Percy Carey's Comic Book Corner: BOOM! Studios

Our resident comic book columnist spent the last month getting to know the crew behind one of his favorite publishing companies.

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[Each Wednesday, Complex columnist Percy Carey a.k.a. MF Grimm dives into the world of comic books with industry interviews, reviews and more.]

BOOM! Studios was founded in 2005 by Ross Ritchie and Andrew Cosby, the creator of the Sci-fi show Eureka. I must say, they've assembled one hell of a team. I had the opportunity to hang out with them for the entire month of January of 2009 at Meltdown Comics, and I must say I'm very impressed with the entire company from the owners to the chief to the staff...

I normally have trouble with the mind set of the comic book publishers that I'm around because I feel like they don't have enough brilliant minds to do real business; you're lucky if you have one or two people who can actually think and are not scared to make a decision on their own. BOOM! is like a family and the closest bond I can think of outside being a marine; they actually care about each other and they also break the golden rule of comic book publishers....Yes ladies and gentleman...they care about their customers!... oh, the nerve of them.

Yes, in the age of comics where most disrespect the reader, and separate the company from the consumers who put money in their pocket, BOOM! actually cares about what the customer thinks and even goes the extra mile to meet and greet customers at local comic book stores to discuss comic books (or even sports if you like). I'm talking about from the owners of BOOM! to every last employee. To tell you the truth, I despise the majority of comic book publishing companies because they're run by fake people that are so out of touch with today's reader that they're bound to go out of business sooner than later.

As you see what's going on in the market lately, most of them are saying bye bye, but not BOOM!. Especially with marketing grandmaster Chip Mosher; Chip is the real deal and the most down to earth person you'll ever have the chance to meet in the comic book industry. Chip has the ability to stay many steps ahead of the market and still has time to teach others. One other thing about BOOM! Is that they all have a background in retail...no wonder they're so good at that thing called um...what is called again?...oh yeah, business! Business is like Bigfoot in the comic book industry, always heard of it but never actually seen it.
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As for Mark Waid, what can you say? I was like a little kid around him. I had the chance to talk one on one about the planet Krypton and everything Superman with him, the only person with the title Brainiac 6; and anyone who knows me knows that it was a dream come true. I'm proud to call them a comic book publishing company and I'm a loyal supporter. Matt, Paul, Ian, Mark, Ross, Chip and the rest of the crew, thank you for making me feel like part of The BOOM! Family and keep up the good work. By the way, it is true'Mark Waid is Evil!

But find out for yourself, go to his website he will tell you why I said it. www.markwaid.com www.boom-studios.com

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CLICK NEXT TO SEE PERCY'S NEW RELEASE PICKS OF THE WEEK!

 

DROP IT LIKE IT'S HOT...
Percy Carey picks the hottest releases from the week of 1/28/09
[Assisted by comicbookpage.com]

percy_gothamaftermid9.jpgBATMAN GOTHAM AFTER MIDNIGHT #9 (OF 12)

Written by Steve Niles
Art and Cover by Kelley Jones

The new year starts off with a bang as the villainous Midnight strikes throughout Gotham City, killing those he deems corrupt - which, in Gotham, is almost everybody. But knowing that he can't defeat The Dark Knight, Midnight instead targets those who are close to him. And neither Batman, nor Bruce Wayne, can stop the madman!

32 pg, FC, $2.99
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percy_wonderwomanaudiocd.jpgDC COMICS WONDER WOMAN MYTHOS AUDIO CD

From Graphic Audio! A Movie in your Mind! Mysterious events in the Bermuda Triangle propel Wonder Woman on a desperate search for the truth behind the disappearance of a diver near Themyscira, home of the legendary Amazons.
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percy_ferryman5.jpgFERRYMAN #5 (OF 5)

Written by Marc Andreyko
Art and Cover by Jonathan Wayshak

Everything has been leading up to this moment! Will Gideon side with the angels or throw away his last chance at salvation? Extreme carnage and double-crosses abound as all our major players face off! And speaking of facing off, wait until you see the true visage of the diabolical Mr. Webster! From the mind of uber-producer Joel Silver (Matrix, V for Vendetta)!

32 pg, FC, $3.50
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percy_sinestrofig.jpgSINESTRO 1/6 SCALE DELUXE COLLECTOR FIGURE

A face of metal and flesh shall speak of the secrets of the 52.Fear will rise. Willpower will gather. And a war of light will unlesash the truth behind the power of the ring.' - Book of Oa, Green Lantern (vol. 4) #20 After untold millennia, the Weaponers of Qward, Ranx the Sentient City, the Children of the White Lobe, and the Empire of Tears will rise united against the Green Lantern Corps. This is Sinestro's hope. This is the Sinestro Corps. This 1:6 SCale deluxe collector figure of Green Lantern's number one enemy is dressed in his new, intricately designed and authentically detailed fabric costume and also carries a yellow lantern power battery to charge his fear-fueled yellow power ring! Packaged in a deluxe 4-color window box with a fifth panel, this 14' tall figure also comes with extra sets of hands and a display stand.

$89.99
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percy_artofwatchmen.jpgWATCHMEN ART OF THE FILM HC

Written by Peter Aperlo

Discover how director Zack Snyder (300) and his crew faithfully recreated for the silver SCreen the intricately detailed world and characters of the legendary Hugo award-winning graphic novel, Watchmen! From the New York City of an alternate 1985 to the surface of Mars, this stunning hardcover book celebrates the movie's unique and multi-layered design. Fans can pore over scores of production designs, set photos, costume sketches, storyboards and other pieces of conceptual art!

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