Balham's Finest

Keep your slabbed books away from water, is my advice.

Thanks for this - interesting stuff!

Of course, your table should say "FEWER" not "LESS"...

Also, just FYI according to your figures East of West has lost 27% of its readers over 5 issues (and that's ignoring the fact that you didn't realise it had 4 covers for issue 1). While better than a lot of the other titles, that doesn't qualify as "hardly lost any readers" to me.

Zero had four covers

Rat Queens had two covers

Satellite Sam had at least 3 (I am including con exclusives)

Chin Music had 2

East of West had 4

etc. etc.

Where did you get this info from?

 

East of West will definitely pass SAGA, and eventually Catch Walking Dead, IMO.....

 

East of West may eventually overtake TWD in terms of comic book sales (though I don't think it's likely). Overall popularity/cultural impact? Absolutely no chance.

That's very cool. It's probably my favourite of the Alpha #2 covers, since it's the one that seems most closely related to actual events!

Question: do people think that Alpha is basically finishing like Preacher, in that the penultimate issue

Yes, I'm actually spoiler tagging this for those who haven't read Preacher yet!

So I just though about something. Do we want to include "Offense Levels"? Basically 1-4 stars where depending on what you do deserves a different level of offense? I.e. if I don't pay for a 10 dollar comic then thats a 1 star offense and if I offer a trade of my Startling 49 for your Tec 31 and you send the Tec 31 and I send back an empty box, thats a 4 star offense?

 

I don't think we need to try rating these things. The PL is simple in that if you've wronged someone you end up on it and if you continue to be a cod-piece you head to the HOS. People have been added to the list regardless of the value of the transaction they need to complete and I'm not going to be any more inclined to deal with someone who may have "only" cheated someone for $10 vs $10000. Get yourself off the list and then I'll deal with you. That is my

I agree. You're either on it or you're not. If you do something particularly egregious you go to the HOF. Otherwise I don't really see what a star system would add to be honest.

we, the boards, are dealers and buy low, always, and sell high, always. collectors pay what they want, price does not matter to collectors.

Yes, we on the boards are geniuses. No boardie ever pays too much or sells for too little. It's only the suckers out there in the general public.

We are also all winning poker players.

Speculators are needed to drive interest and fuel buzz to make a book successful not just a good story or art anymore

I don't think speculators play much of a part (if any) in the success of DC or Marvel titles actually.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: the ultimate would be Woody Harrelson.

 

 

I am deadly serious. He would be amazing.

There are obviously pictures in which he looks more... uh... "manly" than that, but it's the only one I could quickly find of him with a 'tache.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: the ultimate would be Woody Harrelson.

If ya'll were going to get sigs on Hero Initiative that's still blank on the back would you get them on the cover or on the blank back? I'm thinking about getting a bunch of celeb sigs on it from the show.

Definitely the back.

I'd hold fire on judging the new inking on the strength of that splash. It looks nice for sure, but it's likely that both Charlie and the inker (whose name escapes me) will be putting more effort into double page splashes than panel pages.

Looking forward to 115 and beyond, anyway!

Not sure if it's the same interview (I haven't followed the link), but Kirkman said that Holly is going to be a significant player in the coming arc, and to look out for Heath too...

I would love to ask people like him what their thought process is that leads them to negotiate the purchase of books and then immediately disappear. What's the point?

It's the same as thrill bidding on eBay - some people get just as much enjoyment out of the chase as they do from closing a deal.

I just had an epiphany about the covers for 10 and 15...

 

 

There are more blue dots on the cover to 15. I think the blue Oppenheimer's will turn the tide in the war in Oppenheimer's head.

An epiphany? More like the only obvious conclusion, surely...! Especially since the date range on #10 is 1950-1959 and on #15 its 1960-1969...

The subtitle on both is "Finite Oppenheimers", which also points in that direction, and refers back to issue #1, which was subtitled "Infinite Oppenheimers"

Yep, it's the best yet imo as well.

HOS, not PL.

Weak sauce

I love how they've yet to encounter anyone with the same name.

 

"Rick meet..... Rick!"

Off the top of my head, there were two Billys and two Eugenes. I'm sure there are lots more examples. Not to mention the fact that Jesus' surname is Monroe, same as Spencer etc., even though they are not related. I remember reading that Kirkman had deliberately created characters with the same names to keep things realistic.

1 - Negan

2-1000 - everyone else

I can feel another cameo vs. first appearance fight coming on!

The window for you to change your mind on your purchases (i.e. liquidate) is much much smaller than the time you have to make your choices.

Good post Garf, and this is a very good point. My feeling is that the vast majority of people who are buying Walking Dead OA at today's prices will be extremely lucky to ever make their money back, let alone make a profit - which of course presents no problem at all if the idea is to keep it rather than invest in it.

There might be the odd exception for covers etc., but if Kirkman really is going to go to 300 issues then we're barely done with a third of the story. There's no telling how the things that look important or "key" now will stack up once the book is done.

You Walking Dead OA collectors are going to be in big trouble if the new inker inks over Adlard bluelines/scans - then not only will the issues be coming out twice as often, there'll be a choice of pencils or inks!

 

I haven't seen mentioned anywhere if this is the case or not, but presumably Mark at splashpage would know...

 

I really don't know if that's good or bad.......But I thinking, not so good? What are you thinking Balham?

 

I think more TWD is always a good thing, but I think you'll see an even bigger premium being paid for pre-48 pages, especially early 11x17's and Moore pieces.

 

I LOVE the recent pages, and think we've been seeing some great stuff from Charlie, but after my buying spree of a few pre- issue 25 pages, a cover and a Moore commission, I won't be buying anything unless it's really worth it.

 

Still bummed I missed out on that Issue 1 splash, James J. Every time I see it in your CAF I cry a little

I suppose two of each page would be good in one sense as it might be easier for people to get hold of pages given the increase in supply - but bad in that some people would feel that they wanted to get pencils AND inks for a page that they loved, which would be more expensive, and more difficult if more than one person liked it. Also a bit of uncertainty as the market worked out which was worth more, etc.

If Charlie is working in England and the inker is not, it seems likely that it wouldn't be pencils and inks on the same page.

Anyway, this is all pie in the sky - I have no idea how they will do it, and fortunately I'm not a WD art guy myself, so I can just sit back and watch. Just throwing it out there as something you guys might want to consider/talk to Mark about.

You Walking Dead OA collectors are going to be in big trouble if the new inker inks over Adlard bluelines/scans - then not only will the issues be coming out twice as often, there'll be a choice of pencils or inks!

I haven't seen mentioned anywhere if this is the case or not, but presumably Mark at splashpage would know...