Warren Ellis Writes for TV

Okay, just a quick note for those of you who may be interested: Warren Ellis is writing a new TV show for AMC. Yes, AMC. American Movie Classics. I've been told they do some original shows already, but I have not seen any of them so I have no idea where this is going. I mean, if he said he was writing a movie for the Sci-Fi channel I would be worried, just as I would be unconcerned if it was a show for FX. But AMC? Yeah, I just don't know. Anyway, check out what he had to say about it on his website, www.warrenellis.com.

-Dan

52 Packs

If you've been tempted to read 52 but haven't picked it up yet, now's the time. I
just bundled together a few sets of the first 8 issues and marked them down 20
percent. That's just 16 bucks. not bad. But there are only 5, so make it snappy.

And if you missed either of the first two Civil War's, we've got reprints of
those back in too.

-Nick

New Star Clipper Website

So we went and did it...check out the new Star Clipper website!

You can now add to your pull and hold online (finally!) check for regular event updates and see what's in stock! Not everything in the store is online yet, but it will be soon.

To update your pull, sign up online. Unfortunately, we can't list your current pull for you, you'll need to manually add the items you want to sign up for, but not to worry, just e-mail us at info@starclipper.com and we can send you your current pull list!

Let us know what you think.

-Ben

New Mini-Comics!

We've got some excellent new mini-comics in.

First we've got 3 books by Max Clotfelter, who kinda comes from the Crumb school of thinking that ugly people are funny. His people are really ugly. "Shore Leave Showcase" ($1.50) was my favorite of the bunch. Its a collection of comic strips about a pair of hardcore skinheads and the fun that comes with a magic eightball in a sock. "Abandon Ship" ($1.00) is the sad tale of a man who had it all and gave it up to be a hobo. and "Vittle Chin" ($2.00) is a collection of various shorts filled with filth and social depravity.

Way on the other side of the comics spectrum, is "Rosey the Ninny" ($4.00) by Stefanie Shank. Its pure comics girliness, but I loved it. Does that make me less of a man? Yes. But, Shank is a clever cartoonist and I think anybody would enjoy it (and then become less manly). Its about a girl trying to figure out how she became a woman working at a lingerie store. Good for anyone who's worked retail.

-Nick

New Store Set Up

So What do you think of the new store setup? I don't know how to feel about them yet. It sepertes the store up more but also provides the customer with more space to move around in when looking for specific titles. Thats all well and good but I don't like change. I have to relearn where everything goes and all that jazz. So I guess you get the better end of that stick. Also its time I talk about the new chandeliers in the store. They look great! BUT and thats a big but, I don't think they go well with the store. I've gotten only good comments about them but the same thing always seems to come that they don't "flow" with the any other item in the store. The best comment i've heard was they look like they were crystals hanging down in supermans lair. So I guess i'm just being neagative but someone had to be. I know my opinon doesn't matter in this store so i'll leave it at that. I like beef.

Click the image to enlarge

-James

A New Era

So I started reading more X-Men again. Of course the dead have risen again, and Apocalypse came back to make more X-Men into his Horsemen. Which, you know, seems very improbable, them having all seen what he did to Angel way back in the day. I also didn't care for how at sometimes the X-Men are ready to throw down with the Sentinels outside, and then they team up with them to fight any bad guy that comes along. I'm sorry, I know they are trying to draw parralells with both their own Days of the Future Past, and the Holocaust, but do you really think the Jews ever teamed up with the Nazis to fight the Soviets? Since the X-Universe is so big I try not to get too into it as you pretty much need to pick all of up to understand it. Of course, when you do pick all of it up, it only highlights how badly the X-Men are treated by the rest of the Marvel universe. Which I have never understood to be honest. All the time you see the other Marvel heroes like Captain America talking about how the X-Men have saved the world time and time again, but does he get up in public and say this? No. When all of the mutants are herded into Xaviers and refused permission to leave, does he go on national TV and decry it? No, of course not. And why? Well, I think Cap doesn't like mutants.

Anyways, I'm getting away from myself. What I wanted to do was to give you some of my thoughts on several of the different series out there, why I like them or don't, what they are doing right, and what I think they are doing wrong. I expect this to take a little bit of time and go over maybe two, three blogs tops, but I think you will enjoy it. Okay here we go:

Astonishing X-Men: My favorite out of them all. I am glad to see Emma revealed as the villain she is, and has been portrayed as in the other X books, but more on that later. I hope that Scott comes through this stronger, and someone starts writing him as a normal guy and have him smile once or twice, which would have to be explained at some later point as a clone or something. Other then that, I can't really think of much to say about this book. I am glad to see Kitty and Lockheed(my fav), and glad to see her not being written as a leather clad tough who just wants to fight and then whine about it(*cough*cough*X-treme X-Men*cough). Keep up the good work.

Uncanny X-Men: The new Brubaker arc is very good. I always liked the X-Men going into space, it just seemed right for them. Besides, they got enough mutants at the mansion as it is. I like that Scott is still pissed at Xavier, and I hope he stays that way for a while in all of the books. Good to see that another of the third generation, Warpath, has taken up the mantle of X-Man. I don't know why they don't do this more. They have characters who have been heroes since they were 14, but instead of using them, they have to reform some villain to be the new team member. Though this has worked to some degree of success in the past, such as Rogue.

-Dan

New Items Shipping This Week

New Comics

52
Action Comics
All New Off. Handbook
Amazing Spider-Man
American Way
Angel Spotlight Oneshot
Annihilation Ronan
Army of Darkness
Astro City Samaritan Special
Autumn
Avengers & Power Pack
Batman
Batman Variant
Battle Pope
Birds of Prey
Black Panther
Blue Beetle
Bootleg
Captain America
Cartoon Network Block Party
Casanova
Castle Waiting
Civil War Front Line
Civil War Young Avengers & Runaways
Crisis Aftermath the Spectre
Daredevil
Exiles
Fear Agent
Futurama Comics
Fuzz & Pluck in Splitsville
Godland
Hawkgirl
Jack of Fables
JLA Classified
JSA Classified
Loveless
Lullaby
Meat Cake
Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere
New Avengers
Nightwing
Powers
PS 238
Red Sonja
Revved
Savage Dragon
Shark Man
She Dragon
Sidekick
Simpsons Classics
Sonic X
Spawn
Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane
Spike vs. Dracula
Star Wars KOTR
Storm
Strangers in Paradise
Supergirl
Tales from Riverdale Digest
Teen Titans: Go!
Transformers Beast Wars
War of the Worlds Second Wave
Warlord
Wolfskin Auxiliary
Wolverine
X-Men

New Books

30 Days of Nights Three Tales
Afterworks Vol. 2
Bluesman Vol. 3
Boogiepop Vol. 2
But I Like It
Captain America: Red Menace Vol. 1
Chewing Gum in Church
Clash Vol. 1
Cromartie High Vol. 7
Dear John Alex Toth Doodlebook
Everlasting Novel
Fantastic Four Books of Doom
Hellblazer: All His Engines
Love as a Foreign Language Omnibus
Lucifer Vol. 10 Morningstar
Museum of Terror
Nancy Drew Vol. 6
New Excalibur Vol. 1
NGE Angelic Days Vol. 2
Pathfinder
Polly & The Pirates Vol. 1
Prisoner of X
Private Wars
PVP Vol. 1
Silend Hill Dead/Alive
Something Fishy This Way Comes
Spike
Star Wars Clone Wars Vol. 9
Sudden Gravity
Teen Titans Vol. 5
Testament Akedah
Trigun Maximum Vol. 9
Uncle Scrooge
Walt Disney Treasures Vol. 1
Walt Disneys Comics & Stories
Wonder Woman Mission's End

New Magazines

Death Box Special Edition
Juxtapoz
Newtype
Wizard

Superheroes are for kids, too.

Batman 655

So I have a new favorite comic. Yes, yes, I know I always have a new favorite comic. And, okay, technically this one hasn't even come out yet, but I know it will be the best thing in years. Some of you might remember an older Batman book called Son of the Demon. This is a great book about Batman joining forces Ra's Al Ghul. It's not really important what they were doing, just that Ra's gets Batman to marry Talia. Which of course leads to other things. Adult things. I don't want to say too much because you should really read it for yourself. Unfortunately DC decided years ago to write it out of continuity. But now, with the crisis that just happened, it's back in! Which leads nicely into the new story arc in Batman called Batman and Son. Yes. BATMAN AND SON. Written by, wait for it...., Grant Morrison! Andy Kubert is doing the art, so this is sure to be one of the big hits of the summer. In the second issue, the ever wacky Morrison has Batman fight fifty ninja Man-bats. Because obviously one ninja Man-Bat would be too simple.

Batman #655 ships Wednesday, July 26.

-Dan

*Note from editor - Yes, we will have the 1:10 variant cover.

James is back in all his glory...

Well after years after my di(s)apperance from the star clipper blog they "want" me to start up again, so here I am.

Anyone here know of the new reality show on the scifi channel? Well it is going to be the worse tv show on air for a while. They had Stan Lee pick out 11 finalists to take on their created superhero identity and live in a "secret lair" together. Your basic reality tv show then occurs with elimaniations (sic). What makes this show look so bad are the people Stan lee picked out, such as Major Victory who has a weakness of being lactose intolerant (sounds like a quality show). After they are dwindled down to one, the winner receives a comic book written by Stan Lee and they get to star in a scifi orgional and we all know how good those movies are. You know i'm right.

-James

Screw on Head

I knew there was a Hellboy cartoon coming out but I hadn't heard a word about The Amazing Screw-on Head till today. Its based off another Mignola comic, and its being developed for Sci-Fi. You can see the whole episode online here.

Its great. Its got all of Mignola's trademarks ( High contrast art. Bizarre Lovecraftian creatures you've never heard of.) mixed in with zany comedy. "America is depending on me...and by America, I mean the world." All this plus Abraham Lincoln! check it out and if you like it, take the survey so they'll turn it into a series.

-Nick

Go Speed Racer, GO!

Did you see what we got back in stock? Speed Racer's Mach Five! If you have any interest, come get it now. We only have a few left and they are racing (speeding?) out of the store. What do you get? You get the Mach Five complete with removable canopy, snap-on saw blades, snap-on auto jacks and pop-up periscope. What about Speed Racer himself? Well, he comes along for the ride with Spridle and Chim Chim by his side. All of this can be yours for a low one time fee of 24.99. Why everybody doesn't have one I don't know but I do know he won't be around long. If you want him come quick we are already one fewer from the time I have started to write this. I personally love the guy if you didn't already gather that one. I may not of grown up on him but I have come to love him with age. Go speed racer...go.

-James

New Items Shipping This Week

New Comics

2000 AD
52
Amazing Spider-Man
Annihilation Nova
Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis
Archie Digest
Bearers of the Blade
Betty & Veronica Digest
Betty & Veronica Double Digest
Bite Club Vampire Crime Unit
Blade of the Immortal
Cable Deadpool
Catwoman
Checkmate
Civil War
Civil War Spider-Man Unmasked
Civil War X-Men
Claw the Unconquered
Conan
Crisis Aftermath Battle for Blüdhaven
Daily Bugle Civil War Special
Daughters of the Dragon
Elephantmen
Eternals
Flash the Fastest Man Alive
Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
GI Joe America's Elite
Girls
Gumby
Haunt of Horror: Edgar Allen Poe
Hellblazer
Ion
Jack Kirby's Galactic Bounty Hunters
Justice League of America
Mad Magazine
Man-Bat
Manhunter
Marvel Adventures Avengers
Marvel Westerns Legends
Mouse Guard
New Avengers Illuminati
New X-Men
Pierce
Planet Hulk Gladiator Guidebook
Public Enemy
Red Star Sword of Lies
Rival Schools
Robin
Runaways
Rush City
Sadhu
Scooby Doo
Screwtooth
Shadowpact
She-Hulk 2
Simpsons Comics
Star Wars Rebellion
Strange Eggs
Supergirl & the Legion of Super Heroes
Superman Batman
Testament
Transformers Stormbringer
Ultimate X-Men
Uncanny X-Men
Uncle Sam & the Freedom Fighters
Witchblade
Wolverine
X-Factor
X-Men Fairy Tales
Zombies

New Books

24 Seven
Afterworks
Atomika
Berserk Vol. 12
Carl Bark's Greatest Ducktales Vol. 2
Case Closed Vol. 12
Cavalcade of Boys Complete
Essential Marvel Team-Up Vol. 1
Essential Marvel Team-Up Vol. 2
Eureka Seven Vol. 2
Excalibur Classic Vol. 2
Grande Finale
Halo GN
How to Pen & Ink
Inu Yasha Vol. 26
Iron Man Extremis
Panel Two: More Scripts
Pink Sniper
Project X Nissin Cup Noodle
Read or Die Vol. 3
Red Diaries
Silent Dragon
Sloth
Superman Batman Vol. 4 HC
Teen Titans: GO! Vol. 4
Twisted Toyfare Theatre Vol. 7
Ultimate Fantastic Four Vol. 2 HC
Usagi Yojimbo Vol. 20
Vortigerns Machine & Great Sage
Walkind Dead Vol. 1 HC

New Magazines

Back Issue
Comics Journal
Hobby Japan
Shojo Beat
Wizard Anime Insider
Write Now

Manifest Eternity

SUPER SCI-FI ALERT! SUPER SCI-FI ALERT!

Yes, I do mean Sci-fi, and not the much loftier Scientific Fiction. I speak of the new comic Manifest Eternity, written by Scott Lobdell and illustrated by the incomparable Dustin Nguyen.

Now I have to admit, I was not all that impressed by the first issue. Told in a roundabout manner, jumping back and forth not only in time, but across universes, it..., well to be frank, it was terrible. With great hesitation I picked up the second issue. To be honest I was just thinking about looking at Dustin's amazing art and not even bothering to read it.

I'm glad I did. The second issue is much tighter in both story and intention. I actually sat down with both issues and read them together, and then reread the first issue again. I think its a lot like Firefly actually, in that I think they published them out of order. If you read the second issue, and then the first, it's actually a really good story that's very easy to follow. This is one of those times where a good editor could have made all the difference. I can't tell you the number of stories that I've read where, in search of a new way, or new perspective in which to tell a story the writer has it go completely FUBAR on them. And a good editor, this is for you Mr Ben Abernathy, would have seen the problem here. There was so much more depth to the story of the first issue if you had read the second one first. Instead of trying to hurry through to a part of the story that makes sense you are able to sit back and watch the story unfold. And this is not a book you want to hurry through. I swear that Dustin must have found some sort of magic brush or something. This book is just beautiful start to finish. You know that feeling you got the first time you saw Pascal Ferry's work? I got that same feeling with this one. It's not that Dustin's work has changed, so much as evolved. Almost as if Ben Templesmith, Bill Sienkiewicz, and James Jean had been blended together. Amazing. So hurry up and come pick them up, as I am going to sell the $#^@ of this book and you don't want to be left behind.

Just remember 2 before 1.

Scott Pilgrim

Bryan Lee O'Malley (AKA "The Scott Pilgrim Guy" or sometimes just "Scott Pilgrim") is probably going to keep us waiting for the 4th installment for a while. In the meantime, his earlier work "Lost at Sea" is finally back on the shelves again. I've been on the lookout for it since I caught onto his books last year. I'm told its not the same style as Scott Pilgrim, but Craig Thompson calls it "yummy" so that's good enough for me.


Also, check out O'Malley's commentary on the Pilgrim series on his blog.

Or check out his music, under the Kupek moniker. You'll probably recognize it from the store.

-Nick

Whoops! We arranged the store!

Check it out - we re-arranged the store. Trust us, it's actually easier to find stuff now! Let us know what you think!

Click the image to enlarge

Nightwatch

I usually try and stick to comic related stuff in here, but today I have to break that rule. One of my friends rented "Nightwatch", a Russian action movies, and let me borrow it. Of course, by accepting the lend of said movie, this apparently meant that it was my obligation to return it. Bastard. Anywho, I had heard about it a couple of months back and then promptly forgot all about it of course. It seemed to a blend of The Matrix and Underworld. And I mean that in a good way. I want to see it in the original Russian before I go spouting too much about it though, so this is more of a head's up then anything. Go out and take a look, you won't be disappointed.

-Dan

Shipping July 12

New Comics

100 Bullets
52
American Virgin
Annihilation Silver Surfer
Annihilation Super Skrull
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight
Batman Strikes!
Betty & Veronica Digest
Cemetarians
Civil War Director's Cut
Civil War Front Line
Cryptics
DMZ
Elfquest the Discovery
Escapists
Exterminators
Fables
Firestorm the Nuclear Man
Ghost Rider
GI Joe: America's Elite
Green Arrow
Green Lantern
Hawaiin Dick Last Resort
Hero Squared Ongoing
Innocents
Iron Man
JLA Classified
Jughead's Double Digest
Kabuki Reflections Book
Man Called Kev
Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four
Ms. Marvel
Next
Rokkin
Scarlet Traces the Great Game
Sensational Spider-Man
Shaolin Cowboy
Snakewoman
Spider-Girl
Squadron Supreme
Star Wars Legacy
Strange Girl
Street Fighter II
Superman
Task Force One
Thunderbolts
Transformers Infiltration
Ultimate Fantastic Four
Ultimate Spider-Man
Walking Dead
Wasteland
Wolverine Origins
X-Men

New Books

Antique Bakery Vol. 4
Avengers Assemble Vol. 3
Bastard Vol. 12
Bomb Queen Vol. 1
Cafe Kichijouji De Vol. 3
Eureka Seven Vol. 2
Fullmetal Alchemist Vol. 8
Futurama Vol. 3
Get a Life HC
Hardy Boys Vol. 6
How to Pen & Ink
Hunter X Hunter Vol. 9
Kikaider Code 02 Vol. 4
Left Bank Gang
Maybe Later HC
New Avengers Vol. 2
Only the Ring Finger Knows Vol. 2
Please Save My Earth Vol. 17
Project X Nissin Cup Noodle
Rebirth Vol. 18
Superman Infinite Crisis
Tezuka's Buddha Vol. 2 SC
Time Lag
Untold Tales of the New Universe
X-Men Blood of Apocalypse
X-Men Deadly Genesis

New Other Stuff

Shojo Beat
Toyfare Star Wars Cover
Evan Harris Stationery Set
Crisis on Infinite Earths Ser. 1 A/F

Endings

One of the best comic runs ever came to a close this past week. After a wonderful 75 issues, Mike Carey and Peter Gross have finished Lucifer.

Having grown out of the character that Neil Gaiman used for the Sandman series, Carey and Gross expanded on, and defined the character anew. Having first discovered the series in trades, I quickly picked them all up, and made my way into the singles in the late twenties. Since then I have marveled at Carey's way of giving each character their own indomitable voice and presence. Peter Gross and regular guest artist Dean Ormston have grown to be some of my very favorites in their field. Gross' clean simple style has paved the way in popular comics for the likes of Pia Guerra and her work on Y. Dean Ormston's art took a little getting used to at first, but now, like so many others, he is an artist that I follow no matter the project. No one can do "that thing in the dark" better then he. That nameless, shapeless blob of inky evil in the darkness that's hungry for your soul, that's what I think of when I think of Dean Ormston. I'd like to see his version of Aku, from Samurai Jack. So stop in and pick up a trade, or I'll call Dean and see what he can do with that space under your bed.

-Dan

Dan Talks Civil War

So everyone has been asking my opinion of Civil War. To be honest, I don't really have one yet. It's just not far enough into it that I feel comfortable saying anything. I have liked most of the tie-ins though, and it's what's happening in there that actually counts. I know many people were put off last year when the House of M tie-ins had nothing to do with the actual mini-series. I'm glad that's not the case this time around. I like the fact that they are dealing with what Spider-Man is going through in his own book, and not just glossing over it as they have in the past. For example, in House of M Peter keeps talking about the nervous breakdown he is going to have, which given what he had just gone through, is understandable. But did he ever have that breakdown? No. And he should have - it would have been good to see. I liked the part with him throwing up in the bathroom right after the news conference from Civil War #2.

One the things that's bugging me is the timing of the releases, and the way they have chosen to use some of the characters. I know this is in part due to the fact that some books had been shipping late previously, and, in some cases, story arcs just aren't finished yet. But I would like to see Iron Man doing some of this in his own book. As well as Captain America. To me it made no sense to do that Cap story in New Avengers and not in Captain America's book proper. I understand that he's one of the Avengers, and that they are going to focus on a different Avenger every issue, but with both Spidey and Wolverine doing arcs in their own books, what do you think the chances are of them having their own Avenger issue? Well, actually probably pretty good I would think, and that's part of the problem. Let's see how the team is reacting to it as a whole, not individually. That's what this book is supposed to be about, isn't it, them as a whole, not individuals?

So all in all, I will keep reading it, but I'm still waiting for it to impress me.

Digital Comics

There's a new Metal Gear Solid "digital comic" available for PSP that looks pretty awesome. Somewhere in between comic and cartoon, it takes Ashley Wood's art, cuts it up, and animates it with sound effects (but keeps the word balloons). Check out the trailer here.

Local artist/writer/bad ass mutha, Matt Kindt has been doing comics for PSP for months. You can check out his weekly serial here or drop by Subterranean Books's gallery and see them in person.

We have all the outdated 'paper' comics by these guys here at the store

-Nick

Now Hiring Full Time Manager

Are you friendly, responsible and knowledgeable in COMICS, MANGA, DESIGNER TOYS or ANOTHER AREA OF THE STORE?

Star Clipper is looking to fill a full-time manager-level position. If you're interested, please drop by the store to pick up an application or download one here, fill it out and turn it in pronto.

Applicants must have previous managerial experience, enjoy comics and comic-related merchandise and a sincere love for the products we carry. To be considered for the position, you must be self-motivated, organized and responsible while working in our (mostly) relaxed and fun atmosphere!

Feel free to e-mail questions to us at jobs@starclipper.com.

Brian Wood

You might remember me talking to you about one my favorite new books, DMZ. Written by the very talented Brian Wood, it has quickly become one of the books I look forward to every month. But little did I know all the other work this maniac has put out! I had read DEMO, Wood's original scripts for what eventually became Marvels NYX, and POUNDED, his tale of slacker love gone wrong. I knew he also wrote LOCAL (I'm waiting for the trade), and COURIERS but hadn't gotten the chance to read them yet.

I was out putzing around on the net the other day when I stumbled across his website, ubiquitesly named www.brianwood.com, and I was shocked at all the stuff he has worked on. There are apparently 3 COURIERS books now, as well as THE TOURIST, SUPERMARKET (which just came out), FIGHT FOR TOMORROW (apparently I read this years ago), two CHANNEL ZERO trades, a CHANNEL ZERO Designbook, COUSCOUS EXPRESS, and he even co-wrote a year of GENERATION X for Marvel when they had Warren Ellis come in and redo it all in 2000. What really got me though was all the graphic design work that he does. Included in his credits are the covers for the GLOBAL FREQUENCY trades, a line of t-shirts called Northern Boy, the AIT/Planetar logos, as well as video game box designs for MANHUNT, STATE OF EMERGENCY, MIDNIGHT CLUB 2, and the GTA series, including GTA3, VICE CITY, and LIBERTY CITY. By now I'm sure you're just frothing at bit to get ahold of some of his work, so don't worry, I put all the books of his I could get on the "Best Books" display. But be fast, I've already had to restock it because it's all going so fast.

Now go, and fill the air with rumblings and praise.

-Dan