Barney's Version

Finished reading it today. I have a much longer post about how in my late teens and early to mid twenties, I enshewed most Canadian authors, mocking them for their provincial blinders; their addiction to stories of Ukranians settling the West and half-Matis girls dealing with pre-mature ejaculation. It was a fairly reasonable argument, chocked full of quotes and snearing reviews.

So, like most young men, I was a punk. Looking to impress anyone I had a shot at penetrating. The problem was I tuned out of Canadian literature about the same time everyone else tuned in. I wasn't just a punk, but I was an ignorant, arrogent one.

I also missed an extremely good book from a writer I've loved since I was three. The worst part about getting older is being constantly embarassed by the snot you used to be.

It is being made into a movie with Paul Giamatti and Minnie Driver. Even if they butcher it, I totally support this.

The Return to Collecting

So, I think I'm going to re-activate my sadly defunct comic box back at LA Moods in London. I've been talking with them, and they're willing to send me a package of what I want every month and bill me. Also looking into the possibility of direct subscriptions, depending on the prices and payment issues.

The question that arises is that I've been pretty much collecting trades only for the last five years or so. In fact, Morrison was just starting on the X-Men when finances forced me to abandon monthly comics, which means I'm woefully out of date on what's out there and good.

I'm looking for suggestions of what to put on the list - which is pretty much just X-Men, Uncanny X-Men and X-Factor right now - that are worth following. The cavaet is I'm not looking for monthly Vertigo (they release everything via trade and I prefer that), and no established DC books. I'm sure Green Arrow or the Batbooks are good, but I'm strictly a tourist on the DC side with a very limited knowledge of canon. I'd be most interested in either interesting new series from some of the smaller companies like Image or Avatar, or newer monthly titles from DC & Marvel that I can go from the concept start. No knock against Thunderbolts, but I hate jumping in mid-point. No manga please. Not a judgement call or anything, but I'm just not interested.

Also cracked out my comic boxes to look at filling in gaps. Where do people trust for back-issues online? I've got plenty of brick and mortor shops for normal collecting, but is there a good back issue seller on-line that isn't a general auction site like eBay?