Aha! This is the best rating system I've ever heard of: fractional ASB's.

Yes! I intend to make use of this!
Roscoe | Email | Homepage | 12.28.07 - 1:20 am | #

I think I've found the problem with your new rating system. That being that ASBAR sucks donkey balls...
LurkerWithout | Email | Homepage | 12.28.07 - 2:07 am | #

You know, Sterling, after hating ASBAR # 1 with a passion, I decided to reconsider and read another issue.

It still is horrible. It's Frank Miller flipping the bird and saying, "I don't f*****g care anymore." It says, "I hate my audience. I hate myself. I'm more willing to put out hackery and crap than actually try to put together a decent comic."

Yes, I know the Miller's-only-giving- fandom-what-it-wants argument; quite frankly, he can't even do that well.

I know taste is relative...but come on, Mike. You know better. You like Swamp Thing fer cryin out loud....
Gordon | Email | Homepage | 12.28.07 - 2:31 am | #

It's things like this system that makes me love Mike Sterling more than my own mother.
Kevin Church | Email | Homepage | 12.28.07 - 6:46 am | #

I'm with you on the Ultimates, Mike. I thought the last issue of Ultimates 2 was .95 asb, myself. Just a near-perfect wrap-up of all the loose ends, with nearly every panel its own gloriously stupid epic summer blockbuster.

Then Ult 3 comes out and ugh. Is having all the staples in place really worth .01 asb? I'd go negative, myself.
Chance | Email | Homepage | 12.28.07 - 7:35 am | #

The pinnacle of comic book excellence is spending 4 issues not leaving the car? Each issue coming out more delayed than the last?

You're right on about Ultimates 3 though.
g23 | Homepage | 12.28.07 - 8:29 am | #

Would that make Immortal Iron Fist a 0.98 on the All-Star Batman scale? And if Ultimates 3 #1 is a 0.01 then where is the new X-Force relaunch destined to end up? So many questions.

If there's any justice, we can only hope that the ASBAR scale replaces CGC grading. "I just got my ASM #248 ASBAR graded with a 0.95! It's worth 20 times as much now!" I suppose that's too much to ask.
Michael | Email | Homepage | 12.28.07 - 9:15 am | #

Speaking of comics that "only exist for DC Multiverse continuity fanboys," I bought Countdown: Arena based on your kind words here and am enjoying it immensely — it's big, dumb and fun — so here's to you Mike Sterling!
Chad Anderson | Email | 12.28.07 - 12:40 pm | #

Damn you! What's the M-Vest theory?!
Ben | 12.28.07 - 1:58 pm | #

Admit it Mr. Sterling, you dig on Arena for the "I'm the goddamn Green Lantern" line.
Noah Nelson | Email | 12.28.07 - 2:38 pm | #

Mike: You know I love you, but just as science fiction has transcended lightspeed, so too has Frank Miller transcended Frank Miller. It's called DK2 my friend.
Chris | Email | Homepage | 12.28.07 - 4:57 pm | #

Frank Miller hates me, but damn it I can't stop lovin' dat man! I especially love his variant covers where everyone looks like junkies and/or whores.

Mike Sterling = 1.1asb
philip | Homepage | 12.28.07 - 5:57 pm | #

I'm going to appropriate this scale to describe comics that are so frigging terrible they become awesome, 1ASB being the pinnacle of that phenomenon, whether it's intentional, accident or insult.
David Cutler | Email | 12.28.07 - 8:02 pm | #

I'm just going to file ASBAR under "Things people who I normally respect think are cool, but in five years time they'll be agreeing with me about it utterly sucking ass" alongside "The Family Guy" and all episodes of "The Simpsons" after Season 10...
LurkerWithout | Email | Homepage | 12.29.07 - 2:53 am | #

Lurker, don't worry, five years from now we'll still think it's the hot shit.
Kid Chris | Homepage | 12.29.07 - 6:32 am | #

I think that's an awfully genrous review of Ultimates 3 with 0.01asb
Gyuss Baaltar | Email | Homepage | 12.29.07 - 7:02 am | #

So, what's Nextwave get?
Bret | 12.29.07 - 8:09 am | #

Bret - Nextwave is a solid 0.92asb.
Mikester | Homepage | 12.30.07 - 12:24 am | #