Try Something New!!!

Did you know that Laughing Ogre sells some comics for $1?  Well, we do.  There are a number of comics you can pick up for less than the cost on "Dave's" price-hiked value menu items. $1.40 for some chicken nuggets?! Come on!  By the way, these are not terrible comics you've never heard of, it's some of the biggest names on the shelves and they are just waiting for you to give them a shot.

All Star Superman

Witness the Man of Steel in exciting new adventures featuring Lex Luthor, Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane, Bizarro, and more! The Man of Steel goes toe-to-toe with Bizarro, his oddball twin, and the new character Zibarro, also from the Bizarro planet. And Superman faces the final revenge of Lex Luthor - in the form of his own death! Writer Grant Morrison teams with artist Frank Quitely on this spectacular reimagining of the Superman mythos, from The Man of Steel's origin to his greatest foes and beyond.





Hellboy

Hellboy is one of the most celebrated comics series in recent years. The ultimate artists' artist and a great storyteller whose work is in turns haunting, hilarious, and spellbinding, Mike Mignola has won numerous awards in the comics industry and beyond. When strangeness threatens to engulf the world, a strange man will come to save it. Sent to investigate a mystery with supernatural overtones, Hellboy discovers the secrets of his own origins, and his link to the Nazi occultists who promised Hitler a final solution in the form of a demonic avatar.

Usagi Yojimbo

The Saga of Usagi Yojimbo (Rabbit Bodyguard) takes place in turn-of-the-century Japan. The age of civil wars has barely ended and the Shogun has just established power.  The samurai is the ruling class throughout the land, following a warrior's code of honor known as Bushido.  It is a time of settling unrest and political intrigue.

Wandering across this country is a masterless samurai named Miyamoto Usagi.

Walking Dead

An epidemic of apocalyptic proportions has swept the globe, causing the dead to rise and feed on the living. In a matter of months, society has crumbled: There is no government, no grocery stores, no mail delivery, no cable TV. Rick Grimes finds himself one of the few survivors in this terrifying future. A couple months ago he was a small town cop who had never fired a shot and only ever saw one dead body. Separated from his family, he must now sort through all the death and confusion to try and find his wife and son. In a world ruled by the dead, we are forced to finally begin living.

Chew

Tony Chu is a detective with a secret. A weird secret. Tony Chu is cibopathic, which means he gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats. It also means he's a hell of a detective - as long as he doesn't mind nibbling on the corpse of a murder victim to figure out whodunit and why. He's been brought on by the Special Crimes Division of the FDA, the most powerful law enforcement agency on the planet, to investigate their strangest, sickest and most bizarre cases.

Check out all of these FIRST ISSUE REPRINTS for only one dollar!  There are dozens of others for you to choose from, so don't be shy in asking for recommendations from the people at your shop.  Whether you are trying to find some gifts for your fanboy/fangirl friends or looking for yourself, these $1 comics are a low risk way to venture into the unknown.  Next time you are shopping in Laughing Ogre, throw a couple on your stack, you won't be disappointed!

*Blurbs taken from Amazon

- Ryan

The Walking Dead vs The Walking Dead

While I hope everyone has at least picked up the comic version of this series, I know that is not the case.  For those of you who have watched the show and not picked up the comic, shame on you.  If you have been buying the comic in our shop and you're not watching the show, shame on us.  No matter if you end up liking one more than the other, the important part is to be in a position to make a decision.

So far in the series (we are at episode 5 of 6 in season one), there have been some departures from the comic, but a solid translation of the spirit of Kirkman's original work.  There are some things I wish they had been more loyal with and others I hope they will loosen the leash on.  While it's easy to point out the plot differences between the comic and the TV show (CDC storyline being the most obvious), I'll leave those on the back burner for now and distract you with this image of Rick smashing some zombie brains. 

The most important thing I would ask for the show to consider is the difference between comic BOOKS and TV SHOWS.  The difference being show versus tell.  While it is a good rule to generally show rather than tell your audience what is happening, the readers of the comic are used to a lot of exposition.  While this feels natural and seem-less in the written/visual version of the story, the audio/visual incarnation needs to dial it back occasionally.  The clearest instance I can think of is the fishing sequence in the beginning of the fourth episode.  This scene would have been touching had I read it, but watching it was like staring at the nutrition facts on a bottle of water: Reading the full label isn't going to tell me anything I didn't figure out at a first glance. 

Their best moments, so far, have been those without words. The silence of Rick's disorientation and bewilderment were very powerful scenes.  A great way to start your story and the impact of silent scenes have been gaining momentum since Rick woke up.  My hope is not that these will outnumber the speaking scenes, but that they realize this is how they tug at the heartstrings the best.  Words get in the way of real emotions and the cast is good enough to convey raw emotion without telling the viewers what they are feeling, don't make them. 

I don't presume to know better than anyone else out there (especially the talented people working on these amazing products), these are just my opinions at this early point in the (hopefully) long life of The Walking Dead television series.  Comparisons are going to happen no matter how much we try to avoid them.  Read the comic, watch the show, and join in the nerdy fun of complaining about how "almost perfect" isn't good enough.  Don't complain too loud, though, Dale is looking right at you, judging you with this expression...

Soon enough, every single issue of The Walking Dead is going to be reprinted.  The comic will be released weekly and be the perfect opportunity for you or friends to catch up with Rick and company.  If those don't work for you, be sure to pick up the trade paperbacks, already available.  There is no reason you shouldn't read this comic AND watch the show.

- Ryan

Black Friday Sale or Longer

NOV 26th , 27th , and 28th

60% OFF BACK ISSUES

25% OFF STATUES

25% OFF TOYS

Buy 2 TPBs/HCs,

Get 1 TPB/HC FREE

(of equal or lesser value)

Sale excludes Nov 2010 arrivals, special orders or preorders. Sale discount is not cumulative with subscriber discount. Customers must be up to date on their pull boxes, clear all pre-orders and held items to get sale pricing.

All pull customers in good standing will receive a special discount of  75% off Back Issues and 40% off Toys and Statues along with the Buy 2 TPBs/HCs  and Get 1 TPB/HC Free (of equal or lesser value)  Friday Nov. 26 from 10 AM to 12 PM 

Meghan's Pick of the Month

Chobits Omnibus Vol 1

Some people buy their personal computers based on style . . . and in near-future Japan, the hottest style for your "persocom" is shaped like an attractive android! Poor student Hideki finds a persocom discarded in an alley. Taking the cute robot home and activating it, Hideki finds her affectionate, but amnesiac, able only to say the word "Chi"-and so he names her. Instead of being his digital assistant, Hideki finds himself having to teach Chi how to get along in the everyday world, even while he and his friends try to solve the mystery of her origins. 

I picked this book up on a whim because I wanted to check out something different from what I normally read and I was instantly absorbed by this book’s beautiful art and the unusual romance between the books main character, a human college student, and his mysterious android computer, Chi. Chi is very cute and innocent and often humorously misunderstands things which are commonplace to humans. The mystery of who Chi is and what makes her different from the run-of-the-mill android computers that populate this story’s world kept me turning pages and I made it through this massive book in a matter of a few hours. It’s definitely one of my favorites and I think it could be appealing to both male and female readers.

Jen's Pick of the Month

Thor By J Michael Straczynski TP Vol 1

Thor is back! And in a story only J. Michael Straczynski could tell! Returned to the pantheon of great Marvel heroes, the Asgardian God of Thunder is reunited with the mortal form of Dr. Don Blake. Together, they must reckon with the legacy of the mythic Norse kingdom and the awakening of its immortal heroes - but in a world that may not want them back! Collecting THOR #1-6

Being a fan of mythology, I figured Thor would be a good Marvel book for me to check out, and I soon discovered it was a good choice.  Straczynski’s storytelling unravels a great tale of Thor returning and bringing Asgard, along with the other gods, back to the Marvel universe.

Even MORE Picks of the Week

         Green Lantern #59


BRIGHTEST DAY blazes on as the New Guardians seeking the Indigo Entity are shocked to discover a sedated Black Hand. Can Hal Jordan trust the Indigo Tribe to house the herald of Nekron? Plus, another exclusive first look at a member of the GREEN LANTERN CORPS from 2011's live-action GREEN LANTERN film!

                                                                                                                   Green Lantern Corps #54

The new ongoing art team of rising star Tyler Kirkham and dynamic inker Batt kicks this BRIGHTEST DAY tie-in into high gear as Kyle Rayner attempts to recruit Sinestro in a mission to save his daughter Soranik Natu! But the leader of the Yellow Lanterns is more concerned with exterminating the "alley rat" Emerald Warrior, and the pair face off in hand-to-hand combat!












        Thunderbolts #150

Iron Man, Thor and the original Captain America guest-star in this 96-page 150th blow-out issue! First, in the 40-page lead story, The Thunderbolts reach their milestone as loudly as possible, when the golden figures of the Marvel Universe come to their gray world - none other than the Armored Avenger, the God of Thunder and the Super-Soldier! Thor has come to hold court with one of his people held in the women's wing of The Raft, and when his fellow Avengers join him, things go to a realm no one expected! Iron Man comes face-to-face with Ghost, the man who almost killed him, and Steve Rogers confronts the man who did kill him, Crossbones!

Picks of the Week

BATMAN THE RETURN #1

The event of the year is here! Bruce Wayne made his long journey back through the timestream in RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE, Dick Grayson and Damian uncovered important secrets in BATMAN & ROBIN, Gotham City's bravest heroes made their mark in BRUCE WAYNE - THE ROAD HOME...and now it's time for BATMAN to return! What happens to Dick Grayson now that the "real" Batman is back? How will Bruce Wayne handle a reunion with his son, Damian? This special one-shot bridges two exciting eras of The Dark Knight and sets up a surprising new status quo that's just on the horizon.

Featuring the talents of Batman mastermind Grant Morrison and superstar artist David Finch providing interior art, this issue is a can't-miss for comics fans!

 BATMAN INCORPORATED #1

Grant Morrison continues his earth-shattering run on the Batman titles with this exciting, new ongoing series! Featuring art by the remarkable Yanick Paquette (SEVEN SOLDIERS: BULLETEER), BATMAN, INC. marks the next stage of evolution for The Dark Knight. This can't-miss series will star not just Bruce Wayne as Batman, but also a huge number of guest-stars! Don't miss out on this all-new start to a stunning direction for Batman!

 AVENGERS #7

RED HULK!!!!! 'NUFF SAID