Comic Book Candy

 If only the Teen Titans were this much fun (mash-up by Cliff Chiang )  That headline will either make you roll your eyes and loudly sigh, or you are eagerly awaiting to hear about new books treading familiar coming-of-age territory. You can count me in the latter category! I've always enjoyed melodramatic adolescent adventures, whether in early seasons of Buffy or between the pages of Invincible . But as the average age of comic book readers has climbed higher, the need to appeal to teen readers has declined. Beloved characters have grown up as well; Spidey falls somewhere between 20-something and young professional, the X-Men have been teachers longer than they've been students, and the original Teen Titans have opted to drop the Teen. Even the once young Robin has taken on Batman's role in the past year. The newer generation of teen-centric titles are scarce compared to yesteryear, not to mention the fact that they've seen a noticeable drop in quality an...

Challengers as seen on the much warmer 24 Hour Comics Day this past October. (This post is part of an ongoing series where I attempt to visit every single comic book store within Chicago city limits. You can read more about the project here! ) Location: 1845 N Western Ave #2R in Bucktown Public Transit: Nearest buses are the Western (49) and Milwaukee (56), nearest train is the Western blue line. Hours: Monday through Friday: 11:00 to 7:00 Saturday and Sunday: 11:00 to 5:00 Website: http://www.challengerscomics.com Challengers Comics + Conversation presented a uniquely complicated task for Retail Therapy. My history with the owners makes me a little more than biased. I worked for co-owner Patrick Brower for several years before he opened Challengers, and I have remained close friends with him since. When my husband and I wanted to have a Star Trek theme wedding , Pat offered to officiate and host the nuptials inside of Challengers. How can I possibly talk about this comi...

(This post is part of an ongoing series where I attempt to visit every single comic book store within Chicago city limits. You can read more about it here !) Location: 2641 N Kedzie in Logan Square Public Transit: Nearest buses are the Diversey (76) and Milwaukee (56); Nearest train is the Blue line Logan Square stop. Hours: Monday: 12-7 Tuesday: 12-7 Wednesday: 12-8 Thursday: 12-7 Friday: 12-8 Saturday: 12-7 Sunday: 12-6 Website: www.g-mart.com G-Mart Comic Books has flown under my radar for several years, and I suspect that may be the case for many Chicago comic book fans. Geographically, it is not easy to get to for a Northsider like myself. Located in Logan Square, it took a good hour to reach, and even when I was in the neighborhood, I still managed to miss it despite being across the street. After wondering too far down Kedzie, I stopped at a local 7-11 and asked the employees if they knew where the comic book store G-Mart was located. Befuddled looks then led t...

(This post is part of an ongoing series where I attempt to visit every single comic book store within Chicago city limits. You can read more about it here! ) Location: 3244 N Clark in Lakeview Public Transit: Nearest buses are the Clark (22); Nearest train is the Belmont Red/Brown/Purple line stop. Hours: Monday: 12-8 Tuesday: 12-8 Wednesday: 12-8 Thursday: 12-8 Friday: 12-10 Saturday: 11-10 Sunday: 12-6 Website: www.chicagocomics.com I can still remember my first trip to Chicago Comics when I was a teenager visiting from the suburbs of Dayton, Ohio. This was not your small town comic book store. I was blown away by the many remarkable items on display; kitschy collectibles adorned with pulp pin ups, patches and pins, art books I'd never seen before, comics I'd never heard of at that point. My wonderment was soon accompanied by considerable feelings of inadequacy. I was 16, reading far too many X-Men titles, and surrounded by a whole world of comics I had not ...

The store still has their original display cases.  (This post is part of an ongoing series where I attempt to visit every single comic book store within Chicago city limits. You can read more about it here !) Location: 4602 N Western Ave in Lincoln Square Public Transit: Nearest buses are the Western (49B), Montrose (78), and the Lawrence (81); Nearest train is the Brown line Western stop. Hours: Monday: Closed Tuesday: 12-5 Wednesday: 12-6:30 Thursday: 12-6 Friday: 12-6 Saturday: 12-4 Sunday: 12-4 Website: None, but if you have questions their number is 773-334-2550 Visiting Variety Comics made me a little nervous. Words like dark, dank, and haphazard were thrown around by those who had been there. The store's owner had a reputation for being testy, and the hours were known to be sporadic. It is now too late for me to form my own opinions of Rick. He passed away last year after having owned the store for 30 plus years. The new proprietor is Vinny, a lifetime...

Season 8 puts Buffy through the ringer  Buffy the Vampire Slayer #40 Publisher: Dark Horse Writer: Joss Whedon Artist: Georges Jeanty Warning: This review includes ample SPOILERS. There's no pussyfooting around the ramifications of Season 8. I've just finished BTVS #40, the final issue of the ongoing series of comics dubbed Season 8, and I am pretty bummed to see this story come to an end. Since I am a rather late comer to the Buffy franchise, this is the first time that I have finished anything within the Buffyverse without having something to immediately follow. I didn't have to wait months between seasons, or years between the end of the show and the beginning of the comic. I didn't even have to wait long for the first 30 issues of the comic either; I read those in trade paperback and only recently read the comics issue to issue. A few years ago I would have said that I didn't read the comics because I didn't think they could possibly live up...

Owner Mark Beatty with one of his two dogs, Koko. (This post is part of an ongoing series where I attempt to visit every single comic book store within Chicago city limits. You can read more about it here !) Location: 4835 N Western Ave in Lincoln Square Public Transit: Nearest buses are the Western (49B) and the Lawrence (81); Nearest train is the Brown line Western stop.   Hours: Monday: 2-8 Tuesday: 2-8 Wednesday: 11-9 Thursday: 12-9 Friday: 12-9 Saturday: 11-7 Sunday: 11-7 Website: http://www.darktowercomics.net/ I miss living in close proximity to Dark Tower Comics & Collectibles , a homey store that quickly puts one at ease. With their flexible hours and extensive $1 back issue selection, this was one of my favorite stores for bargain hunting on lazy Sunday afternoons. (When you have a 9-5 job Tuesday through Saturday, you  appreciate the businesses that stay open on Sunday and Monday. Many-a comic book stores and Thai restaurants have broken my...

Last year saw a lot of Buffy related presents , and this year Joss Whedon continued to make my house a little happier. Not all presents were Whedonesque, but they were all awesomely nerdy. Here's a rundown of the presents that were received (and given) for Christmas and also my birthday. 1. 8 Bit Heart Ring from Aldo This chunky pixelated ring was a self-picked present purchased from Aldo . If I happen to get into any scuffles while wearing this ring, it'll make a pretty good substitute for brass knuckles. 2. Carnivale Season 2 DVD and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Blu Ray DVD Combo The husband really delivered this year. Now that we have finished the Angel: Complete Series DVD box set from last Christmas, we can enjoy Carnivale as well. For those who don't consider this to be a nerdy gift, keep in mind that this is the series that writer / producer Ronald D. Moore made in between his work on Star Trek: Next Generation and Battlestar Galactica . It's an overlooked...

  (This post is part of an ongoing series where I attempt to visit every single comic book store within Chicago city limits. You can read more about it here !) Location: 6928 N Glenwood Ave in Rogers Park Public Transit: Nearest buses are the Sheridan #151 and Clark #22; Nearest train is the Redline Morse stop. Hours: Monday Closed Tuesday - Saturday Noon til Close Sunday Nine til Close Website(s): http://www.evilsquirrelcomics.com/ Evil Squirrel Comics is another shop here on the North side of Chicago, and it is one I've been curious about for several months. I work in Evanston, so everyday on my way to and from work, I see this store from the Redline. It's located just next to the train tracks, and it's nestled in between an independent theater and a greasy spoon diner. I found the area was even more charming in person than it looked from high on the L train. Across from the storefronts are large, vibrant murals that extend the length of the street and wrap a...

The blog has been very Chicago-centric lately, but clearly this town has a lot going for it. Mark your calendars now for these current and soon to happen events! Challengers Comics SIXTH GUN Weekend with Cullen Bunn & Brian Hurtt Where: Challengers Comics in Bucktown   When: January 14th and 15th With all of the holiday hub-ub, I missed the first official gallery opening in December at Challenger's new art space, the Rogue's Gallery , but here's another chance to see fine art on display and also meet with the creative team behind The Sixth Gun . Did I mention this is taking place at a comic book store? Sure, stores have signings, but how often do you get to see the original artwork at the same time? The opening night even features a fancy dress reception. Social events at this store are a hot ticket, so get there early! New Chicago Comics at the MCA featuring Jeffrey Brown, Lilli Carré, Anders Nilsen , and Paul Hornschemeier Where: The Museum of Contemporary A...