I thought you turned off hotlinking?
Dorian | Email | Homepage | 09.13.05 - 10:59 am | #

I did...doesn't stop people from trying, though.
Mikester | Homepage | 09.13.05 - 11:54 am | #

I happen to have a few issues of Triumphant's Riot Gear here. Their "shared universe" was more low-rent space opera-ish than superheroish despite Chromium Man being about a soldier who could turn into metal. But it was all rubbish and it still tanked and joined the rest of other "shared universes" which seemed to either crash and burn in a messy fashion or just suddenly vanish after releaseing a few issues, like Axis Comics did.
thorpe | 09.13.05 - 3:16 pm | #

Damn, that Thriumphant thing was another of those concepts that sounded much better in Comics Scene than it did on the shelves...

(Even Youngblood sounded interesting in Comics Scene.
Martin Wisse | Email | Homepage | 09.13.05 - 3:29 pm | #

I just got a WHOLE PENNY for Deathmate Black on eBay. Which works out to paying to get rid of it. Which is fine.

I looked at the Deathmate covers... I had forgotten about the "kewl" Solar guy with the ponytail and leather jacket.
Mark H. | Homepage | 09.13.05 - 4:41 pm | #

...almost forgot to mention DC's other shock and awe sales ploy (next to killing superman), and another note from the trumpet that heralded the beginning of the end: bane vs. batman...

(oh, well, we killed superman...guess we oughtta do something to batman now, huh?)
phil | Homepage | 09.13.05 - 5:30 pm | #

(oh, well, we killed superman...guess we oughtta do something to batman now, huh?)

And that's pretty much how they promoted it, wasn't it?
RobB | Email | Homepage | 09.13.05 - 6:20 pm | #

Turok #1 seems to have been released in July 1993, eight months or so after Superman #75. Though there was definitely a "hot" Valiant comic that came out on the same day--I believe it was Rai #0. I remember standing in line for hours (because the UPS truck was late) at "Ball Cards and Comic Books" to buy both.
Gardner | Email | Homepage | 09.13.05 - 6:21 pm | #

Actually, wanna know who killed comics?

It was Ron Perelman. In the hall. With the revolver.

Now I'm gonna go home and Sleep with my wife...
Dan Coyle | Email | 09.13.05 - 7:52 pm | #

Gardner - I did a little research to supplement my aging brain, and you are correct...Superman #75 came out in late November, and Turok came out several months later. I'll probably have more to say about this when I'm not dog-tired.

Dan - any man who quotes the Clue movie is okay in my book.
Mikester | Homepage | 09.13.05 - 11:25 pm | #

I really, really wish Valiant had stayed Shooter's baby and not gone down the road of speculation to the bitter end. I liked Magnus Robot Fighter, Solar, Rai,
Harbinger and Archer and Armstrong.
Martin Wisse | Email | Homepage | 09.14.05 - 1:50 am | #

How could I forget about that other, other, other shared universe comic publisher, Continuity. Neal Adams. Totally unispired books like Cyberrad, Crazyman and Megalith, and Ms. Mystic. There were problems with late books, what some people thought were lame excuses for said lateness, and crapiness of books, plus Deathwatch 2000, the Continuity stab at a multi-title crossover, which also had two "zero" issues.
thorpe | 09.14.05 - 4:02 am | #

I think the totally awesome Bloodshot (the name ensured potential buyers that the book would be chock-full of gritty realism) might have come out on the same day as Superman 75, but I'm not sure.

The original Valiant comics were pretty cool though. X-O was good for about 15 issues or so, and Hard CORPS was fun for a little while. I think the biggest problem with Valiant was the hallowed "in-house style", which basically stated that all Valiant books must look like they were drawn by an ape trying to imitate Barry Windsor Simth.

I'm pretty sure this was Bob Layton's idea....
ninjak | 09.14.05 - 4:44 am | #

That was an expensive vase, you bitch!

Now am I OK in your book, Mike?
RobB | Homepage | 09.14.05 - 8:11 am | #

Not to take ANYTHING away from Gary Groth, but it's an Oscar Wilde quote: "The cynic knows the price of everything and the value of nothing."
Joanna | Email | 09.17.05 - 4:19 pm | #

Joanna - ulp, you're right. Oscar Wilde's said it all before, hasn't he?
Mikester | Homepage | 09.17.05 - 8:56 pm | #