All Star Recommends Archive

Below are our archived recommendations.

Kirby Genesis, Green Wake and Butcher Baker: The Righteous Maker

Free Comic Book Day Edition

Scalped, Forgetless, Fear Itself #1 and Astonishing X-Men

Demo, War of The Green Lanterns and Kill Shakespeare

Takio, Skullkickers and The Mission #1

I Kill Giants

Morning Glories, American Vampire, Age of X and Hack/Slash

Cinderella: Fables are Forever #1, DMZ and Locke and Key

Casanova, Infinite Vacation #1 and Invincible Iron Man #500.1

New Comics for February 24th

Hi everyone,

Please Note: Due to President's day in the US, comics have been delayed by 24 hours. Thankfully this time, we aren't the only store affected.

The following is a list of comics that are scheduled to ship to All Star this Thursday. Please let us know if there is something on this list that you thought was supposed to come out this week, we will investigate the issue. Remember, if there is stock we don't have that you are interested in, ask us and we will place a special order for you. Keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter feeds for the most up to date information on shipping schedules.

MARVEL
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #655 BIG
ASTONISHING X-MEN #36
AVENGERS #10
CAPTAIN AMERICA #615
DEADPOOL #33
DEADPOOL CORPS #11
DEADPOOL TEAM-UP #884
FANTASTIC FOUR #588 THREE
INCREDIBLE HULKS #623
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #501 
IRON MAN 2.0 #1
IRON MAN THOR #4 (OF 4)
NAMOR FIRST MUTANT #7
NEW MUTANTS #22 AGEX
ORSON SCOTT CARDS SPEAKER FOR DEAD #2 (OF 5)
POWER MAN AND IRON FIST #2 (OF 5)
PUNISHER IN BLOOD #4 (OF 5)
SECRET AVENGERS #10
SPIDER-MAN #11
THOR #620
ULTIMATE COMICS DOOM #3 (OF 4)
ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #154 DOSM
UNCANNY X-MEN #533
WARRIORS THREE #4 (OF 4)
X-23 #6
X-MEN #8
X-MEN LEGACY #245 AGEX
X-MEN TO SERVE AND PROTECT #4 (OF 4)
 
DC
ACTION COMICS #898
DC COMICS PRESENTS BATMAN CONSPIRACY #1
DETECTIVE COMICS #874
GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #20
GREEN ARROW #9 (BRIGHTEST DAY)
JLA THE 99 #5 (OF 6) 
JUSTICE LEAGUE GENERATION LOST #20
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #48
POWER GIRL #21
TEEN TITANS #92

VERTIGO
AMERICAN VAMPIRE #12
NEW YORK FIVE #2 (OF 4) 
SCALPED #46
 
DARK HORSE
KING CONAN SCARLET CITADEL #1
KULL THE HATE WITCH #4 (OF 4)
STAR WARS DARTH VADER & LOST COMMAND #2 (OF 5)
STAR WARS LEGACY WAR #3 (OF 6)

IDW
ATOMIC ROBO DEADLY ART OF SCIENCE #4 (OF 5)
FALLEN ANGEL RETURN OF THE SON #2 (OF 4)
GI JOE #27
KILL SHAKESPEARE #9 (OF 12) SPIKE #5 (OF 8)
STAR TREK INFESTATION #2 (OF 2)
TRANSFORMERS RISING STORM #1 (OF 4)
TRUE BLOOD TAINTED LOVE #1

IMAGE
MISSION #1 
MORNING GLORIES #7
SAVAGE DRAGON #169
SKULLKICKERS #6
SPAWN #203
WALKING DEAD WEEKLY #8
WHO IS JAKE ELLIS? #2

MISCELLANEOUS
BART SIMPSON COMICS #58
BETTY & VERONICA #252
CROSSED PSYCHOPATH #1 (OF 6)
HEAVY METAL SPRING 2011
INCORRUPTIBLE #15
LADY DEATH #2 SIXTH GUN #9
STAN LEE TRAVELER #4
TERRY MOORES ECHO #28

TRADE PAPERBACKS/GRAPHIC NOVELS
ANGELUS TP VOL 01
ANITA BLAKE PREM HC CIRCUS OF DAMNED CHARMER BOOK
ASTONISHING X-MEN TP VOL 06 EXOGENETIC
BOOK OF GENESIS ILLUS BY ROBERT CRUMB HC
CHRONICLES OF KULL TP VOL 04 BLOOD OF KINGS OTHER
DAYTRIPPER TP
FARSCAPE SCORPIUS TP VOL 02
FREAKANGELS TP VOL 05
GRIMM FAIRY TALES TP DIFFERENT SEASONS
HELLBLAZER PANDEMONIUM TP
HUNGER OF SEVEN SQUAT BEARS HC
INCOGNITO TP
INCREDIBLE HULKS DARK SON PREM HC
INCREDIBLE HULKS TP DARK SON ENIGMA FORCE 
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN PREM HC VOL 06
MEANWHILE PICK ANY PATH 3856 STORY POSSIBILITIES
NEMESIS PREM HC (TITAN ED)
SCALPED TP VOL 07 REZ BLUES
SHOWCASE PRESENTS JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA TP
STAND HARDCASES PREM HC
TERM LIFE GN
VAMPIRE TALES GN TP VOL 02
X-MEN CURSE OF MUTANTS PREM HC
X-MEN FIRST CLASS GN TP VOL 01

All Star Recommends!

Welcome back to this weeks round of recommendations. As usual, let us know what you think by leaving feedback below, in the appropriate Facebook thread or by Tweeting us. All prices listed below are Australian shelf price, standing order customers receive a 10% discount.

Cinderella: Fables are Forever
Writer: Chris Roberson
Artist: Shawn McManus
Recommended by: Jess

For those of you familiar with Fables, you might have read the previous mini series starring Cinderella, entitled From Fabletown With Love, released in 2009. Fables Are Forever is the follow up, bringing back the same team of writer Chris Roberson and artist Shawn McManus, along with a delicious looking cover by Chrissie Zullo.

Cinderella's spin off follows an almost film noir style, fashioning gangsters out of fairytale thugs and allowing our golden haired black ops agent to gun her way through countries that don't often get a mention in the original series. Issue 1 of Fables are Forever starts off with Cindy in a bikini in a Russian bathhouse with a gaggle of Ukrainian women and some sleazy men of ill repute, on the trail of a 'Shadow Fabletown', hidden from the world by organised crime. From there, with the help of Cindy's dry, Chandler-esque narration and the well-rounded artwork of McManus, we jump to the present storyline of Fables and start delving into a mystery worthy of some of the better class of espionage stories.

The art is dynamic, colourful and expressive, with subtle scene framing reminiscent of the 70s spy films. The writing is a short departure from the parent comic, allowing for a more sly sense of humour in the characters and a more realistic plot progression. While Fables are Forever does still contain the mythology and magic, it approaches these elements through the no-nonsense and somewhat cold perspective it's main character. Cindy believes in her gun and her ability to sort stuff out.

Highly recommended for anyone eager to flesh out their Fables metaknowledge, or for those who just want some spy-girl action.

Cinderella: Fables are Forever #1 is available at All Star Comics now for $4.50.

DMZ
Writer: Brian Wood
Artist: Various

Recommended by: Dom

DMZ began as a series written in the wake of 9/11 and the second Iraq war. Like a number of great Science Fiction works, it is a reaction to political tensions of the time. The story depicts New York City as the titular DMZ, a lawless environment in the middle of a modern American civil war. As the series has evolved, politics within the United States have continued to be more divisive than ever. As a result of this the book has taken shape of something that could be more prescient than its original intent was perhaps expected.

With the series now coming to its conclusion, Brian Wood continues to focus on some of the diverse characters he has introduced througout the overall story. It's because of this attention to keeping its main characters in view that the book has had such a wide appeal to readers. Wood's stories are character focused making the series feel almost documentary like in its depiction of a post war New York City. The artwork which acompanies these stories will often remain on the ground level with the characters, giving the reader a sense of being a tourist.

DMZ is a series that captures the feel of life during wartime but it never loses focus of its characters. It is quite an accomplishment on Brian Wood's part in that he has been able to contain a story dealing with large and complex issues and yet keep it grounded to its core characters, particularly main character Matty Roth. If you want to see a scary depiction of a future not entirely out of the realm of possibility, DMZ is a great start.

DMZ Volume 9: MIA is available at All Star Comics for $19.95. Volumes 1-8 are also available and they range between $14.95 and $22.95.

Locke and Key
Writer: Joe Hill 
Artist: Gabriel Rodriguez
Recommended by: Luke

Many authors are blessed with the luxury of having their work speak for itself, but in the case of Joe Hill his lineage carries an unfortunately weighty amount of expectation being the son of one Stephen King. In his comic series Locke and Key he seems to embrace his heritage by telling a story that wouldn’t be out of place in his father’s oeuvre. Bold yes, but Locke and Key delivers in its exploration of a supernatural aura centered upon an old house in the town of Lovecraft. The mansion itself hides a dark legacy which continues to affect the family of recently widowed Mrs Locke and her three children, two boys Bode and Tyler and daughter Kinsey.

The strength of the series lies in its ability to straddle tone; In one instance the mystical goings on are thoroughly magical, akin to the childlike wonder captured in the early films of Steven Spieleberg and M. Night Shyamalan; While in the next you can be pulled back into reality by stark violence permeated by a creeping dread more commonly seen in the darker work of a Clive Barker or David Cronenberg.

At its core, it remains a horror book with certain hooks and tropes alluding to something that took place in the deceased father’s past coming back to challenge his unsuspecting family; but by funneling much of the story through the children’s perspective we get a less cynical view of proceedings which creates true menace when their innocence is confronted by the more insidious forces that seek to possess the house’ treasures.

LOCKE & KEY Vol. 1 & 2 can be ordered in at All Star Comics now for $26.95. Single issues are also available for $6. 

PREVIOUS RECOMMENDATIONS
Casanova, Infinite Vacation #1 and Invincible Iron Man #500.1 

Want to Win a $100 All Star Comics Voucher?

We can't thank you all enough for your love and support over the last couple of weeks. As a way of returning the favour, we want to give you all the chance to win a $100 voucher to use in the store. All we want you to do is share the love of comics.

It's simple, just send a friend in the store, if they spend equal to or over the cost of a standard single issue (generally around $5) and mention your name, not only will they recieve a 10% discount but you'll also go in the draw to win the $100 voucher. The more friends you send in, the more chances you have to win. This also includes bringing your friends into the store in case they are a little skittish about coming into a comic book store alone. The winner of the contest will be drawn at 1pm on Saturday the 5th of March so that gives you a couple of weeks to get as many people in the door as you can and we will be taking entries right up until this time.

Worried that your friend doesn't know what to buy? That's what we're here for. We like to think we're somewhat experienced at offering advice based on interests and we feel confident that we'll be able to push them in the right direction. So tweet it, facebook it, get a group together to come in this weekend or the next. We look forward to seeing some new faces.

Any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.

With the Good News Comes the Bad

Hi Everyone,

First, the bad news. As you've all heard by now our shipment has been delayed until Sunday. Unfortunately this is because of reasons beyond our control. We hope you can wait the extra few days for your comics. If you have any questions please contact or message us and we will do our best to answer you. See our previous blog post for information on this weeks releases. Keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter pages for the latest updates on the shipment. We will let you know as soon as we hear if there are further delays.

So onto the good news, we are happy to announce that we are officially a proud sponsor of the Astor Theatre with this ad appearing in their latest calendar.

This great Saul Bass inspired piece was designed  by in house genius designer Tim Hobday. We can't thank him enough for his help in producing this for us. So make sure you pick up when it becomes available, until then you can view it online here.

Speaking of the silver screen, our good friend Zak Hepburn has been running the fantastic Cult Vault nights at the Westgarth Cinema. This week they are screening the anime classic Ghost In The Shell. Get in touch with them for information on tickets. If you go and check it out you may see this before the screening.

We probably don't have to explain to you who designed the poster at this point, but let's heap more praise on Tim anyway.

So as stated, good news with the bad. Once again, we hope you can wait a little longer for this weeks comics and if you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact us.