@@americolopes6400 I’d be quite ok with that and think it would look pretty amazing!

@@bunkmastab I’m definitely now a fan of his work! I was actually down for the count most of today with a cold/fever and I actually finished reading Man’s Best digitally. It was definitely…a choice…to read it while not in the best frame of mind. I loved it, but at the same time I don’t fully know what to make of it! Looking forward to reading it again. Some truly awe inspiring panel layouts! Will be looking forward to hearing your reaction to the series when the time comes!! Have you taken the plunge on any of the original pages yet?

@@CarlsCollection are they available? Jesse used to be repped by Cadence and we obviously know what happened there. Is be on with a new rep? I kept waiting first for Arca pages, then these

@@bunkmastab He is with a new rep, one I wasn’t familiar with until the other night. He is repped through a place called The Artists Bullpen. www.theartistbullpen.com

@@CarlsCollection Appreciate it! I'm not in Instagram or Facebook or Twitter so I've had a tough time seeing where the Cadence diaspora has ended up

You’re so right! I was so eager to start talking about the story & interiors I completely forgot to mention his killer cover! Can you tell how conflicted this title is for me? Usually the art without question carries it to the point where I don’t even care about the story. This issue was particularly talky which made my disinterest in the story hard to avoid. Still though, as always…their work is beautiful!

Happy to help! I’m sure there may be a way to get his hand to stay, but that thumb trick works just fine for me!

Huzzah for spoiler free! I usually tend to wait awhile before posting to CAF but then sometimes I just forget, that Duke DPS was a case of that for sure! Glad someone appreciated the Clerks reference! “Did he just say making f**k?” 😂

Thanks for the kind words! I actually do have the Steel figure, it’s on the desk just off camera. Didn’t want to pick it up and cause the dreaded figure avalanche 😂 It is indeed a nice one! By far my favorite of the Reign of Superman figures they’ve released (he is the only one of the 4 I actually picked up).

Haha exactly!! Put the call out!! Preorder your copy!! We want more Manix!!

@@ffiiggyy Awesome! Thanks for the confirmation! It most certainly looks like a great classic Supes so it was a smart choice for aesthetics alone! Proportions are right & not too beefy like some of the other McFarlane Supes figures. This one seems story appropriate & looks quite nice on display!

@@patman01 It’s not something you can sign up for. They list one every Monday at a random time so there is certainly a big element of luck involved. Here is the link to the grab bag page www.capulloart.com/product/grab-bag?v=920f83e594a1

@@CarlsCollectionthanks. I am from the Philippines so i am usually asleep when things drop hehe

@@moogle_k honestly not sure, I snagged this one from eBay. Shipped from Hong Kong.

Now, if only it looked like the Grummet art too…now that would be something even cooler! Still though, a fun one for the collection!

Thanks! I completely agree, it does exactly what I’d want it to do…Look good on display!

Thanks Tom! I seriously try to be much pickier these days, but man…sometimes something like this comes out and it’s a no brainer perfect fit for the collection! McFarlane is doing some really cool DC related toys!

Thanks so much, was really excited to get ahold of these! The Duke series is a great place to start if interested at all in the GI Joe side of things, and that is out in tpb already. Transformers is really fun, but not required reading if you just want to focus on GI Joe.

@@marcuswai A Marcus original, all while he attends SDCC?!? I’m honored! Yooooo Marcus!

Thanks Ruben, revisiting these childhood properties in a new way has been lots of fun for sure. The cover was one that definitely spoke to me when I first saw the solicitation, and when priced fairly it made it tough to pass up on.

Thanks CJ, much appreciated! Oh and yeah, a machine that can’t stop spending money! 🤦‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️😂

Thanks Tom! I’ve seen some pics you’ve shared of parts of your Joe collection and it’s impressive! I always loved the cartoon & had so many of the toys! There is even the infamous (within my family) story of the time my brother broke the Bridge Layer over my head. Ahhh…brothers. So yeah, Joe sparks all kinds of nostalgia within me and I’ve been having a blast with these comics! A different take for sure, but one I’m quite enjoying!

I don’t disagree but I feel like I have to ask you to elaborate! 😂

Ahhh ok perfect! Thanks for that info! Love to hear Aaron is on writing duties as the artists rotate! Do you know if this is a continued continuity from the previous IDW run? I only read some of the earliest issues from that one.

@@CarlsCollection I only read the first 2 IDW hardcover collections so I'm not entirely sure, but from what I've heard it's a soft reboot, so same Turtles that kicked off the Waltz and Eastman run but not being super continuity heavy. And also, how are you saying you're not excited about the other Turtles series launching with this one? It's like a new Triangle era and we all know how you feel about the Triangle era of Supes!

@@bunkmastabHaha I know right? Even I felt like I sounded like a hypocrite after watching what I said back. I think it’s me holding on hope that I can somehow read the things I want all on an average of $20 a week. While I’m sure the other titles will interest me too, I also find it very appealing when editorial focuses on making one core series very strong, building up a readership naturally before relying on multiple titles to tell the story. As it stands with the Energon Universe, which I see as multiple properties (as opposed to TMNT as a single one) it still averages out to a title a week, and ultimately that is quite manageable. So yeah…as long as they are solid, I can certainly see myself jumping onto the other titles too. Any annoyance by multiple titles is just me not wanting to spend too much on comics. Funnily, I debate the $3.99 purchases more than the “gotta grab it now before it’s lost to a black hole” original art pages that all cost so much more. 🤷🏻‍♂️🤦‍♂️

Frankenstein is next on the release schedule & you know I’m pumped for that one!!

I very much heard Serpentor’s voice! 😂

There will be some vendors online that will have it once released too, if a local option isn’t going to work. So copies will be out there for sure!

Thanks John! It’s definitely been getting back into the weekly visit to a comic shop thanks to this new shop opening up very close to me! I think you described the ideal reading setting for Dracula for sure! Definitely not on a Sunny summer day! As for Dick Tracy… 😂

Thanks man, I appreciate that!! While I love receiving new art (who doesn’t), this one felt incredibly special! A fun journey, & a poignant way to receive my last commission from Ramona!

Thanks Rick! I felt the same way, very appreciative of how this all came together!

@@comicjourney I definitely enjoyed the art in the adaptation, the movie was a train wreck.

@@comicjourney They really are an affordable way to get your hands on a actual hand painted piece that was part of the production process. They also look great framed and on a wall!

From the what’s been said, it both is and isn’t a reboot. It sounds like all of the titles will feature new creative teams and new stories acting as jumping on points. In addition they will introduce a separate Earth where new versions of Batman, WW & Superman (to start) will be introduced. Those will be new/alternate versions, much like Marvel’s Ultimate Universe so I’d imagine their origins will be slightly altered. I hope it’s a success & finds its audience, it’s just hard for me to get all that excited about it.

@@CarlsCollection ANOTHER earth? Not for me, that's for sure....

Yeah…I mean on one hand i think a self contained new take on the characters could be fun, I just don’t really have interest in reading multiple books to get a whole story on a new Earth.

Thanks CJ! Always fun when a piece has a great story behind it!!

Thanks Kavi! Really enjoyed sharing the story of this one! Nice on the pieces you have, the Marvel characters by her hand are by far much more rare than their DC counterparts! I have one color piece and come to think of it, this may be my only inked by her hand piece as well. Most of what I have is either pure pencils, or published work that was inked by someone else!

Thanks so much Danny!

It was a shock when Scott first showed me! Talk about the surprise of all surprises, the request had always felt a bit like “the one that got away” I loved what she initially delivered, but always had this type of layout in the back of my head as one I’d have loved to see her tackle. I feel very fortunate to have this one find its way here! As is often the case, it’s all about the story!

Thanks Tom! Yeah, I need to get this one properly displayed for sure!

Hope it was a fun one! I was definitely excited to get this one opened!

Such an undeniable charm! Her art taps directly into that silver age greatness!

Thanks my friend! Full suit of armor and swinging a giant hammer? I’m in! The movie still gives me a good chuckle (even though I don’t think that was their intended reaction) 😂

It’s just nice to see the properties handled with care and purpose. I was big into the original GI Joe cartoon & toys, as well as the comic series. There really hasn’t been anything good done with the property for about 30 years in my opinion, so it’s definitely refreshing to see how these characters can work in a more modernized setting. The movies have been…forgettable. I think what interests me most about the TF comic is the heart at the center of it. Sure it’s crazy & has some plot holes but man oh man is it fun! As for that Spidey sketch, I agree it’s a really fun one! He puts a lot into his warmup pieces and many come out looking incredible! I’ll have to check out your Ottley!

I feel like my 2024 art buys have largely centered around the Energon Universe, I have a few other things in the works & on the way. Some which may or may not feature said virtual fist bump worthy character! He has always been one of favorites from the world of GI Joe!. The Joe books have all pretty much nailed my understanding of each of the characters, and in the case of Duke, gave me a reason to actually root for this guy!! I enjoyed hearing your take on the first arc of Transformers as well by the way! I’m falling a bit more on the fanboyish side of things with that series since I wasn’t as steeped in the lore of TF. The art on the 2nd arc has been great too!

I keep telling myself this time buying weekly comics will be different…this time I’m going to stay disciplined…this time I’m going to read them all…this time WILL be different! Let’s see how long this lasts…

How many rings you got?

Reach out to Josh at Modern Mythology Comic Art, some of the Duke pages are on the site! He’s always easy to deal with! Also, congrats on the commission. What did you have him do?

@@CarlsCollection Yeah was looking at some of those Duke page before, or even some of his Marvel work. A few years back i commissioned Tom for a Daredevil and Black Widow piece.

@@anthonyt1709 Oh very cool! I may have seen that one! I think I’ve seen two different ones over the years, but I’m guessing one was yours! Congrats!

Energon is what powers the Transformers. It’s their fuel of choice. Not sure though why it was chosen as the name for the whole universe other than Cobra, in this universe is also using Energon to fuel their weapons. GI Joe & Transformers both just hit me in the nostalgic feels, and as we know, many of us art collectors are fueled by Nostalgia (not Energon). Those warm up sketches are wonderful, especially that Spidey one. I do hope one day we see Tom tackle a Spidey book as every time he draws him, it’s phenomenal!

@@CarlsCollection Thanks for the Energon explanation, Carl. 👍

It was a store exclusive from a shop called Gotham City Limit, print run of 300. It’s still available on their site for cover price, $16.99. I loved the DWJ group shots so to see this one available with the Decepticons…had to grab it!

@@CarlsCollection Thank you so much! I just ordered one. Its a must have!

@@rideeverydayfotos952 Happy to help! Glad it was still available, kind of surprised by that honestly, it’s a killer cover piece!

Ha! Had a feeling you might have something to say about that Cyclops sketch! What’s better than a Cyclops sketch? A 2 for 1 Special!

Great haul. Transformers is a fun book! The robots have more personality than stoic soldiers right now. Look how many mini series they need to build GI Joe around the Transformers title.

To be fair, I tend to not buy DC titles because I am subscribed to their digital service (to read the older stuff) and they add the newly published stuff a few months after they hit stands. I can wait. I did pick up the issue though and take a look! Love Eddy’s work but very much prefer Eber Ferreira as his inker. Miki is great over Capullo & on grittier stories.

@@marcuswai TF has been incredibly fun. I also love how they are approaching GI Joe, the relationships between the factions are a bit more complex. Hell, there are multiple factions within Cobra that can’t stand each other. Plus, they need to take time to build the characters, they can’t just kill them off like they can in TF. Bots can be repaired when they are needed for a story again.

@@CarlsCollection I'm just yanking your chain, and yeah, I know you have the digital subscription as well. But it takes them a few months to add new releases? Ugh.....