Monday, March 29, 2004
Now that I've read through my comic books, I might as well sum up (for myself as much as you) what I thought of each of them. So here goes:
Devil May Cry: Book One -- Evil Woman: Sadly, this isn't quite what I was hoping for. The guy I talked to at Wyldstar seemed to be under the assumption that this comic book series was based on the characters and situations in the PS2 video game Devil May Cry and not the actual storyline from the video games. The first page nixes that assumption by boldly stating that it's the exact story from the games. Although I really didn't care much for the DMC games, I was impressed with the style. However, I don't really want to read a four-part mini-series that tells the story of the video games. I'll pass on parts two through four.
Conan #2: Conan the Cimmerian is one character I'll be thinking about for the rest of my life. Part of that is due to Robert E. Howard's stories, part of it is because of the Arnold Schwarzenegger movies (please let the next Conan be half-decent) and part of it because of the comic books, particularly this series. Conan #0 and #1 were both excellent and tense issues. Conan #2 isn't quite as strong, but still nevertheless a good read. As it seems that Conan will be staying in the northlands of the Aesir and Vanir for awhile, I'm looking forward to his adventures in the lands of snow and ice. The stories are excellent, and the artwork is of a style suited well to the great barbarian.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #5: I should've stuck with my first instinct and started picking up the Mirage versions of the comics. Although not nearly as bad as the old Archie Comics version, the Dreamwave Productions version of TMNT isn't exactly pleasing me. However, it's far from horrible. I'm willing to give it a chance for a few issues (and the trade paperback of the four-issue origins story will be out in November, so I'll want to get that), but I think I'll add the Mirage version to my collector's list (and I really need to look into seeing if there's collected volumes of the first Mirage TMNT volume).
Superman/Batman #8: Surprise, surprise, surprise (as Gomer Pile would say). The dude in Wyldstar recommended this book, which introduces the new Supergirl from Krypton to the books. I've never been a big Superman fan, and I haven't read Batman since the mid-1990s, but I must admit I enjoyed this comic. In fact, I'm thinking I might hang in for awhile and see what happens in this title.
Hellboy: The Corpse: This cheapass re-issue was worth picking up. Apparently it's a fan favourite, and I can see why. I quite enjoyed it, and the low, low, low price of a quarter means my time-to-money ratio is in Hellboy's favour.
Perhaps I should explain my time-to-money ratio statement. I tend to judge entertainment based on what it costs me per hour. For instance, a two-hour movie at an AMC costs me roughly $13 (Canadian, folks; I am a Canuck, after all). Let's say it's a two-hour movie for the sake of ease. Divide it up and that's about $6.50 per hour. Quality factors in as a subjective force, so if the movie sucks, I feel extremely ripped off. Compare that to the price of a video game. Let's say $80 for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. I have probably got at least 30 hours of enjoyment out of the title. Divide it up, and it's about $2.67 per hour. Can't complain about that. I figure a comic book title, generally priced around $4.50 (although Wyldstar gives customers twenty-five percent off on new titles, so say about $3.38), takes me maybe half an hour to read (and that's being generous, depending on the individual title). Double it for the per hour basis, and it's $6.76. More than a movie, but at least I don't have some little dipshit behind me either talking or kicking the seat.
Anyway, I don't know what the dividing point between a good price and a bad price for an hour of entertainment is, but it's something I generally know when I see. Got it?
Devil May Cry: Book One -- Evil Woman: Sadly, this isn't quite what I was hoping for. The guy I talked to at Wyldstar seemed to be under the assumption that this comic book series was based on the characters and situations in the PS2 video game Devil May Cry and not the actual storyline from the video games. The first page nixes that assumption by boldly stating that it's the exact story from the games. Although I really didn't care much for the DMC games, I was impressed with the style. However, I don't really want to read a four-part mini-series that tells the story of the video games. I'll pass on parts two through four.
Conan #2: Conan the Cimmerian is one character I'll be thinking about for the rest of my life. Part of that is due to Robert E. Howard's stories, part of it is because of the Arnold Schwarzenegger movies (please let the next Conan be half-decent) and part of it because of the comic books, particularly this series. Conan #0 and #1 were both excellent and tense issues. Conan #2 isn't quite as strong, but still nevertheless a good read. As it seems that Conan will be staying in the northlands of the Aesir and Vanir for awhile, I'm looking forward to his adventures in the lands of snow and ice. The stories are excellent, and the artwork is of a style suited well to the great barbarian.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #5: I should've stuck with my first instinct and started picking up the Mirage versions of the comics. Although not nearly as bad as the old Archie Comics version, the Dreamwave Productions version of TMNT isn't exactly pleasing me. However, it's far from horrible. I'm willing to give it a chance for a few issues (and the trade paperback of the four-issue origins story will be out in November, so I'll want to get that), but I think I'll add the Mirage version to my collector's list (and I really need to look into seeing if there's collected volumes of the first Mirage TMNT volume).
Superman/Batman #8: Surprise, surprise, surprise (as Gomer Pile would say). The dude in Wyldstar recommended this book, which introduces the new Supergirl from Krypton to the books. I've never been a big Superman fan, and I haven't read Batman since the mid-1990s, but I must admit I enjoyed this comic. In fact, I'm thinking I might hang in for awhile and see what happens in this title.
Hellboy: The Corpse: This cheapass re-issue was worth picking up. Apparently it's a fan favourite, and I can see why. I quite enjoyed it, and the low, low, low price of a quarter means my time-to-money ratio is in Hellboy's favour.
Perhaps I should explain my time-to-money ratio statement. I tend to judge entertainment based on what it costs me per hour. For instance, a two-hour movie at an AMC costs me roughly $13 (Canadian, folks; I am a Canuck, after all). Let's say it's a two-hour movie for the sake of ease. Divide it up and that's about $6.50 per hour. Quality factors in as a subjective force, so if the movie sucks, I feel extremely ripped off. Compare that to the price of a video game. Let's say $80 for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. I have probably got at least 30 hours of enjoyment out of the title. Divide it up, and it's about $2.67 per hour. Can't complain about that. I figure a comic book title, generally priced around $4.50 (although Wyldstar gives customers twenty-five percent off on new titles, so say about $3.38), takes me maybe half an hour to read (and that's being generous, depending on the individual title). Double it for the per hour basis, and it's $6.76. More than a movie, but at least I don't have some little dipshit behind me either talking or kicking the seat.
Anyway, I don't know what the dividing point between a good price and a bad price for an hour of entertainment is, but it's something I generally know when I see. Got it?
// posted by Chris @ 8:25 PM 
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