and online retailers such as Amazon (where I got my copy). Also, since the volume didn’t actually hit retail until earlier this month, there’s a chance that we could see some more activity on next month’s chart. I’m not holding my breath on that, though. I wish Dark Horse had done something to promote its release, because the odds are looking slim for us getting vol. 14 sooner than we did for the last volume, if we get it at all.

The moral of this story: If you want the rest of this series to be published in English, you’re going to have to go out and spread the word yourself. The series may be fantastic, but it can’t sell itself.

]]> Comment on Eden: It’s an Endless World! vol. 13 by Norse http://www.glickscomicpicks.com/2011/09/10/eden-its-an-endless-world-vol-13/#comment-573308 Sun, 18 Sep 2011 03:47:06 +0000 http://www.glickscomicpicks.com/2011/09/10/eden-its-an-endless-world-vol-13/#comment-573308 I really hope we get the rest of this. Is there any information on the actual sales numbers for series? I really hope we get the rest of this. Is there any information on the actual sales numbers for series?

]]> Comment on What I’ve Been Reading: Gunsmith Cats — Burst by tim gueguen http://www.glickscomicpicks.com/2010/05/11/what-ive-been-reading-gunsmith-cats-burst/#comment-485256 Sun, 20 Feb 2011 21:18:18 +0000 http://www.glickscomicpicks.com/2010/05/11/what-ive-been-reading-gunsmith-cats-burst/#comment-485256 Add me to the disappointed list. Was the ending simply a case of Sonoda restarting GSC only to lose interest halfways through? Or was it some bizarre moral intended for the Japanese audience, along the lines of saying the Yakuza really aren't that bad because, hey, they keep their mess to themselves? Or maybe it was Sonoda simply saying "You want it back? Fine, I've give it to you, but you won't like what I do with it." Add me to the disappointed list. Was the ending simply a case of Sonoda restarting GSC only to lose interest halfways through? Or was it some bizarre moral intended for the Japanese audience, along the lines of saying the Yakuza really aren’t that bad because, hey, they keep their mess to themselves? Or maybe it was Sonoda simply saying “You want it back? Fine, I’ve give it to you, but you won’t like what I do with it.”

]]> Comment on What I’ve Been Reading: Gunsmith Cats — Burst by GG http://www.glickscomicpicks.com/2010/05/11/what-ive-been-reading-gunsmith-cats-burst/#comment-462008 Fri, 31 Dec 2010 14:07:02 +0000 http://www.glickscomicpicks.com/2010/05/11/what-ive-been-reading-gunsmith-cats-burst/#comment-462008 The last volume sucked. Rally gave her nemesis her memories back, who in turn stole one of her friends and brainwashed her, which it turns out it's irreversible. But everything's oh so fine because the girl loves her blah blah blah and they can't save her anyway and goldie's brainwashing every damn drug dealer in chicago so there's less open violence ... I mean come on really? Just because she's brainwashing everybody and it reduces open violence it's theoretically better but everybody who knows Goldie know she's the biggest threat there is. She might as well brainwash the police and the goverment while she's at it. And then then story ends, wait what? An evil mastermind takes over the underworld, takes one of the heroines as her love slave and the story fucking ends? I shouldn't have read the 5th volume. The last volume sucked. Rally gave her nemesis her memories back, who in turn stole one of her friends and brainwashed her, which it turns out it’s irreversible. But everything’s oh so fine because the girl loves her blah blah blah and they can’t save her anyway and goldie’s brainwashing every damn drug dealer in chicago so there’s less open violence … I mean come on really? Just because she’s brainwashing everybody and it reduces open violence it’s theoretically better but everybody who knows Goldie know she’s the biggest threat there is. She might as well brainwash the police and the goverment while she’s at it. And then then story ends, wait what? An evil mastermind takes over the underworld, takes one of the heroines as her love slave and the story fucking ends?

I shouldn’t have read the 5th volume.

]]> Comment on 20th Century Boys vol. 11 by Krill http://www.glickscomicpicks.com/2010/10/30/20th-century-boys-vol-11/#comment-438247 Sun, 31 Oct 2010 04:08:47 +0000 http://www.glickscomicpicks.com/2010/10/30/20th-century-boys-vol-11/#comment-438247 Fair enough. Hard to believe it'll be at the halfway point in a month and a half. Fair enough.

Hard to believe it’ll be at the halfway point in a month and a half.

]]> Comment on 20th Century Boys vol. 11 by JG http://www.glickscomicpicks.com/2010/10/30/20th-century-boys-vol-11/#comment-438155 Sat, 30 Oct 2010 20:16:43 +0000 http://www.glickscomicpicks.com/2010/10/30/20th-century-boys-vol-11/#comment-438155 Only if it's done correctly. It doesn't require forethought or subtlety to show us the heroes' struggle for X amount of volumes only to have the antagonist reveal in one panel that their actions have played right into his hands. In order for it to properly work, in my opinion, then we need to have some idea of the antagonist's plans in order to see how they're manipulated or playing right into his hands. My concern is that this is the kind of antagonist that the Friend has been set up to be so far. Having antagonists succeed because the plot demands it is exactly what I consider lazy storytelling. That said, Urasawa's shows that he isn't averse to humanizing the other members of The Friends in this volume, so I'm hoping that once the identity of the Friend is revealed we'll get some background on his Machiavellian planning skills. Unless he's revealed to be Fukube. Which would explain a lot of this. Only if it’s done correctly. It doesn’t require forethought or subtlety to show us the heroes’ struggle for X amount of volumes only to have the antagonist reveal in one panel that their actions have played right into his hands. In order for it to properly work, in my opinion, then we need to have some idea of the antagonist’s plans in order to see how they’re manipulated or playing right into his hands.

My concern is that this is the kind of antagonist that the Friend has been set up to be so far. Having antagonists succeed because the plot demands it is exactly what I consider lazy storytelling. That said, Urasawa’s shows that he isn’t averse to humanizing the other members of The Friends in this volume, so I’m hoping that once the identity of the Friend is revealed we’ll get some background on his Machiavellian planning skills.

Unless he’s revealed to be Fukube. Which would explain a lot of this.

]]> Comment on 20th Century Boys vol. 11 by Krill http://www.glickscomicpicks.com/2010/10/30/20th-century-boys-vol-11/#comment-438092 Sat, 30 Oct 2010 15:50:33 +0000 http://www.glickscomicpicks.com/2010/10/30/20th-century-boys-vol-11/#comment-438092 Why is it lazy storytelling if the heroes actions coincide with the villain's aims? I mean, I'm sure there are plenty of cases where that's implemented lazily, but I really can't grasp why you think it's in itself lazy storytelling. In fact, doesn't it require a lot of forethought and oftentimes subtlety to pull off? Why is it lazy storytelling if the heroes actions coincide with the villain’s aims? I mean, I’m sure there are plenty of cases where that’s implemented lazily, but I really can’t grasp why you think it’s in itself lazy storytelling.

In fact, doesn’t it require a lot of forethought and oftentimes subtlety to pull off?

]]> Comment on Comic Picks #43: Naoki Urasawa by JG http://www.glickscomicpicks.com/2009/12/08/comic-picks-43-naoki-urasawa/#comment-303793 Sun, 13 Dec 2009 06:32:14 +0000 http://www.glickscomicpicks.com/2009/12/08/comic-picks-43-naoki-urasawa/#comment-303793 I understand that's what Urasawa is doing in this series for the most part, but there are many scenes that require some actual science as it relates to AI if we're to take them seriously. (spoilers ahead) The biggest offender in my mind is when Geischt regains his memory in volume five -- something that shouldn't be possible since the data was removed. Saying that it was "buried too deep" makes it come off like a human's "repressed memory." What's worse is that we find out in his memory that he was able to overcome his programming and kill a man because he hated him enough. While I'm open to the idea that there are actual scientific reasons for these things, these events make Geischt seem less like a robot and more like an actual human. That might have been Urasawa's point, but when the series is founded on showing what it means to be human through the eyes of those who actually aren't it makes the whole endeavor seem kind of pointless. I understand that’s what Urasawa is doing in this series for the most part, but there are many scenes that require some actual science as it relates to AI if we’re to take them seriously. (spoilers ahead) The biggest offender in my mind is when Geischt regains his memory in volume five — something that shouldn’t be possible since the data was removed. Saying that it was “buried too deep” makes it come off like a human’s “repressed memory.” What’s worse is that we find out in his memory that he was able to overcome his programming and kill a man because he hated him enough. While I’m open to the idea that there are actual scientific reasons for these things, these events make Geischt seem less like a robot and more like an actual human. That might have been Urasawa’s point, but when the series is founded on showing what it means to be human through the eyes of those who actually aren’t it makes the whole endeavor seem kind of pointless.

]]> Comment on Comic Picks #43: Naoki Urasawa by Krill http://www.glickscomicpicks.com/2009/12/08/comic-picks-43-naoki-urasawa/#comment-301726 Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:08:51 +0000 http://www.glickscomicpicks.com/2009/12/08/comic-picks-43-naoki-urasawa/#comment-301726 And by "bottom down" I mean "top down". And by “bottom down” I mean “top down”.

]]> Comment on Comic Picks #43: Naoki Urasawa by Krill http://www.glickscomicpicks.com/2009/12/08/comic-picks-43-naoki-urasawa/#comment-301606 Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:09:45 +0000 http://www.glickscomicpicks.com/2009/12/08/comic-picks-43-naoki-urasawa/#comment-301606 I don't understand what you mean when you say Urasawa is writing hard science fiction with Pluto. I don't think he's trying to invoke any sort of plausibility or explore actual artificial intelligence. In fact, he's kind of working from the bottom down. He starts with questions about humanity and then models his robots and their 'science' in order to explore what it REALLY means to create the perfect human simulacrum. You do seem to be the only one I've seen respond that way to Pluto, which is getting heaped praise upon praise around the internet. I don’t understand what you mean when you say Urasawa is writing hard science fiction with Pluto. I don’t think he’s trying to invoke any sort of plausibility or explore actual artificial intelligence. In fact, he’s kind of working from the bottom down. He starts with questions about humanity and then models his robots and their ’science’ in order to explore what it REALLY means to create the perfect human simulacrum.

You do seem to be the only one I’ve seen respond that way to Pluto, which is getting heaped praise upon praise around the internet.

]]> Comment on Comic Picks 2 - The Walking Dead / The Drifting Classroom / Dragonhead by Marisa http://www.glickscomicpicks.com/2008/06/12/comic-picks-2-the-walking-dead-the-drifting-classroom-dragonhead/#comment-112318 Thu, 12 Jun 2008 21:48:13 +0000 http://www.glickscomicpicks.com/2008/06/12/comic-picks-2-the-walking-dead-the-drifting-classroom-dragonhead/#comment-112318 Great to see you bringing your comic knowledge to the masses! Good work so far. Great to see you bringing your comic knowledge to the masses! Good work so far.

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