CIBT 5 — Jigsaw, Kingdoms, Hand of the Morningstar, Son of Samson, Mickey Mouse, Transformers, Astonishing X-Men, Runaways, The Fly

Once again, I’m stressing out my comics-buying budget with some deals in some non-comic book stores. Yep, this means I skip my Wednesday trip for a second week in a row.
As usual, each Comics I Bought Today entry features my reasons for buying the comic, not necessarily a review of it. Also as usual, click on the title for a link to the publisher. Click on the store name for a link to the store.

Jigsaw: The man of a Thousand Parts 1 and 2 — Here’s a comic so old that it doesn’t even have a Web site. Created by Joe Simon, I was intrigued by the Don Markenstein entry, so I went on a hunt for it. I wasn’t disappointed, and I would certainly have liked to see more. In particular, I found Jigsaw’s self-loathing interesting. It would be nice to see where the writer was going with that — if anywhere at all. Purchased at eBay.

Kingdoms: The Coming Storm (vol. 1) — I don’t hold much faith in this being too good, but it was $1.99, and I’ll read any comic that cheap. Some might be put off by the fact that this is a Zondervan (i.e. religious) graphic novel, but just about every other Zondervan book has been pretty good. Purchased at Ollie’s Bargain Outlet.

Hand of the Morningstar (Vol. 1) — This book appears to be about a religious-themed superteam. Sure, I’ll give it a try, especially at this discount. This carried a $2.99 pricetag. Purchased at Ollie’s Bargain Outlet.

Son of Samson and the Maiden of Thunder (Vol. 3) — I talked about my enjoyment of this series in this post. It still has my strongest recommendation in comparison with  any adventure comic from the Big Two. This was the Zondervan book that made me willing to check out the above two. Price? $1.99, a true deal for this great story. Purchased at Ollie’s Bargain Outlet.

Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse and Friends No. 260 — This single issue was sitting in among the regular books at Ollie’s. I’ve purchased these before and the thing that surprises me most about most Disney books is how dense they are. There’s just a ton to read in every story. The cost? 50 cents. Purchased at Ollie’s Bargain Outlet.

Transformers: All Fall Down — This book sure is an oddity. It’s a reprint of Marvel’s Transformers series, issues 69 to 74. What’s so strange? It’s reprinted by Titan Books, who have no connection to Marvel whatsoever. The story appears to be a bridge between the 1980s Transformers and the “future” Transformers that came into being after “Transformers: The Movie.” I’m not a huge Transformers fan, but at $2.99, I can be convinced. Purchased at Ollie’s Bargain Outlet.

Book Cellar, a book store at many “outlet shopping centers,” has a tremendous deal on Marvel trade paperbacks and hardcovers. All the titles below were just $5 each. (Sorry, I couldn’t find a Book Cellar Web site.)

Runaways Vols. 4, 5, 6 and 7 — Judging from volumes 1 and 2, this is easily one of the best series Marvel has going. I believe it’s also one of its lower sellers on an issue-by-issue basis. Sad, because this is one enjoyable book, but then again, I’m a sucker for stories about teenagers, so my judgment could be skewed. In total, this 4-book purchase covers a whopping 24 issues of comics. Purchased at Book Cellar.

Astonishing X-Men Vol. 2 — Joss Whedon? Who’s that guy. Well, I’ve never been a “Buffy” fan at all, but his work on Volume 1 of this trade was enough to impress me into seeking out this trade. Purchased at Book Cellar.

The Adventures of the Fly (Red Circle trade paperback) — Who would have thought I’d invest in two Joe Simon  books (this and Jigsaw) within a week of each other? Strange, but I saw this and wanted it more than some “on the bubble” Marvel books for me (including Moon Knight and Alpha Flight). Granted, it was strange that this was packed in with all those Marvels, but I wasn’t going to complain. I really enjoyed DC’s Impact! line back in the 1990s, and I’m just as excited about those characters’ upcoming inclusion in the mainstream DCU. And now I have all “The Fly” background I ever needed. Purchased at Book Cellar.