Time Warp Comics – Page 9 – Where the past meets the future

March Madness Write Up Part IV: The Champion and the Winners!

Thank You!

Thanks for tuning in, and playing in the first ever Time Warp March Madness Bracket! This is the middle installment in our series of articles that are designed to give you some insight into how your bracket will be scored. Click here for part I and here for part II. We hope as always that you had as much fun filling out your brackets as we did determining the winners. Remember, this is all for fun, if you see match up you disagree with, feel free to let us know! The bracket is set and the rulings are complete, but we would love to hear the case you can make for your favorite characters! Without Further adieu, our Final Four!

The Supers

Thor v Dr. Strange
- Dr. Strange is one of the few people to know that under the mystical enchantments of Thor is the mortal Jane Foster, but that might actually not work in his favor. Though usually very solemn, Dr. Strange has a soft spot for Thor, and will likely wait just a moment too long before throwing up his mystical defenses. That moment is all it takes for Thor, or rather Mjolnir to take advantage. Like Thor’s first round match-up Black Bolt, Dr. Strange has tremendous damage output, but doesn’t stand up well to repeated blows from the mystical Uru Hammer. Striking like lightning will allow Thor to bring home the win.

The Fighters

Black Panther v Captain America
- Sam Wilson has come a long way since his days as the Falcon, they don’t let just anyone become Captain America. Not only have his skills as an unarmed combatant improved, his gear has come a long way since his first flight harness. A harness which was made by none other than the Black Panther. Panther should have no difficulty taking down a flight harness based on his own design, and while Sam Wilson has more experience with the shield, Panther is far more accustomed to the Vibranium in it. If Sam throws the shield while airborne, there’s no way he’s getting it back. There’s not much Cap can do to T’Challa while airborne. He could probably circle for hours, and call it a stalemate, but he has too much respect for the King of Wakanda, and we want to see a good fight, so he’ll eventually land. When he does, Panther will quickly make him regret his decision. Both combatants are full of respect for one another, not only as fighters, but for their respective roles in their world. It’s their roles in the world that will help decide the shift in the battle. Sam Wilson was chosen by Steve Rogers to stand up for America, a noble aspiration to be sure, but Panther has been the King of Wakanda for far longer. Chosen by the Panther God and proven in combat, T’Challa has been fighting for his people since he was a teen, and time and time again has risen to the challenge. After a long pugilistic showdown, only the King will remain standing.

Scroll Down for our March Madness Champion!

The Mighty Thor!

Through a mixture of sheer strength, pure nobility, and overall awesome power set, Thor is our winner! While Panther put up a noble fight, nine times out of ten, he can’t beat Thor.

Speaking of winners, we’d like to present our grand prize winner, Nathan Usrey! Not only will Nathan win 100 dollars to spend in store credit, we would like to formally invite him to join our selection staff for next years March Madness bracket! Once again, we hope you had fun, and thanks for tuning in!

March Madness Write Up Part III: Final Four

Thank You!

The Supers

Thor v Flash
- The God of Thunder versus the Man of Lightning. This was a tough one, and if it were between any other Thor, and any other Flash, it may have gone another way. Thor’s natural connection to lightning will allow her ample warning to get airborne and evade Flash’s initial charge. She would immediately light up the battlefield with a lightning storm fierce enough to give Wally a run for his money. Whereas the Odinson would cast a few big lightning bolts, Jane Foster unleashes a miles wide barrage of chain-lightning. Fresh from his stint between dimensions, Wally won’t have the footing to avoid both the lightning AND Mjolnir, which will zip along to find him.

The Mystics

Dr. Strange v Ghost Rider
- Unlike any of Ghost Rider’s previous opponents, Dr. Strange has some experience with Riders. While never formally foes, Strange has crossed paths with previous Ghost Riders, Johnny Blaze and Danny Ketch, countless times. Dr. Strange would certainly have a contingency plan or two in place to deal with riders. Robbie Reyes isn’t bound by Zarathos like most of the riders in the past, and therefore has more control over his powers, but that shouldn’t be a problem for Strange, who regularly beats characters on Zarathos’s power level. Ghost Rider will probably get through most of Strange’s defensive wards and shields, but in the last minute, Strange pieces together a banishment spell, separating Robbie from the Rider and taking the win.

The Fighters

Black Panther v Hawkman
- While Hawkman will have an aerial advantage over Black Panther, he’ll have to come in close to do any real damage. Between Panther using the environment to his advantage and his Vibranium armor, he should be able to survive Hawkman’s first assault. In doing so, he will undoubtedly figure out that Hawkman’s wings aren’t organic, merely attached by straps. As Hawkman makes his next pass, Panther will be ready with Kimono Cards to cut the straps of Hawkman’s harness, changing Hawkman’s Dive bomb attack to a Dirt bomb. Panther will seize the opportunity to leap into action, pouncing with a volley of fists and claws.

The Wildcards

Squirrel Girl v Captain America
- This fight can go any number of ways, but Sam Wilson wins them all. In a diplomatic gesture, Squirrel girl may forfeit the match to Cap, out of respect for the Shield. If they were to actually fight, Squirrel Girl’s control over squirrels is no match Captain America’s control over birds, and Cap can certainly best Doreen in hand to hand combat. The battle may not even come to pass, if Cap were to telepathically have Redwing pick up SG’s sidekick Tippy Toe, and fly her high above the city until Squirrel Girl concedes the match.

Check Back Next Week for Part IV!

March Madness Write Up Part II: Elite Eight

Thank You!

Thanks for tuning in, and playing in the first ever Time Warp March Madness Bracket! This is the Second in a series of articles that are designed to give you some insight into how your bracket will be scored. In case you missed the first write up, feel free to check it out here first! Remember, this is all for fun, if you see match up you disagree with, feel free to let us know! The bracket is set and the rulings are complete, but we would love to hear the case you can make for your favorite characters! And now, Our Elite Eight!

The Supers

Thor v Golden Gail
- These heroines are both hiding secrets, and that will determine how the battle plays out. They have similar power levels and ties to thunder, but Golden Gail draws her rage from a place of angst, while Thor is trying to do as much good as she can with what time she has left. She can pull on this strength to gain the upper hand and save the day. Verily.
Captain Marvel v Flash
- Captain Marvel levels her best energy blast at the red blur before her, fully sure that nothing could be left standing after such an assault. Flying low enough to inspect the smouldering remnants of the ground. Then before she could blink an eye, she is incapacitated, thrown into a crater of her own making, having suffered several million blows to the head in a fraction of a second. A second more to gather her senses, but she’s already been entombed by every stray piece of rock and metal. While this could very easily have gone the other way, Flash wins in the blink of an eye, by surprising his target.

The Mystics

Dr. Strange v Scarlet Witch
- Scarlet Witch has a magic bullet in this contest of magicians, but she wouldn’t dare use it. Uttering “No More Magic” would hurt her as much as it hurt the good Dr. Strange. Even if she did, the recent “Last Days of Magic” shows us that Dr. Strange is uniquely talented at holding on to every last bit of magic in the face of adversity. All that aside we have to vote in favor of Dr. Strange. It often seems that the Chaos Magic that Wanda taps into may be more powerful than the magics usually at Dr. Strange’s disposal, but Strange has a far greater control of them, and is used to taking on big threats head on, whereas the Scarlet Witch usually plays more of a support role. Dr. Strange takes the win.
Ghost Rider v Marko
- Marko has pulled off some incredible wins since we were first introduced to the character, but for most of them he had solid backup from his wife Alana to Prince Robot IV, but in this battle, he’s flying solo. Ghost Rider won’t slow down for Marko’s pacifist ways, and will easily overpower the best dad in the galaxy.

The Fighters

Nightwing v Black Panther
- This battle lasts hours, the two combatants locked in near perfect contention. Dick Grayson’s slight advantage in combat ability is neutered by King T’Challa’s brainpower and technological. We imagine a long drawn out battle, one of the fiercest either duelist can remember. Nightwing will quickly realize how efficient Panther’s Vibranium armor is, and will force panther into exerting himself. Wing-Dings knocked out of the air by Kimono Cards, punches blocked, kicks dodged, it’s over an hour before either fighter lands a head blow. Eventually however the King of Wakanda claws ahead to victory.
Hawkman v Lark
- In a battle between two bird themed heroes, the one with the bigger wings tends to win, and this is no exception… having a bigger mace doesn’t hurt either. Though subtle and stealthy, Lark isn’t capable of dealing the damage it would take to put Hawkman down.

The Wildcards

Squirrel Girl v Boone
- Boone Diaz is used to odd opponents. His time in the Ether has skewed his judgement to always looking for the most rational way to beat his opponent, so what conclusions will he draw when forced against Squirrel Girl? There has to be rational explanation for how one person can be so happy. Surely there’s a scientific reason as to why these squirrels are following her every beck and call. In fact, Boone Diaz will be rationalizing school girls powers long after he has been swarmed with squirrels, his exploring gear torn to pieces. She can’t actually be Unbeatable, can she?
Cap America v Zombie Jughead
- Sam Wilson has a number of improvements over the original Captain America, and believe it or not, he’ll need most of them to take the win here. As a man of the people, he will let Zombie Jughead get in close before he realizes the threat his burger loving foe poses. Once Cap deflects the initial attack either with his shield or just his tactical armor, he will take to the skies, where Jughead can do no more harm.

Check Back Later this Week for Part III!

March Madness Write Up Part I: Sweet Sixteen

Thank You!

Thanks for tuning in, and playing in the first ever Time Warp March Madness Bracket! This is the first in a series of articles that are designed to give you some insight into how your bracket will be scored. We hope you had as much fun filling out your brackets as we did determining the winners. Remember, this is all for fun, if you see match up you disagree with, feel free to let us know! The bracket is set and the rulings are complete, but we would love to hear the case you can make for your favorite characters! Without Further adieu, our Sweet 16!

The Supers

Thor v Black Bolt
- We open with one of our most divisive Match-Ups on the whole board. If Black Bolt had made it past Thor, he might have made it all the way, but with Jane Foster’s improved control over the dynamic Mjolnir, she takes the victory.
Golden Gail v Spider-Gwen
- Spider-Gwen’s inter-dimensional hi-jinks are no match for Golden Gail’s temper.
Beast Boy v Flash
- A cheetah? A peregrine falcon? No animal Gar can call on will stand up to the Flash’s speed.
Captain Marvel v Super-girl
- We at Time Warp comics are big fans of the Girl from Krypton, but Captain Danvers’ extensive experience allows her to pull down the W.

The Mystics

Dr. Strange v Raven
- He’s not called The Master of the Mystic arts for nothing.. Dr. Strange takes the win.
Sabrina v Scarlet Witch
- Scarlet Witch has faced far bigger threats than Sabrina without blinking an eye.. The teen witch is no match for her.
Rondel v Marko
- In what must have been the most low down and dirty, know down brawl of a battle of the Mystics first round, Marko calls on his space fairing experience to get a leg up on ‘ol Rondel.
Ghost Rider v Constantine
- Constantine would have no problem putting down any old demon, but Ghost Rider isn’t any old Demon.

The Fighters

Nightwing v Moon Knight
- Moon Knight is an excellent fighter, but he wasn’t trained by the Bat.
Black Panther v Robin
- Damian Wayne is one of the DC universe’s fastest rising stars, and in time, may be able to take the Panther, but not today.
Hawkman v Metalhead
- Hawkman’s has centuries of battle experience, Metalhead has a computer for a brain. What ultimately throws the win in Hawkman’s favor is the ruthlessness and ferocity he has no problem unleashing on a robot.
Lark v Debbie Decay
- The most street savvy student that Batman has had in years has no problem shutting down a Debbie Decay who hasn’t quite reached her full potential.

The Wildcards

Groot v Squirrel Girl
- Our oddest match up yet is decided before the battle even begins! Groot has a natural affinity for bushy tailed critters, and any day Squirrel girl can chalk up a win under friendship is a good day for her.
Howard the Duck v Boone Diaz
- Howard often relies on the element of surprise to overwhelm his opponents, but after years in the Ether, nothing surprises Boone.
Cap America v America Chavez
- Partly out of respect for Sam Wilson, partly because she just couldn’t be bothered to stick around in the bracket, America bows out to give Cap the win.
Zombie Jughead v Carl
- The ultimate zombie hunter versus the ultimate zombie leaves Carl bit.

Check Back Next Week for Part II!

Announcing the First Ever Time Warp March Madness Bracket!

March has come, and with it comes our first annual March Madness Bracket!

Inspired by College Basketball tournament brackets, our resident comic nerds have pooled their brains to bring you a bracket of a more Super variety. Stop by our store to pick up a blank bracket for just one dollar, then bring it in filled out by March 15th for your chance to win!

What is the Tournament?

The tournament is a single elimination style mash up of all your favorite comic book stars, as imagined by your favorite comic shop.

How do I enter?

Come to the store and fill out a bracket! You can take the bracket home with you, if you want to research some of the characters, or you can fill it out in store. In either case, be sure you’ve got your submissions in by Wednesday March 15th. This marks the start of the NCAA tournaments, but more importantly this marks the beginning of our March Madness sale!

How do I win?

We will compare your filled out bracket with our official rulings. We came up with our rulings based on what would happen if these two combatants came into conflict. Would they settle it with fists? Who would yield first? Drawing on our collective years of comic book knowledge, as well as recent events in many different comic book universes, we have come up with what we believe to be definitive answers to these questions.

How much does it cost to enter?

You can purchase as many brackets as you want for $1.00 a piece. Additionally, file holders may purchase their first bracket for the low low price of $.25!

What can I win?

Grand prize is a 100 dollar gift certificate to Time Warp Comics!

Second place is a 25 dollar gift certificate to Time Warp Comics!

Third place gets one standard Funko Pop of their choice!

Fourth place gets one current book featuring the Competitor of their choice!

Ties will be decided by random drawings.

We’re Excited to bring you this contest, and we hope you’re excited to participate!

If you have any questions, drop us a line here, or pop by the store!

Stay tuned for More announcements about our March Madness sale, coming soon!

And check back often for our Match-up Write-ups!

Happy Wednesday

Time Warp remembers comic writer and artist Darwyn Cooke.

All of us here at Time Warp Comics were devastated to hear that Darwyn Cooke, comic artist and author, has passed away after battling cancer. He was 53 years old.

Darwyn Cooke ~ 1962-2016

Darwyn Cooke had been a staple of modern comic book storytelling, as well as one of the foremost leaders in the medium’s art-style. Many here at Time Warp have followed his career with great enthusiasm, as his storytelling and art style evoked the kind of wonder and awe one might have felt the first time they had ever picked up a comic book. Even if your first comic book wasn’t by Darwyn Cooke, you could read one of his stories and feel as though you had never read a comic before reading one of his. He had an original style that was fresh and yet classic all at once. He was a rare treat that will be missed greatly by many of the staff here at Time Warp, and people around the world.

Wayne Winsett, owner of Time Warp Comics, had recently been able to chat with Darwyn Cooke last year at the Baltimore Comic Convention, stating he had intended to have Mr. Cooke make an appearance at Time Warp for a signing, that sadly never happened.

This is a signed print Wayne was able to bring back from that meeting, along with the memories of talking with one of the giants in the comic book community.

Purely Editorial Moment from Clayton.

I myself was introduced to Darwyn Cooke’s work when I first started working at Time Warp in 2009. Both Wayne (owner of Time Warp) and then co-worker Garry, insisted that I read this new book called, “Parker: The Hunter”.

I was loaned a copy of Parker by Garry, and it took me a while to finally get around to reading it. But once I had, it changed my outlook on comics from that point on. In a medium which I had only seen through the super-hero view-point, it was amazing to see something that felt as though it had been made in another era, but was absolutely current. (I later learned that the Parker novels by Richard Stark, or Donald E. Westlake, were published in 1962.) I then began to look into this Darwyn Cooke and his expansive career. The next thing I read from him was a single issue he did of an overlooked DC western character by the name of Jonah Hex.

After reading what I personally consider to be one of the best one-shot comics ever made, I knew I would be able to count on Darwyn Cooke to make the best comics possible. And I wasn’t let down.

Many years and comics later, the next thing that came up Darwyn Cooke related that blew me away was his cover series from DC Comics that arrived in 2014. Darwyn was approached to do alternate covers for every title coming out from DC at that time. They looked so damn good, I picked up several titles I no longer collected from DC just because Darwyn Cooke had done the cover. Here are some of my personal favorites, that I believe encapsulate his style.

Green Lantern #37

Green Lantern Corps #37

(Personally I really enjoy his classic approach to Hal Jordan and the other Green Lantern characters. Green Lantern was my favorite character when I was a kid)

He-Man and the Eternity War #1

Sinestro #8

Justice League Dark #37

Superman / Wonder Woman #14

After working on all of those amazing covers for DC, Darwyn Cooke worked on a book with Gilbert Hernandez titled “Twilight Children”, which was published by Vertigo Comics. This book was one of the last comics Darwyn Cooke worked on before he passed.

I was working at Time Warp the day the news of Darwyn Cooke’s passing had broke, and I was affected by such news as I believe many of us were. I purchased a copy of Twilight Children and read it that night in one sitting.

As I looked back at the books I had read of his, and the art I had collected from him, I thought about all he had done for the comic book community, and realized there wouldn’t be anything else we would get to see from this talented and creative man. And that thought bothered me. But that is how life works sometimes. I feel honored to have lived in a time where Darwyn Cooke existed, and changed the comic book medium with his thoughts and art.

So go out there and read something by this amazing man, and let it inspire you the way he inspired a generation of authors and artists now, and in the years to come.

Don’t Be A Stranger Part I

Greetings fellow mortals! I have recently embarked on a mystical journey through the fantastical realm of the good Doctor Steven Vincent Strange, and thought I would catalog my adventures for any fellow uninitiated Time Warpers who wish to become more familiar with his character. In this first installment of a continuing saga, I will briefly delve into the details regarding how the Stupendous Steve Ditko and Scintillating Stan Lee worked together to construct his character.

The year was 1963! After the successful launch of the Human Torch’s solo recurring series in Strange Tales, Ditko and Lee were working to create a character that would continue to boost sales and bring new readers to the magazine. Ditko answered the call of duty with Strange Tales #110, the first appearance of Doctor Steven Strange. In the story, a tormented man seeking a mystical solution to a terrifying recurring dream comes to Doctor Strange for answers. The story takes place in a universe where Doctor Strange’s magical powers and mystical teachers have already been established—his origin story was not revealed until a few months later with Strange Tales #115.

As Lee and Ditko became more familiar with the character his universe quickly became quite densely populated with characters, mythologies, and languages. Stan Lee tasked himself with creating spells that rang true to Doctor Strange’s persona and did not disrupt the rhythm of his character. Thus, by the hoary hosts of Hoggoth, Doctor Strange’s characteristic alliterative incantations were born. From the start Stan Lee was plagued with meticulously researched questions regarding the origins of some of these phrases and spells—but alas! They were plucked from Lee’s prolific and peerless mind. According to the man himself, “there’s always the chance that an alien power from some distant dimension had taken control of my senses when I started writing Dr. Strange. The reason I say that is—the spells must have come from somewhere. Perhaps I couldn’t have made them up. After all, if you’ve read all the stories, you know as well as I do, that they always work!”

But what of Steven Strange’s beginnings? In an eight-page story four issues after his first appearance, Lee and Ditko go on to reveal his origin.

Thus ends the first installment of Georgia’s Doctor Strangification! I will continue my journey into the magical worlds of Doctor Strange next week, turning my attention to his origin story as told in Strange Tales #115.

Having trouble understanding Multiversity: Pax Americana by Grant Morrison? You are not alone.

Time Warp Editorial

I am a fan of the writings of Grant Morrison, as are many of us here at Time Warp Comics. So you can imagine it was a bit disheartening to have read the latest issue of his epic Multiversity storyline and to have been left completely befuddled.

Come to find out, I wasn’t alone in thinking I might be an idiot for not having gotten the story. It appears many people out there were more than confused. If anything, I was at least entertained by the magnificent artwork of the truly astounding Frank Quitely, and thought I would leave it at that.

“It’s just another Grant Morrison comic I don’t understand, what’s new?”, I said aloud several times. I was particularly hard on myself, as I have read quite a great deal from Morrison, I at least understood the Batman: Rest in Peace storyline. So what was it about Multiversity: Pax Americana #1 that I couldn’t get?

As it turns out, there was a lot more involved with this one issue of a comic than I had thought.

To read the further details of how amazing this comic turned out, check out this awesome write up by Tom Callahan.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=57263

Then come in and pick up the Multiversity issues at Time Warp Comics, along with any other Grant Morrison title you might be looking for.

-Clayton

Time Warp Comics

Time Warp’s 30th Anniversary!

Time Warp is turning thirty this September, and we will be celebrating with some excellent sales, signings, and other promotional events! We know we wouldn’t be here without all the support we get from our wonderful customers so we want to give back to you with some great deals! All events and sales will begin soon and culminate with 24-Hour Comic Book Day (October 4th), so check our website regularly for more exciting information and updates!

Time Warp Comics is a Finalist for the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award!

Each year, Comic Con International honors Comic Book Retailers around the world with the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award.

Time Warp was nominated a couple of months ago, and we were given word today that we are now one of 12 finalists!

Here is a link to the San Diego Comic Con Website that has the full story of the award itself, the judges involved, and the other great stores that have made it the finalists round.

http://www.comic-con.org/toucan/will-eisner-spirit-of-comics-retailer-award-finalists-announced

Wayne’s Word #15

Hello Fellow Time Warpers !

This Saturday is one of my favorite times of the year, when we have a chance to show off our store and our hobby. Yes, it’s a business, and a hobby too. Of course I am speaking of Free Comic Book Day! As usual, we have a whole lot of great titles to choose from, I think 59 in all. (I didn’t order one sleazy adult title from Action Lab. My apologies.)

As usual, we’ll have free comics, helium balloons for the kids, people in costume, including some Star Wars 501st members. We will also have some cool movie swag to give away, including some Godzilla stuff (yay ) . Also there is a costume contest again for the kids , with prizes, and we’ll even do something for you grown ups in costume. Unfortunately, there are many events demanding the presence of the Star Wars 501st, so I don’t know which characters are coming or for how long. It’s also still a mystery if and when Colorado cars might show up and with what vehicles. They have brought the Ecto-1 and a jeep from Jurassic Park in previous years..We’ll keep our fingers crossed.

As usual, Stephen Tebo, my esteemed landlord and do gooder, has let us borrow his 1989 Batmobile! It’s always the main attraction, and stops traffic.The car should be available to view between 10-4p.m. Bring your cameras. Also, Nathan Cupps has agreed to come in his

very realistic Batman costume.

We will also be having some great sales this Saturday. We’ll have %10 Off Everything in the Store, the $1.00 Comics will be $0.50, and Back Issues will be %50 Off! For a complete list of all the FCBD titles available, check out freecomicbookday.com. We hope to see you there!

As soon as Free Comic Book Day is over this Saturday, it is full speed ahead for Denver Comic Con set up. I was disappointed in how late we got tickets to sell, but we finally have them.The lineup looks great, and I don’t think they have even announced all the guests yet. DCC and Comic Book Classroom should be here on Saturday to answer any of your questions.

Next up, I have mentioned that this year is going to be our 30th anniversary, and we will be having another signing in a couple of weeks. One of my favorite writers of all time —Drum Roll Please —Mr. Paul Levitz! Paul wrote many of the Legion Of Super Heroes stories over the years, and is currently writing World’s Finest featuring Power Girl and The Huntress. Keep an eye on our website and / or Fb page for more information. This is the biggest signing we have had in a long time, with one of my idols!

The other thing I wanted to bring to your attention was a couple of cool things DC Comics has coming out soon, The first are “ Bombshell Variant” covers coming in June. We can order as many of these as we want, and they will be sold at cover price. If you want to look at the images online, I guarantee you will be just as impressed as I am. I need your help here. I’m so confident that most people will want the Bombshell covers instead of the regular covers, that the order I place for two thirds Bombshell and one third regular will be accurate. The titles with the “Bombshell Variant” covers are :

Detective Comics #32

Green Lantern #32
Batgirl #32
Batman #32
Green Lantern Corps #32
Justice League United #2
Superman/Wonder Woman #9
Batman and Ra’s al Ghul #32
Batman/Superman #12
Harley Quinn #7
Batwoman #32
Action Comics #32
Justice League #32
Red Hood and the Outlaws #32
Wonder Woman #32
Aquaman #32
Catwoman #32
Justice League Dark #32
Superman #32
The Flash #32

“Catwoman” #32 Bombshell variant (L) and “Detective Comics”

Where I need your help is to know which cover you want saved for you in your file. If you would rather have the “Bombshell Variant” cover as opposed to the regular cover, feel free to let us know. So far, only a couple of people have jumped on this opportunity. I don’t want to assume.

DC’s next big thing is their next round of 3D lenticular covers. They were a huge hit during Villains month last September, and I think these will do better as they tie in with “Future’s End“

That title starts this week with the FCBD offering, and will continue weekly. Also now coming out weekly is Batman Eternal, and the last weekly will be World’s End. All three of these will continue until next March.

The problem here is that DC has to have our final numbers for the 3D covers in by May 29th, due to the long lead time needed to produce these covers. Again, I need your help. I don’t want to order too few, or for that matter, too many. Please let us know asap.

There were a couple of other titles of interest in the new previews magazine-

including: Big Trouble in Little China # 1 It is written by Eric “The Goon” Powell.

Infinity Man and the Forever People is a new DC inspired by the Jack Kirby series from the 70’s.

Star Trek : City On The Edge Of Forever Adapted by Harlan Ellison. The way this story was always supposed to be. My personal favorite episode.

Cartoon Network super Secret Crisis War #1 – Features everybody!

Outcast #1 is Robert Kirkman’s new labor of love, but the project is still pretty hush hush.

Wicked and Divine is a new Image title by the creative team of Young Avengers.

Original Sin is this summers new Marvel event. # 0 is already out, and I thought it was quite good.

Thanos : Infinity Revelation is a new hardcover by Jim Starlin for $24.95

Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide $29.95 for the softcover, or $35.00 for the hardcover. Choose the Batman cover by J.G. Jones, or the Vampirella cover by J.Scott Campbell.

That’s it for this month. May will be HUGE !!

Thanks for reading,

Wayne

Waynes Word #14

Happy New Year Time Warpers !

It’s the end of a very eventful 2013 that had many ups and downs. We really hope everyone who supports our store has a great year ahead, and we would also like to thank all of you , because we really wouldn’t be around if it wasn’t for you. The great employees of the store this year were much appreciated too. Thanks to Clayton, Smurf, Scott, Kris and Chris, Georgia, and newest hire Darren. Special thanks to Tyler , who is leaving us this week for greener pastures. We all wish him well, and know he’ll succeed in his new endeavor. Of course that means we have an opening. We’re looking for a computer nerd who wants to list items on our eBay store, for starters. The position would also need to keep our website updated, etc. Please bring in a resume if this interests you.We need to fill this position quickly, so don’t wait too long.

Since I haven’t done a newsletter in months, I’ve neglected to tell you about cool stuff out now or coming soon. I just finished our December order for comics etc, coming out in February. Here’s a few highlights !

Serenity :Leaves on the Wind # 1-6 Seems like there’s a lot of people out there who don’t know there is a sequel to the movie coming out starting in a couple of weeks. This should be a great series.
Lobster Johnson : Get Lobster # 1-5 by Mignola and Zonjic .Will be fun.
Justice League # 28 debuts DC’s new Metal Men. I really like the new designs and with Johns story and Reis art, this will be a sleeper. This should lead into a new MM series.
Sandman : Overture # 2 will finally be released at the end of February. # 1 was a huge hit by Gaiman and J.H. Williams.Still in stock !
The Fuse # 1 – Another new Image Comics # 1. It has gotten to the point that Image series have to all be ordered with great abandon, because you never know when the next hit will debut. Recently, titles such as Saga, East of West, Prophet,Lazarus,Velvet, Pretty Deadly and Black Science all have hit home runs, and all are best sellers for us. Image wins our publisher of the year hands down ! The Fuse is a new crime drama
.Undertow # 1 is a new Image also, featuring Atlantis and a pulp adventure. Underwater series have been a tough sell forever, but DC has recently shown it can be done well with it’s current series “The Wake “
Apocalypse Al # 1 – 4 is new from J. Michael Straczynski and Image.
Mercenary Sea #1 and One Hit Wonder # 1 round out Image’s other new releases. Another one, also scheduled to come out here in January is Deadly Class # 1 .Looks like it could be a huge hit too.
Wolverine # 1 – I don’t know why Marvel has to keep starting all their titles over with new # 1’s, but here we go again. The art by Ryan Stegman looks good.
Fantastic Four # 1 is by James Robinson and Leonard Kirk -Special guest star Fing Fang Foom.
Ms. Marvel # 1 – The new Muslim super hero . The cool thing about this title is that it is written by Boulder H.S. alumni G. Willow Wilson. I expect this to sell very well.
She- Hulk # 1– A lot of people are already signing up for this, so I guess this is going to be more popular than I thought it would be.
Winter Soldier: Bitter March # 1-5 – The star of the upcoming Captain America film.Rick Remender is writing this one.
Loki : Agent of Asgard # 1 – All grown up now, Loki is back to mischief making.
X- Force # 1 – Cable and his merry band of black -ops agents are back
Amazing Spider- Man : Family Business H.C. -$24.99 – Written by Mark Waid and James Robinson, and painted by Gabrielle Dell’Otto. Peter Parker has to be saved by – His sister ?

Top 10 Comics of 2013: This list features the best sellers from our store this past year

Batman Superman #1

Batman #16

Batman #17

Superman Unchained #1

Batman #18

Guardians of the Galaxy #1

Age of Ultron #1

Batman #19

Saga #14

Batman #20

Top 10 TP of 2013:

Saga TP Vol 1 (152) Total copies sold -Quite remarkable

Saga TP Vol 2 (107)

Prophet TP Vol 1 (61)

Batman TP Vol 1 (48)

Hawkeye TP Vol 1 (45)

East of West TP Vol 1 (39)

Walking Dead TP Vol 18 (35)

Walking Dead TP Vol 1 (34)

Batman Dark Knight Returns TP (32)

Sandman TP Vol 1 (30)

Prophet TP Vol 2 (30)

Nemo Heart of Ice HC (30)

Last but not least, I always like to mention what I’ve been reading this past year that I’m enjoying. As I’ve been saying every year, each year seems to top the previous year, as I firmly believe we’re living through a new Golden Age of greatness,

In no particular order :

Saga – There’s a good reason we’ve sold so many of these. We all really like it. I’ve given a money back guarantee, and haven’t had to give it back once. Fantastic story and art.

Image had an awesome year. East Of West is another of my favorite books, and again, most of us here really enjoy this, and anything Hickman writes as a general rule.

Prophet continues to be a best seller, especially the trades.

In general, as mentioned above, Image had quite a few breakout series, especially late in the year.

Pretty Deadly and Black Science appear to be the two biggies, although Sex Criminals just keeps selling out of multiple printings and made most Top Ten lists this year.

Manifest Destiny #1 has also taken the comics world by storm , as it has also gone to a third printing already. Walking Dead continues to be one of my favorite series of all time.

Marvel Comics was hit or miss for me this year.

Getting critical acclaim and mentions on everybody’s best of lists this year were Hawkeye and Daredevil.

However, they weren’t my favorites. Mine was Thor, featuring a” Godbomb” story written by Jason Aaron and painted by Esac Ribic. This series blew me away, and really is my favorite Thor story of all time. I also like Superior Spider- Man. I protested too much when this was announced, but now I can hardly wait for each new issue. All New X-Men has turned into a really great read every month too. It’s a really well told time travel epic.

Infinity was a great mini- series featuring the return of Thanos.Avengers vs. X- Men was good, as was Battle Of The Atom, a X-men event.

DC had a pretty rough year, but maintains to churn out great Batman stuff. The main title, written by Snyder and drawn by Capullo, continues to be our best selling comic month after month. Batman Black and White has been good.The Batman Inc. storyline cumulating in the death of Damien was heart wrenching.

Forever Evil is a mini series I’ve really been enjoying, and DC had a real coup de gras this September with their lenticular covers. All our customers were able to get what they wanted for cover price or less if they ordered in advance.( Despite DC screwing the pooch on the whole thing).

I continue to enjoy Justice League, but since Johns has left, Green Lantern is leaving me cold.

Another of my favorites, Fables, will be ending next year (Boo). Wake was my favorite Vertigo mini-series.

I had lots of other great reads this past year, but overall, my reading was down due to increased Denver Comic Con duties, a European vacation and that crappy flood, which took a huge toll on me, my staff and many customers.

Also high on my list were:

Afterlife With Archie, The Private Eye ( Digital only), Battling Boy by Paul Pope, Hellboy In Hell by Mignola, Jupiter’s Legacy and finally- Rocket Girl with great art by Amy Reeder.

I’m sure I’m forgetting some unfortunately, and the employees here all had their own personal favorites too of course. Ask them what were their favorites when you see them.

Thanks for reading,

Wayne Winsett

What Makes Comic Books So Great

Comic books are as popular as ever but why is it that fans just can’t seem to put them down? Perhaps comics teach us about our humanity or, maybe, we just enjoy them for the following reasons.

Right Vs Wrong

The interplay between good and evil, right and wrong, moral and immoral in comic books is fascinating. On the one hand, you have clear-cut examples of Zod trying to take over the world and Superman stepping in to protect the human race. That theme repeats itself in every universe multiple times. However, there are plenty of shades of gray, and comic book lovers respect this fact. Consider Batman, for example. He operates outside the law and sometimes in direct opposition to Commissioner Gordon, but comic book readers accept Gotham’s dark knight as the anti-hero that the city needs. Watchmen is a fantastic example of a graphic novel where the battle rages eternally. Never have superheroes been more human.

Fantasy
Of course, comic books are full of fantasy, and who does it better than Neil Gaiman? The other reinvented the Sandman and gave him seven siblings, known as The Endless. While The Sandman comics are undoubtedly dark, they do a wonderful job exploring mortality, relationships and concepts such as heaven and hell. The art is just as evocative. Fans are fortunate that Gaiman has returned to the drawing board to produce more Sandman stories.
Violence
Yes, sometimes of the appeal of a comic book is watching the good guy kick the butt of the bad guy, and there’s plenty of violence to go around. Batman once carried a gun, and Watchmen is gruesome to the extreme. The movie even did a fair job of depicting Rorschach’s insanity-driven violence, and who is a better example of gratuitous violence than the Joker? He kills indiscriminately, ending the life of one Robin, Jason Todd. Joker also put a bullet into Batgirl’s spine, causing her to become paralyzed for life in The Killing Joke, which we think tells a terrible tale terrifically.

Love
In comics, love doesn’t just exist in spite of darkness and violence. Sometimes love thrives because of it. This is the case in The Crow, the most popular indie comic title by James O’Barr. O’Barr wrote the graphic novel and illustrated it himself after his fiancé died in a car accident. The reader will feel a profound sense of loss as they move through the pages, many of which are in stark black and white. The Crow follows Eric after his fiancé is murdered and a mysterious force brings him back to seek vengeance. If you haven’t seen this film yet program your DVR tonight and don’t miss it. You don’t have a DVR yet check out these Direct TV offers and pick up the Genie.

The Good Guy Wins
Sometimes there’s nothing better than seeing the good guy win. It’s why we love Superman, the X-Men and Thor. It’s also why Daredevil has become so iconic. Not only is the character fighting for his city, but he also overcomes the odds to do so as a blind man. Daredevil: The Man Without Fear takes an already interesting character and makes him more compelling than you might have realized before. Brian Michael Bendis tells the story of a character who’s senses are heightened against a noir backdrop that perfectly fits the story.

Wayne’s Word #11

Hello everyone !

Going to be short and sweet this month. I have never had so much stuff going on at one time in my whole life as I do right now. Between working at the store , and helping with guests etc for the upcoming Denver Comic Con, I really don’t know whether I’m coming or going.Speaking of Denver Comic Con, we just announced Chris Ware recently. Tickets will be on sale at most comic stores( including here ) starting March 1st, and you will be able to receive discounts with no service charge fee. More details soon.I just got back from a retailer sales meeting called ComicsPro in Atlanta. There was a whole lot to digest, and I didn’t take the greatest notes, but I did have a couple of things from DC. The WTF campaign is still going to be happening, but it won’t be on the front cover. The gatefold covers will be cool though.DC is also bringing back Batman/Superman as an ongoing title. One of my favorite artists, Jae Lee will be doing the art. I was disappointed to hear that that DC has no reason to celebrate Superman’s 75 year anniversary this year. They apparently don’t want you to know how old he really is.There is going to be a Fables / Unwritten cross over.24 Hour Comic Book Day is now and forevermore the first Saturday in October.

IDW picked up the rights to Cartoon Network, so we’ll see Powerpuff girls and Samurai Jack again.More kids comics is a great thing as far as I am concerned.This week is a quick trip to Emerald City Comic Con on a guest hunt. One thing I need to mention is the shipments every Wednesday can be delayed due to weather. We’ve been really lucky so far this year, but that could change at any time. Check our website, www.time-warp.com or Wayne Winsett on facebook every Tuesday night or Wednesday morning for updates. I really have to just squeeze in a few upcoming titles that I need to bring to your attention, so here goes.

Check out:

Abe Sapien:Dark & Terrible #1- 3 Abe’s on the run from the B.P.R.D

Detective Comics #700 $7.99 This one is called “ Mystery of The 900 “ Celebrating # 900 ?

Batman : Lil Gotham #1 – For the kiddies

Batman :Black & White Statue -by Mike Allred $79.95

Jupiters Legacy # 1 – My number one pick this month ! Mark Millar writer and Frank Quitely artist ,four different covers. This will be the best selling Image title this month, which is saying something, as Image has been producing mega hit after mega hit these last few months.

Chin Music #1 New Image title with story by Steve Niles and art by Tony Harris – Supernatural mysticism .

Thanos Rising # 1-5 The origin we’ve been waiting for. Jason Aaron / Simone Bianchi production.

X-Men # 1 – An all- woman version. X- Women . X-Cellent !

Sesame Street #1 -A cool one for the little kiddies. Hard to believe this hasn’t happened before.

Adventure Time Original GN Vol 1– Playing Game $11.99.

Miss Fury #1 -A female warrior is transported from the past to fight in 2013.

Polarity #1 -Max Bemis from the band Say Anything with a bi-polar story and free song download.

Harbinger Wars # 1 will be a big Valiant event.

DC Superhero Chess pieces for the Batman set will end with the Question, but included in the package will be a free Superman piece from the next series.

Vaders Little Princess is by Denver Comic Con guest Jeffrey Brown.

Wayne’s Word #10

Welcome to 2013. Hope your year will be as great as you want it to be. I’m very excited about the prospects that this year can bring- with comics, related movies and of course the upcoming Denver Comic Con on May 31st, June 1st and 2nd.
2012 is now in the rear view mirror, and I want to thank everyone who supported Time Warp this past year. My pledge to you is to make sure we continue to be the best comic shop we can be .
I’m going to start up our 50% off all back issues for a post- Christmas special. We are simply running out of room in the back issue boxes. These prices are effective immediately and will continue for a few weeks. It doesn’t include the bronze or silver age books for now. I’m also getting out the sale price gun on many other items in our store such as action figures, etc. We also have a new addition to the Pinball machines in the back of the store with the X-Men game that was limited to only 250 produced. Come by and try it out, it’s a very fun machine.

We are taking job applications presently for an eBay specialist . I’m sure this position won’t be open long. I always hire customers familiar with our product, so I’m giving our awesome file holders first crack at this position!

I just finished ordering our product for February 2013. I noticed some really cool titles I want to tell you about. If anything here sounds good to you, please let us know and we’ll order it for you.
Thanks for reading,
Wayne
and the Time Warp crew – Clayton, Tyler,Scott, Smurf, and Chris
Special thanks to Kahlil for helping out in the Christmas rush.

●Star Wars #1 up .With Lucasfilm being a Disney property now, it looks like Dark Horse’s license will expire after this year. Too bad really, DH has done an unbelievable job of keeping Star Wars relevant for a long time. This new series is written by Brian Wood. Alex Ross is doing the covers.

●Before Watchmen: Dollar Bill #1 -This one shot will feature art by Steve Rude.

●Justice League of America #1 -This comic will come with 53 different covers. A truly bizarre idea that DC is trying. Every state will have it’s own cover. Since I received no feedback from customers, I just had to guess which cover to order. I split the oder 50 / 50 between the regular cover and the Colorado State Flag. The theme of the covers is the iconic Iwo Jima flag from World War II . This current roster consists of Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Stargirl,Catwoman, Katanna and Vibe. Geoff Johns is writing it and David Finch is drawing it. If you want any of the other State covers, please let us know by next Monday. Cover price is $3.99 each.

●Katanna #1 and Justice League’s Vibe #1’s. I haven’t a clue how many to order on these titles. Please let us know if you’re interested, I’ll order quite low and hope DC has the faith to keep them in stock.

●Action Comics #17 is the last issue of the series to be written by Grant Morrison. If you don’t want to receive it in your file when he leaves, let us know now so I can trim my order please.

●Batman #17 and Detective #17 continue the best selling Death of the Family storyline.

●Green Lantern begins the storyline “Wrath of the First Lantern” and will be in all the GL titles for a couple of months.

●Young Romance: New 52 Valentine’s Day Special #1- $7.99 – Six all new stories!

●Batman TP Vol 1 Court of Owls finally out in softcover March 20th

●Hellblazer #300 is the final issue. Next month DC will unveil Constantine #1 in regular DC continuity.

●Batman Arkham City Series 4 action figures – Deadshot, Nightwing, Batman and Talia $22.95 each.

●Ghostbusters #1 and G I Joe #1 are new continuing series from IDW Publishing

●Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time # 1-3 will feature all 11 Doctors.

●Star Trek: Countdown to Darkness #1 is a prequel to next summer’s movie.

●Fever Ridge Macarthur Jungle War #1-8 has art by Colorado’s own Nick Runge, one of my favorite artist’s.

●Snapshot #1 is a new Image title with art by Jock!

●Guardians of the Galaxy # 0.1 takes place before next month’s #1 This is a Bendis / McNiven production. Marvel Cosmic Comics return!

●Nova #1 Sam Alexander is the new Human Rocket! This is a Loeb / McGinness production.

●Fearless Defenders #1 Not your father’s Defenders. Not the regular cast of characters, I won’t have many on the shelf.

●Secret Avengers #1 Not sure why this one is starting over, Nick Spencer is writing it . We will file it the same, unless you don’t want it anymore, if that’s the case, please let us know asap.

●Savage Wolverine #1, and 2 are coming soon. This series will be highlighted by the art of Frank Cho, one of my favorite artists. Guest starring Shanna the She Devil!