This week's New Purchases

Looking back over the last few posts there seems to be a theme of posting at the weekend to list a couple of purchases but nothing actually seems to have been read!

It's the same again this week.

The Sequential Art of Amada Conner is a 300 page hardcover collection of various DC titles showcasing Conner's work. I haven't got any of the originals and I thought it would be a nice purchase as I do like her stuff.

Iron Man Vol 11 is the last Matt Fraction/ Salvador Larroca volume and completes the run of 70+ issues half of which I've now bought in hardcover after buying the floppies. That seems to indicate that it's now been a few years since I gave up buying new comics.

So what am I doing if I buying all this stuff to read? Well I am reading a novel at the moment but, to be honest, that's going slow as I'm also busy painting WWII soldiers and vehicles, I'm now in the middle of painting some white metal D&D figures and just yesterday I bought Manga Studio Debut 4 to have a go at creating comics digitally. So there's a lot taking up my spare time.

All good fun.

More Trades this week

It almost feels like a quiet week with me slowly progressing though my book but I did receive 2 more trade collections.

Fatale Vol 2 - although I haven't read vol 1 yet I know it will be good as Brubaker and Phillips are consistantly good.

Iron Man Vol 10 is the penultimate hardcover in Matt Fractions run. So just the last one to get. After that run ends I'm stopping collecting Iron Man and will switch to Fraction's new title "Hawkeye".

New Batman Trades

 I've purchased a couple of Batman trades this week.

Arkham Asylum Living Hell is written by Dan Slott who is a favourtite of mine and this particular story came 2nd in the Greatest Dan Slott Stories ever told on CBR. As it was so highly recommended I had to get it!

I've also been wanting more comics based on Batman the Animated series. There was some in the Mad Love collection but I was chuffed to get this for 1p(!!!!) plus £2.80 P&P from Amazon Marketplace. It's used but in perfectly readable condition.

More Howard the Duck

Reading has been a bit slow over the Christmas period due to visitors and watching episodes of Fringe back-to-back but I'v now got up to issue 14 and have read the Treasury (which unusually for the time included a brand new story).

Although the Treasury was fun these other issues haven't been quite as good as earlier ones. The whole Howard for President was probably more fun at the time but the subsequent issues when Howard "qwacks" up are a bit to odd for my taste. I'm going to give HTD a little break to see if I enjoy it is smaller doses and read a novel - the sequel to Feed!

2012: A year of Masterworks and Defenders back-issues

Just been looking through my purchases last year and probably winning multiple issues of New Mutants and Two-In-One were the biggest bargains although my favourite win was just recently when I picked-up Marvel Team-Up No.3 and my final Dracula issues to complete the set and get a MTU I've always wanted in fantastic condition for a great price!

I seem to have got a number of Team-Ups, Two-In-Ones and Captain America comics this year but I guess I'm surprised by the number of Defenders issues as I've only just started collecting the title. In fact I just really need a Marvel Masterworks edition to reprint the early issues and I'm done with the Defenders.

I've certainly bought a lot of masterworks this year. All but 2 in paperback so not that expensive really. It'll be a case of picking them up as they are released from now on unless I go decide to pick up those early X-Men editions.

This year I might get a few more over-sized collections (artist editions etc.) as I do like the look of my Complete Judege Dredd by Brian Bolland. It is lovely to look through. There are Dave Stevens collections I am certainly interested in.

2012: Summary of the year

Welcome to 2013 and a time to check how I've done in terms of buying vs reading.

This was the situation at the end of June.

So what's happened in the last six months?

The numbers;

New back-issues purchased      67
New trade collections                 15
New copies of Masterworks       4

Back-issues read                       57
Trades read                                 14
Masterworks read                      1
 Books (novels)                            2

AND: Movies watched at the cinema   4

This gives a total score of


New back-issues purchased      93
 New trade collections                24
New copies of Masterworks       11

Back-issues read                       103
Trades read                                 21
Masterworks read                       1
Books (novels)                            4

AND: Movies watched at the cinema   7

One thing I've spotted is that I bought a great deal more in the last six months but I don't think I've necessarily spent more money. 

Still, I either need to read more or I can cut down on my spending! Perhaps both if I can!

So those are the numbers...perhaps I should do another post in the next few days to mention my highlights of the year.