2010 is DC's year to fire everybody

Once again both IVC2.com and The Beat provide the comic book industry a great monthly service in posting and analyzing publishing numbers from both Marvel and DC Comics. By any measure, 2009 was a dreadful year for DC.

Yes, Blackest Night performed very well but this arm of Time/Warner needs much more than just a short term storyline to work for them. Dan Didio and his team of editors and creators have torpedoed all the core books in its arsenal. All the bread and butter Hero books have been just slaughtered. Consider:

1 Year comparison declines for core team and icon books...
JLA -7.5%
Wonder Woman -19.1%
Detective Comics -19.5%
Batman -25%
Titans -33.9%
Superman -41.3%
Action Comics -44.3%

Superman titles down nearly half (!!!) of where they were a year ago and DC is betting the farm on a major Superman title Summer event. An event that is supposed to at least match Blackest Night sales numbers. When you have lost half of your audience already, how can you expect everyone to return to follow a saga that is basically the ending of the crappy, overblown saga that has been crippling your sales all this time? The answer of course, is that it won't.

On top of this graphic novel sales are in decline and not likely to improve soon. The economy certainly has played a part in the general audience malasie and a year of awful stories in 2009 sure won't help trade sales in 2010 but another pending issue could make things even worse. Indications are Borders Books retail chain will either fold or soon dramatically change purchasing practices that won't make any publisher happy. The Comic Book industry has a major interest in Borders staying healthy and rely on them for serious trade stock support.

We are watching a four alarm fire going off in DC's New York offices and there Dan and his crew lounge, blissfully unresponsive. How many other American companies can sit around and watch any of their commodities take these kind of double digit drops month after month for a solid year with no relief in sight and not eject everyone in charge? Well, yeah, that happened in the auto industry I guess for decades but look where that got 'em.

Warner Bros West Coast execs are bound to act in 2010. The question is, can the industry hold out until that happens and will anyone care by that point?

Best/Worse of the Comic World in 2009

Bitterfanboy's call

Best Comic Books for your buck in 2009:

The Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman and Dale Eaglesham. The first story arc of this team blew me away. It’s what a comic series of a beloved, longstanding franchise should be…stories that are familiar and surprising at the same time. Not only does this team capture the magic of the FF in the days of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, but also the feel and look of the FF in ‘70s when creators like Roy Thomas, Marv Wolfman and George Perez told great adventure stories at a breakneck pace.

Ultimate Avengers Relaunch by Mark Millar and Carlos Pacheco. Carlos is and has been once of todays best pencilers. He’s the second coming of Alan Davis and deserves to be showcased on today’s top titles. Here he finally lands that big screen-like project with Mark Millar at the helm. Millar has always been a writer who can reinterpret yesterday’s heroes for today’s audiences but recently has had trouble telling a focused, strong tale. With this new Ult Avengers book Millar once again locks it in and gives us blockbuster film in a comic that would be better than any Avengers film could be realized on the silver screen. An action packed tale with a jaw dropping twist of the Red Skull being the son of the Ult Universe Captain America leaves the reader wanting nothing but more with each issue.

Green Lantern by Geoff Johns and various artists. Years and years ago, DC killed Hal Jordan for no other reason than the fact that lazy editors and writers ran out of good ideas for the hero. Then along comes Johns who proves that what Neal Adams used to always say is true: “There are no bad characters, only bad writers”. Johns not only restored Hal, the Green Lantern Corp and his title to glory for years now but Hal's ongoing story is also is the focal point of almost every large scale event in the DCU since his return. Green Lantern is THE most consistantly good book in the DCU and has been for some time now.

Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth by Victor Gischler and Bong Dazo. I have no idea who these creators are. It doesn’t matter. This title is a big, dumb, silly romp that is a blast to read. Amazingly, unlike Marvel’s problem with Spider-Man, all the of the many Deadpool spin offs so far are fun to read. Not all are must haves but this title in particular strikes the right tone with this character and also co-stars the Deadpool Zombie head from the Marvel Zombies dimension. Stupid? Yes. Fun? Hell yes!

Power Girl by Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner. Like with Deadpool, this title is my guilty pleasure monthly. Its fun, it’s witty, it can be sexy and it’s another great example of a talented team of creators taking a lower tier character and making him or her popular by simply telling good stories. Connor’s simple, animation-like style grows on you. I still hate PG’s costume redesign though. Why the giant shoulder pad? That kind of useless item on the outfit is straight out of the Rob Liefeld school of costume design. Palmiotti is DC's New York, in-house golden boy currently who can be relied upon to turn in smart and fun scripts. Don't be surprised to see DC offer him an editor chair soon like Marvel wisely did with his old partner Joey Q years ago.

Invincible by Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley. The main storyline in 2009 was titled the “ Invincible War” and it was another blockbuster packaged in as a comic book. Ryan Ottley proved he could draw big, in-your-face action sequences like the best of ‘em along with quiet, dramatic moments that hang with you after the book has been read. Kirkman understands why anyone of any age wants to read a comic book and feeds great storytelling to you by the spoonful on one page then with a cannon to your face on the next. The character of Invincible is the best of old school Spider-man and Superboy stories wrapped up in a 21st century package.

Worst books that I spent money on in 2009 and now want a refund:

Hulk by Jeph Leob and various artists. Holee crap are we getting screwed on this title. The great “Who is the Red Hulk?” mystery…I’ve read 17 issues of this book and the plot has not moved forward in all this time. Yes, there has been action and guest stars and numerous splash pages but that’s about it. Nothing happens in this book! Ever! Leob doesn’t have a great plan here except to have whatever Marvel U characters he has an urge to write for jump thru the title, yell something, punch someone and then be on their merry way. A complete waste of any reader’s time and cash.

Spider-Woman by Brian Bendis and Alex Malev. For years Bendis kept teasing Marvel fans about a Spider-Woman title that was going to be so great the creators and editors had to take years to develop it for the great unwashed. Hell, even Apple was on board to help create and promote a new motion comic book that could really help usher in a new wave in online entertainment. It finally debuts in late summer ANNNNND it’s the most boring and ugly book Marvel currently publishes. Bendis is one creator that has lost his touch in 2009 and is now taking even longer to tell comic stories than he used to but this…this will absolutely put one to sleep at night. And while I typically have liked Malev’s work in the past, this has to be the ugliest interpretation of Jessica Drew since Carmine Infantino used to draw her in the ‘70s. This book won’t last 12 issues unless maybe the team changes. Ugh.

Batman & Robin by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely then other artists. So this title starts off great then Quitely quickly jumps ship and since that loss a parade of artists begin to line up to soldier the book on. Sorry DC, once an artist like Quitely leaves a crazy Morrison storyline, the party is over. It’s like switching the lead cast members of a film one third of the way in. What the hell ever happened to these publishers stocking up on completed issues with problem artists before a title is launched?

All Superman and Batman titles by any current creative DC team. Let’s take both Clark and Bruce out of all their main monthly titles for a year or so and to boost sales! DC takes the two icons that hold the house up and remove them at the same time. This will go down as one of the dumbest ideas in comic publishing history. As the 2009 month to month sales figures show, this was a colossal blunder by editorial. We are at the end of a year of the mess and still have not found the bottom in monthly order numbers for any of the family of titles. It’s also a big problem DC refuses to face and doesn’t plan to course correct for at least another 6 or 8 months. Both storylines are so awful and dragged out that I can’t care enough to recap specifics here. I’ll go read older, better Supes & Bats stories again until the whole mess blows over. Fuck you Didido.

The Jury is still out on:

New/Dark Avengers by Brian Bendis and various artists. Great storyline at first but overly padded in 2009. Throughout all the crossovers, one-shots and mini-series tied into the Dark Avengers saga, all we have really come to learn in the past year is…'gasp!'...Harry Osborn is evil and crazy. Really hope this goes somewhere interesting very soon. Btw, dump penciler Mike Deodato and all his assistants off of Dark Avengers. The guy is awful at laying out a story and I’m sick of him tracing Tommy Lee Jones photos for Norman Osborn’s face. On New Avengers, really happy to see artist Stewart Immonen kick it up to the next level. His recent work on the book has been great. Surprisingly so since I can recall how dull his work on Superman in ‘90s was. Currently, he’s a keeper.

Flash Rebirth: Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver. Look, I am one of the few still reading comics who have followed the history of both the Barry Allen Flash and Wally West Flash for decades and I can’t tell what the hell is going on. I have a soft spot for Barry as the Flash and want this series to be great. So far this does not feel like it’s going to pay off as well has Hal Jordan’s Rebirth did. The other disappointment so far is Van Sciver’s poor artwork. He’s become progressively worse as the issues pass by. His figures are ugly and he’s forcing himself to make too many poor panel/page layout decisions. Forcing small panels with too many tiny figures or action within them. It hurts the storytelling. And my eyes. All the Flashes legs are about as long as most people’s bodies.

Blackest Night by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis. DC editorial finally figures out a way to get Zombie heroes and villains into the DCU. The build up to this saga was strong, the first issue was cool, surprising and drawn oh so well…but since then, again, a lot of padding has filled the recent issues. The storyline hasn’t moved forward in the past two issues. It feels like in the end, this will be at least a good storyline but the bad habit of padding is getting to be too much to take. Not telling clean stories with momentum is a serious problem both publishers have exhibited throughout all of 2009.

So DC, Marvel, here's a New Year's resolution for you: start moving these big storylines along in 2010. At $4 a book now, stop fucking with what readership you still have hanging on and tell more focused and less drawn out stories. Keep it moving!

DC Classics Wal-Mart Exclusive Box Set is out

At last! Mattel finally ships something of the DC Universe Classics line to retail. Wal-Mart stores are currently re-setting their toy aisles for fall and some new items are showing up. Today I came across the new Wal-Mart exclusive Gotham City 5 boxed set of DCU figures.

This set was first shown recently by Mattel during the San Diego Comic-con. At first glance I didn't think much of this offering because it appeared packed with so many re-decoed figures previously released. But up close the set proves to be a must have for collectors of the line.

The best and completely new figure in the set is '70s look Lex Luthor. Lex sporting his most familiar outfit best known as worn often in the old Super Friends animated series. The Superman sculpt in this set has been used several times by now but this is the first time we get a basic and classic Superman figure to display. The previous releases included the lame Super-Mullet hair style and a two-pack version were Supes' eyes were painted solid red to simulate the use of heat vision. It's amazing it took this long to finally get a basic Superman in this line.

The other figures in the set are re-tooled or decoed Bat-Universe characters. Like with Superman in this set, we finally also get a basic and modern Batman in the black and grey. The head and cape are new sculpts, different from the previous blue and grey incarnation of the character in the line. The mask's ears are taller and the cape forms around his neck instead of hooked onto his shoulders. Again, a most welcome and long overdue version. The Catwoman figure is simply a purple paint job over the previous release of the character in the older Mattel DC Super-Heroes line that pre-dates this current DC line. For me the look is out of place with his outfit but I know a lot of collectors have been begging for a Catwoman and had a hard time finding the previous version years ago so I understand Mattel's choice here.

The lamest figure in this set is Two-Face. This figure is a hack job. Mattel is using a Clark Kent body (again previously found in the DC Super-Heroes line) and sculpted a new head and left hand. The new head just sucks. Even to a blind person, the head is too small for the body and has limited pose range. It cannot pivot up or down. Besides the shitty head, the biggest miss on this character is absence of a coin in one of his hands. Seriously Mattel, if you are going to go through the trouble of sculpting up a new, scarred left hand, at least have it posed holding a coin, Two-Faces' signature accessory and trademark. How much could a detail like that have possibly impacted this set? A lazy oversight.

The set retails for just under $55. Not a terrible deal. Single figures average $12.00 at retail these days and Mattel confirms that price will likely be rising by end of the year. It's a set worth picking up for Luthor and better versions of Superman and Batman alone. You can place this Catwoman and Two-Face in the back of your DCU display on your shelves.

New Comics for August 5th 2009

Here are some of the items that should be arriving at your LCS this week. Note that Diamond is telling retailers the Hot Toys Batmobile / Tumbler is due to arrive this week, but I'm skeptical myself. It is just out in HK, but most HT stuff has taken months to reach DC Direct, so this seems unlikely at best, but if you ordered one - get your wallet ready just in case!

ABSOLUTION #1 (OF 6)

AGENTS OF ATLAS #9

AGENTS OF ATLAS #9 70TH FRAME VARIANT

ALL WINNERS COMICS #1 70TH ANNIV SPECIAL

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #601

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #601 70TH FRAME VARIANT

ANGEL #24

ANGEL AFTER THE FALL TP VOL 01

ASTRO CITY THE DARK AGE BOOK THREE #4 (OF 4)

AUTHORITY #13

BARACK OBAMA #2 THE FIRST 100 DAYS

BATMAN #608 POSTER

BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #32

BETTY #181

BETTY & VERONICA DOUBLE DIGEST #173

BEYOND WONDERLAND COVER GALLERY

BLACK PANTHER 2 #7

BOOSTER GOLD REALITY LOST TP

BOYS #33

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #27

CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN #2 (OF 5)

CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN #2 (OF 5) CASSADAY VARIANT

CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN #2 (OF 5) TIM SALE VARIANT

CHEW #1 3RD PTG

CHEW #2 2ND PTG

CHEW #3

COMIC SHOP NEWS

COMICS REVUE #280

DARK REIGN ZODIAC #2 (OF 3)

DC LIBRARY FLASH OF TWO WORLDS HC

DEAD ROMEO #5 (OF 6)

DEADPOOL MERC WITH A MOUTH #2

DEADPOOL MERC WITH A MOUTH #2 70TH FRAME VARIANT

DEATH OF THE NEW GODS TP

DESTROYER #5 (OF 5)

DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP #2

DOCTOR WHO CLASSICS SERIES 2 #9

DOOM PATROL #1

DOOM PATROL #1 VARIANT

DYNAMO 5 #23

EXILES #5

EXILES #5 70TH FRAME VARIANT

FALLEN ANGEL REBORN #2

FANGORIA #286

FEMALE FORCE #5 PRINCESS DIANA

FINAL CRISIS AFTERMATH RUN #4 (OF 6)

FINAL CRISIS REVELATIONS HC

FINDING NEMO REEF RESCUE #2 (OF 4)

G FAN 2010 CALENDAR

GHOST RIDERS HEAVENS ON FIRE #1 (OF 6)

GHOSTBUSTERS STAY PUFT MARSHMALLOW MAN BANK

GIRL GENIUS TP VOL 08

GREEK STREET #2

HACK SLASH SERIES #24

HEAVY METAL SEPT 2009

HEROES REBORN THE RETURN TP

HOT TOYS DARK KNIGHT 1/6 SCALE BATMOBILE

HOUSE OF M MASTERS OF EVIL #1 (OF 4)

HOUSE OF MYSTERY #16

HULK #13 70TH FRAME GOLDEN VARIANT

HULK #13

HULK #13 VARIANT

INCARNATE #1 (OF 3)

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #16 70TH FRAME VARIANT

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #16

IRON MAN ARMOR WARS #1 (OF 4)

IRREDEEMABLE #5

IRREDEEMABLE TP VOL 01

JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #53

JAMES BOND TP GIRL MACHINE

JERSEY GODS #6

JONAH HEX #46

JUSTICE LEAGUE CRY FOR JUSTICE #2 (OF 7)

KADE RISING SUN #4 (OF 4)

LOCKE & KEY TP VOL 01 WELCOME TO LOVECRAFT

LOVE AND CAPES #11

LUKE CAGE NOIR #1 (OF 4)

MAGE AWAKENING TAROT DECK

MIGHTY #7

MMW GOLDEN AGE YOUNG ALLIES HC VOL 01

MMW GOLDEN AGE YOUNG ALLIES HC VOL 01 VAR ED 121

MMW SUB-MARINER HC VOL 03

MMW SUB-MARINER HC VOL 03 VAR ED 120

MUPPET ROBIN HOOD #3

NEWTYPE

NORTH 40 #2 (OF 6)

OFFICIAL INDEX TO MARVEL UNIVERSE #8

PAX ROMANA TP VOL 01

PHANTOM GHOST WHO WALKS #4

POLITICAL POWER #1 COLIN POWELL

RED CIRCLE THE HANGMAN #1

ROSARIO VAMPIRE GN VOL 08

ROSE GN GRAPHIX ED

SAGA SOLOMON KANE TP

SAVAGE DRAGON #151

SCOOBY DOO #147

SECRET SIX #12

SOLOMON GRUNDY #6 (OF 7)

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG ARCHIVES TP VOL 11

SPIDER-MAN CRIME AND PUNISHER TP

SPIDER-MAN FAMILY TIES TP

SPIRIT #32

STAR TREK ALIEN SPOTLIGHT Q

STAR WARS DARK TIMES BLUE HARVEST #0

STAR WARS INVASION #2 (OF 5)

STRANGE ADVENTURES #6 (OF 8)

STREET FIGHTER IV #3 (OF 4)

SUPERMAN #204 POSTER

SUPERMAN WORLD OF NEW KRYPTON #6 (OF 12)

TALES FROM RIVERDALE DIGEST #34

TALES FROM THE CRYPT GN VOL 07

TALES OF TMNT #60

TERRY MOORES ECHO #14

THE GOOD THE BAD & THE UGLY #2

TMNT COLLECTED BOOK TP VOL 01

TORCHWOOD BAY OF THE DEAD HC

TORCHWOOD INTO THE SILENCE HC

TORCHWOOD THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT HC

TRANSMETROPOLITAN TP VOL 03

TROJAN WAR #4 (OF 5)

TYRESE GIBSONS MAYHEM #1 (OF 3)

ULTIMATUM FANTASTIC FOUR REQUIEM #1

ULTIMATUM X-MEN REQUIEM #1

UMBRELLA ACADEMY BUTTON PACK #2

UNKNOWN SOLDIER #10

VEIL #2

WAR MACHINE #8

WAR OF KINGS #6 (OF 6)

WAR OF KINGS WARRIORS #2 (OF 2)

WARLORD #5

WARREN ELLIS FRANKENSTEINS WOMB

WEDNESDAY COMICS #5

WILLIAM SHATNER PRESENTS TEK WAR #2

WITCHFINDER IN THE SERVICE OF ANGELS #2 (OF 5)

WOMEN OF THE DCU SERIES 2 SUPERGIRL BUST

X-MEN ORIGINAL SIN TP

YOUNG LOVECRAFT GN

Weekly Comics Swill Report

This week was light with only a handful of books from DC (to meet demand perhaps?) and a smattering from Marvel & the Indies. It was also the first week in the last four that Bowen Designs wasn't shipping two or more mini-busts and the only hardcover of note was DC's horrible Final Crisis, so my bill was moderate.

DC:

Batman #687
The normally reliable Judd Winick turns in a script that's reminiscent of everything else about the "Death of Batman" storyline; a wasted opportunity.

From the failure to make any noise marketing-wise, to it's falling guillotine on Grant Morrison's previously brilliant career (some of those issues were as bad as the Sopranos coma/dream episodes), to the"dredge up and insert some rightly forgotten history" directive that seems to be infecting all DC titles, to it's thin and predictable plot points, this issue lands with all the excitement of a lead ballon. Artist Ed Benes can do better and here seems to be reaching for the same sub-Jim Lee style that evaded Tony Daniel before him.

Like all DC in-continuity superhero books of late, this book has had its identity edited out of it. The issue plods towards a much-ado-about-nothing reveal of Nightwing as Batman at the end, in the most squandered "death of a major character" story in recent memory. Some of Marvel's 90's X-Men Annual crossovers were better executed events than this load of crap and that's saying something.


Flash: Rebirth #3
This is another continuity crazy book that is virtually impenetrable to an outsider. Not a good way to re-launch a book that features the return of a beloved character, especially one whose best stories were relatively simple stuff. Every issue feels more and more like a boring lecture about the speed force delivered with all the enthusiasm of a 65 year old physics Professor on downers. I expect more from both artist and writer. Van Sciver in particular is pulling off the tricky stunt of making his art look both busy and lazy at the same time.

Preview of upcoming JSA JLA mini/maxi-series:
The one potentially bright spot in DC's core universe might just be this upcoming mini that was given a seven page preview in last week's books. It features nice painted art and a compelling premise; Hal Jordan's Green Lantern is tired of getting abused by the bad guys and calls on all the DC teams to do some ass-kicking of their own, essentially calling Superman and Wonder Woman pussies in the process. It's the wish-fullfillment of every disenfranchised DC reader.

I don't know about you, but I'm ready for a DC book that's about as plot heavy as a Transpoter film. After all the abuse these characters have taken under the current regime, a monthly book where they stay even marginally in character while beating on DC baddies is just the sort of stupid relief we all need.

Or they could go back in time and rescue the pink kryptonite from Dr Magnus' evil great great grandfather in the time of the Medieval Batman, setting off some sort of Kirby-Fourth-World-gadget-related cataclysm that "will rock the DC Universe to it's core!!" in a preferably impossible-to-follow weekly comic that everyone will stop reading after the sixth issue, but many will keep buying so they have a complete set "in case something that affects continuity of the ongoing books they read happens (DC will categorize this as earth-shattering), like 'Snapper Carr Stubs His Snapping Finger - Forever!' or 'Martian Manhunter dies.'" Which it won't.

Marvel:

Amazing Spider-man #597
I like Joe Kelly and am not one of the Post "One More Day" Revised Continuity Haters, so I'm a little bummed out that this chapter of an otherwise promising storyline seems to exist for no reason but to remind us that Norman Osbourne is a bad guy and not a particularly good father, either. Since that's the predominant story in nearly all Marvel books these days, it doesn't bear repeating here. You can do better guys.

Deadpool #11
This book continues to be a blast to read, Deadpool having settled into the most sympathetic writer since Joe Kelly or even Fabian. Way is clearly having a blast here and although the battle with a Hawkeyed-up Bullseye is all you get, it's so well done that you don't mind that the story barely moves forward.

Fantastic Four #567
Millar is one of the top British writers still working in superheroes that hasn’t completely lost his shit. This entertaining (if slight) second part of a four part Dr Doom storyline moves right along with a nifty Doom dream sequence that tells us oodles about the character without getting all psychedelic. Hitch's work looks amazing as usual and the story is unhampered by Dark Reign continuity.

Punisher Max #71
Under the great Johnson cover is another fine Punisher story that continues in the earthy vein that Garth Ennis so successfully utilizeded in revitalizing the lead. The humor isn't as evident, but the dialogue and motivations ring true to character. Nicely written and drawn.

Wolverine #74
Great artists, great writers, in two short part ones (!) of what appear to be two leftover inventory stories that seem to have been intended for Marvel's "experimental" black and white anthology from a few years back. Avoid this issue (and apparently next month's as well), this is a pointless issue featuring material that should have printed as back up stories. At least it was only $2.99.

Indies

Absolution #0, Resurrection #1
I've lumped these two together not because they are similar stylistically, but because both feature established mainstream comics writers breaking out their own creator-owned series. That said they are both fine books, but neither is anything more than promising at this point. Christos Gage's Absolution is another "superheroes in the real world" conceit that hopefully has more up it's sleeve than the well-worn ground it covers in this preview. You can't be too critical as it's a short "zero" issue, but unless some hereto unrevealed twist is lurking in the first issue this series will be nothing but a competently done retread of familiar concepts. Resurrection from Marc Guggenheim is slightly more intriguing, although the post apocalypse (this time it's an alien invasion and occupation which as suddenly ended) survivors theme is equally ragged. The art isn't doing a many-charactered story any favors as the designs aren't unique enough to give any of them personality beyond the limited capacity of the stylized drawings, but there are enough intriguing concepts and unanswered questions here to compel me to buy issue 2.

The Unknown #2
Fine work from Waid and Oosterveer as the story picks up speed, and mysteries start to unfold. I'm not typically a fan of contemporary magic / mystery in comics as it's rarely very well done, but this, like many other Boom! original series, is an exception to the rule and a mainstream looking book with a European flavor, covering unfamiliar ground with compelling panache. If you like this, seek out Waid's Potter's Field, which just came out in a trade.

Walking Dead #62, Hack/Slash #23
If you enjoyed previous issues of either of these books, you'll enjoy these. Probably the most consistent indies published on a regular schedule. Neither book is earth-shatteringly great, but both deliver good old meat & potatoes-style cheap thrills, and as such, are a welcome relief from the endless parade of unnecessarily overworked event books from the big two.