Poyo's Spec & Drek for January 27th, 2021


Welcome to this weeks spec and drek, the 4th edition for 2021. This is where we pick the winners each week we (or shall I say myself) think will be spec worthy, a great read or just cool looking art on the cover. I also dive into the pesky drek, the book you should probably avoid if you can or perhaps not invest so heavily into.

I’m changing up my format. I’ve been doing DC then Marvel for ages but I feel Marvel deserves to be mentioned first as DC is mostly garbage most weeks with only a few books being worthy of mentions. Also getting these out earlier as I got a busy week ahead…

Marvel Picks

This first pick is a no brainer. Star Wars High Republic #1 2nd Printing.

The first printing went on to wow and dazzle us. I don’t think this one will heat up as much but for those picking up High Republic books, might as well grab a copy of them all for the collection.

Is there actually going to be a death in this weeks Strange Academy #7? The solicitations certainly claim such things but we all know deaths mean nothing in these made up fantasy stories.

Might still be worthy of a pickup and for those of course reading this title.


I’m not even reading Wolverine but issue #9 certainly has me curious as to what’s going on inside.


DC Picks

Batman Black & White #2 gives us a pretty cool Jock cover. That’s about the only thing that grabs my attention this week.

Indie and Small Publisher Picks

The new mini-series from Skroce that I enjoyed so far, one issue in. I should hopefully get a sneak peek preview up before Wednesday this week.

Post Americana #2 (of 6)


Star Wars Adventures Smugglers Run #2 I think is introducing some new characters this week. Might be worth checking out. Sold out at Midtown but still available at TFAW.

One thing to note is, if this is a kids book, why the hefty price tag? Might of been a put off for a lot of shops limiting the number of extra shelf copies.


Sweet Downfall #1 is a new Scout book I’m looking forward to. I got a review copy I need to read. Maybe if I get time, I’ll do a sneak peek preview.


Stake #1 hits stands now as a Scout book as well. This was a Kickstarter book and it also had a pretty sweet Momoko variant as well.



Now on with the dreaded “drek” pick, every writer and artists worst nightmare when it comes to selling their hard work.

The book to avoid or not fall victim to in buying at inflated prices, whether it’s false demand, pump and dump or out of FOMO.

I don’t normally call these types of things out but something about the writer for Dead End Kids, which saw some heat with it’s first volume, I got put off when I met him at NYCC that same year and some recent social media postings.

Back at NYCC a few years ago, I didn’t realize he was the creator at the Source Point Press booth and I was checking out the Dead End Kids books and he starts chatting with me. He states he is Frank Gogol. I’m like cool. So it gets to the point where I then ask how much for the first print copies he has (I had missed out as my shops didn’t get them). He goes on to say those were his own personal copies and he’s selling them for $40, cause “That’s how much they’re going for on eBay”. I just thought to myself, man, you writing to sell your stuff at secondary market prices or want to sell your stories instead? I mean, I get it, you like to make money but I thought there would have been a better way of saying the price for the copies (that he likely had a stack of under the table). I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt when he said those were the last of his copies (sure they were, it’s like Day One of NYCC and you only brought several copies of your hot new book).

Anyways, fast forward to now and it just seems like Frank wants to boost his work based on scarcity, as in he hopes to create false demand on limited supply. He touts no second printings and then posts crap like this on social media about his book:

You hyping your work cause of it’s potential scarcity and value (based on your own limited quantity produced) Frank? Or you gonna try and tell me I should buy it cause it’s a good read? If all you do is talk value like you’re a comic book flipper, well, you already lost me as a customer and I have zero desire to pick up your work. Sorry Frank Gogol. I don’t mean to sound harsh, I hope you all the best with your books but this type of self hype and advertising, it is more off putting for me in buying your stuff.

Basically the moral of this drek is, don’t fall into FOMO because something is limited. Buy it cause YOU want it but avoid paying premium prices. If you truly want to read it, skip the secondary market and just wait for the trade. If creators are gonna pump their own work and books based on “limited” quantities (that they’re controlling in the sense of claiming no second prints whatsoever) in hopes that gets people to buy them, then that’s a major issue in this industry creating false demand. Don’t fall for this gimmick and don’t give those who pump this the time of day with your hard earned cash.

There you go @D-Rog , is that good enough spec for ya? It’s cold yet polite in a sense.

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That post of his is pretty rough to read. Not to mention, this is in stock at diamond and open order right now, so not that scarce.

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See, already pointing out his effing lies… to pump and dump his book based on “scarcity”, creating fake demand… what a turd blossom!

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I love it!

You nailed it. Couldn’t agree more with the hyping the “collectibility” before his actual work. Feels dirty and desperate.

Yeah it does…

No clue who Frank Gogol is but seems like a weird strategy

I’d have to go through this guys posts before I could really weigh in. Maybe he’s covering all the angles as far as appealing to as big of an audience as possible. I mean if all the other posts are about the actual book then I don’t have any issues.

The Stake #1 Kickstarter had some good deals. They had Stake and Jessamy books signed by Byrne for $5. I hope the story delivers, but ultimately I’m drawn to the Fantini art.

That’s the strange thing about it… Why would a writer even mention or care about a single sale to then claim the scarcity hype is about to pop… He’s the one who states no more printings. He’s made it clear to me his intentions… Make it HTF so people talk and pump the book for the wrong reasons. That’s my take away at least.

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Yeah it’s definitely strange.

The Smuggler’s Run books are double sized at 48 pages that’s why they’re 5.99.

Issue 1 is still available at IDW.

48 pages? But… the kids… think of the kids.

I think this book goes towards the higher end of “all ages”. Beck legitimately caps a perp in a back alley.

It’s an adaptation of Greg Rucka’s YA novel.

I bought 20 Stake ashcans from Byrnes website a long time ago. All different versions from trade dress, virgin, sketch, signed by Byrne, signed by Chew, signed by Byrne and Chew. They started slowly selling once Scout picked this up

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Let’s not forget the Scout specs on their own titles as well in their store now based on perceived value…

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Yeah most of their store variants are $10-15 but I saw a $40 one once. Wasn’t pumped on that.

I have a 12 and 15 year old and they’re always broke… they couldn’t afford $5.99 for a comic. :wink:

Yeah, they suck for doing such things… What was really crappy was when they did that big 50% off sale for NYCC coupon but before that, they jacked up their prices by almost double their normal cost to basically justify the sale. I can’t complain though, I bought a bunch of the NYCC Phantom Starkillers #1 for like $12.50 each and was selling them at $100 each with relative ease… :wink:

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The comments on the main article are very spirited today. Just enjoy the articles and great free spec content!

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I kinda expect the print run for SWHR #1 2nd ptg to be lower than the 1st and 3rd ptg with the way FOC dates landed. I also have no idea what I’m talking about :beer:

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