Hello again, fellow comic readers!
This week marks the fifth week of November and the first week following a big holiday. It has been my experience that this week – out of the whole entire year – leaves comic buyers with less new books available on Wednesday. However, one look at the release schedule this week confirms the true motive behind this anemic offering: fear. That’s because this week KISS comes to Riverdale!
Yes, KISS, as in the rock band KISS, or as our friend Daniel Dean of Titan Games and Comics in Smyrna, Georgia clarified, “Starchild, the Space Ace, the Catman, and the Demon.”
And yes, we are talking about Archie Comics #627 also known as “Archie meets KISS!”
If you have ever read an Archie comic, you know what is waiting for you behind the cover: A good, wholesome, fun story line that somehow never talks down to the readers.
“I daresay everyone in America has been exposed to the Archie gang at one point or another, and given their endless multimedia and merchandising dabbling the same can probably be said for KISS,” Dean said. “You can just jump right in with this one, since the Archie books have always been very accessible to new readers.”
Archies are only rivaled by the Scooby-Doo gang, Dean said, “in terms of being eternal teenagers who team up with a variety of real-world guest-stars to overcome life obstacles, often to the strains of Sixties melodies.” Eternal teenager and Archie universe pal Sabrina from “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” also makes an appearance in the KISS issue.
“This particular crossover seems poised to rival even Archie’s most surprising get-together of all time, a crossover with Marvel’s Punisher. If you’re a comic fan, you live for these bizarre little pop culture artifacts,” Dean said.
In all seriousness, this is a fun book and the entry point of a four-issue arc. Four “variant” covers exist one each for issue #627 - # 630, each featuring the iconic makeup from a member of KISS. This book left me wanting to know what happens next, so I’m actually looking forward to getting next month’s “Archie.”
Dean said that even if only big Archie fans and the KISS Army purchase this comic, it will still sell pretty well – and I agree with him. But I think it’s also worth a look for anyone who has forgotten how enjoyable an “Archie” comic can actually be.
Until next week, go forth and read, my people, and the reading will be good!
Is there a comic out there that you really love? Let us know in the comments. We’re always looking for tips on good comics!
Here are some of the comics scheduled to hit the shelves on November 30, 2011. Your local retailer will probably have these and others, so make sure to check with them for more details.
ARCHIE #627 (ARCHIE MEETS KISS PT 1) $2.99
ASTONISHING X-MEN MONSTROUS PREM HC $19.99
AVENGERS ORIGINS THOR #1 $3.99
CAPTAIN AMERICA MAN OUT OF TIME TP $16.99
DAREDEVIL #6 $2.99
DEADPOOL CORPS TP VOL 02 YOU SAY REVOLUTION $16.99
DEADPOOL MAX INVOLUNTARY ARMAGEDDON PREM HC (MR) $24.99
DISNEY PIXAR PRESENTS INCREDIBLES CITY OF INCREDIBLES $5.99
DOROTHY AND WIZARD IN OZ #3 (OF 8) $3.99
ESSENTIAL SPIDER-MAN TP VOL 05 NEW ED $19.99
FF #12 $2.99
GHOST RIDER #6 $2.99
HALO FALL OF REACH COVENANT PREM HC (MR) $19.99
HERC #10 $3.99
HISTORY OF MARVEL UNIVERSE #1 $3.99
OFF HANDBOOK OF MARVEL UNIVERSE A TO Z TP VOL 02 $19.99
RED SKULL #5 (OF 5) $2.99
SPIDER-MAN MARVEL TEAM UP BY CLAREMONT AND BYRNE TP $29.99
SUPREME POWER GODS AND SOLDIERS TP $14.99
THOR BY KIERON GILLEN ULTIMATE COLLECTION TP $34.99
THUNDERBOLTS #166 $2.99
ULTIMATE COMICS ULTIMATES #4 $3.99
UNCANNY X-MEN #2 XREGB $3.99
WOLVERINE #19 XREGG $3.99
X-MEN LEGACY #259 XREGG $2.99
ABSOLUTE BATMAN HUSH HC NEW PTG $99.99
BATMAN ODYSSEY VOL 2 #2 (OF 7) $3.99
CARTOON NETWORK ACTION PACK #65 $2.99
DC COMICS PRESENTS BATMAN DONT BLINK #1 $7.99
DC COMICS PRESENTS SUPERMAN SECRET IDENTITY #2 $7.99
DC UNIVERSE ONLINE LEGENDS #18 $2.99
FABLES #111 (MR) $2.99
GREEN LANTERN THE ANIMATED SERIES #0 $2.99
INFAMOUS TP $17.99
JONAH HEX BURY ME IN HELL TP $17.99
LEGION SECRET ORIGIN #2 (OF 6) $2.99
SPACEMAN #2 (OF 9) (MR) $2.99
THUNDER AGENTS TP VOL 01 $24.99
THUNDER AGENTS VOL 2 #1 (OF 6) $2.99
TINY TITANS #46 $2.99
UNCHARTED #1 (OF 6) $2.99
VERTIGO RESURRECTED SGT ROCK HELL HARD PLACE #1 (MR) $7.99
WONDER WOMAN CHRONICLES TP VOL 02 $17.99
ANGEL & FAITH #4 REBEKAH ISSACS VAR CVR $2.99
ANGEL & FAITH #4 STEVE MORRIS CVR $2.99
BPRD BEING HUMAN TP $17.99
MIGHTY SAMSON ARCHIVES HC VOL 04 $49.99
MPD-PSYCHO TP VOL 10 $12.99
STAR WARS CRIMSON EMPIRE III EMPIRE LOST #2 (OF 6) $3.50
STAR WARS DARK TIMES OUT O/T WILDERNESS #3 (OF 5) $2.99
AVENGELYNE #5 CVR A LIEFELD $2.99
AVENGELYNE #5 CVR B GIENI $2.99
AVENGELYNE #5 CVR C STINSMAN $2.99
BOMB QUEEN TP VOL 02 QUEEN OF HEARTS (NEW PTG) (MR) $16.99
BOMB QUEEN VII #1 (OF 4) (MR) $3.50
COMPLETE INVINCIBLE LIBRARY HC VOL 03 $125.00
COMPLETE INVINCIBLE LIBRARY HC VOL 03 LTD S/N ED $175.00
DARKNESS #95 (MR) $2.99
DOC BIZARRE MD HC $17.99
GREEN WAKE #7 (MR) $3.50
HAUNT #19 $2.99
INFINITE HORIZON #6 (OF 6) (RES) $2.99
MORNING GLORIES HC VOL 01 $39.99
NEAR DEATH #3 $2.99
PILOT SEASON THEORY OF EVERYTHING #1 $3.99
SAVAGE DRAGON #176 $3.50
SHINKU #3 (MR) $2.99
SKULLKICKERS #12 $2.99
SUPER DINOSAUR #6 $2.99
WALKING DEAD OMNIBUS HC VOL 01 NEW PTG (MR) $100.00
WALKING DEAD WEEKLY #48 (MR) $2.99
ANGEL THE END HC $49.99
COBRA ONGOING #7 $3.99
DEFINITIVE FLASH GORDON & JUNGLE JIM HC VOL 01 $75.00
DOCTOR WHO DAVE GIBBONS COLLECTION HC $50.00
JACK AVARICE IS THE COURIER #5 (OF 5) $3.99
STAR TREK ONGOING #3 $3.99
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES ONGOING #4 $3.99
X-9 SECRET AGENT CORRIGAN HC VOL 03 $49.99