Sara Gray of Mira Mesa Comic Gallery in San Diego saw our recent coverage of Trouble (see 'About Face: Marvel Reverses No Reprint Policy' and 'The Return of the Romance Comic') and doesn't like the unclear info on which she has to base her order:

Well... I'm both disgusted and impressed (and not in a good way) at Marvel's big talk about Trouble.

How a book advertised COMPLETELY differently in the Previews magazine warrants the kind of 'in our faces' coverage as suggested in several articles this week (not just in ICv2, but apparently to be targeted in entertainment magazines of different types as well), I'm not certain.  I was under the distinct impression that Millar's work was going to be about original characters, in an original-type world.  Of course, it is hard to say just what this book is supposed to be about by all the contradictory blurbs splashing out at us from the pages of Previews.

Understand that as a retailer I ordered very few of this book -- Millar's name-draw not withstanding -- I could not tell whether to push this book on guys who liked reading about chicks (the beautiful women on the cover would indicate that audience as a target) or girls who wanted some kind of 'story' (... I can't comment on that, because frankly as a woman I was disgusted by the blurbs regarding the type of 'story' this book has in it).  So I decided 'few'.  I'm not going to reorder more unless it sells out - and until it hits the shelf and people actually start BUYING the book, I'm not going to go out on a limb and decide 'well, that number just isn't enough! I have to pad my orders just in case!'

Frankly I don't care if Marvel wants to print more of a number one issue like this book.  Honestly I can't see the audience for it at all -- and I've been reading the minds of my customers for 12 years now -- somewhat successfully I might add.

The subject matter is not something I see selling at all. There are many other good books about slice-of-life and reality, which I sell frequently, just not from Marvel.  I simply can't understand why Marvel has to push a book one way when I'm ordering it, and ten different ways when I look away - and overnight, I'm supposed to decide how many more to get?

I don't think so.  Try advertising the book AS IT IS.  Try showing us ACTUAL INTERIOR pages, not 'lookit the grrrlz on the cover!  Now buy the book!'  Not, 'Millar will revolutionize the way you think of Romance Comics!' because he won't.  

This is not the kind of book that I will ever recommend for a new female reader -- not based upon the hype in Previews.  Certainly not based on the cover.

And if I'm not meant to base my orders upon what I read FROM MARVEL, IN THE ORDER BOOK ... I'm afraid I can't see how I'm supposed to do it right. I am not able to wait to see any other promotions in entertainment mags; I've ordered the book already.  I'm not going to be able to see how it sells BEFORE ordering more #1's am I?  And, I'm not going to be able to send BACK the unsold copies OF that new printing of a #1 untried title, will I?!  If it were returnable, I'd order a bunch.  But since Marvel refuses to believe in its product enough to ensure that I can order this way, I don't believe in the product enough either.