Tops and Bottoms – 22nd October 2025. – Never Iron Anything

“If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.” – Haruki Murakami.

Morning,

As you may have read it’s been a busy couple of weeks. The beauty of attending a US-based convention is that you’re nearly always wide-awake at around 4am, long before the surrounding world and able to read through a pile of comics. One such example is coming later.

Baltimore was a joy. So I thought I might show the good and bad sides for those thinking of visiting.

Good – The accessibility to guests was a big highlight. Writers and artists you’ve read your entire life ready to chat and laugh. I got to laugh along with Howard Chaykin, Klaus Janson, Mike Grell, Art Adams, Kevin Maguire, Peter J. Tomasi and so many more. I’m a fan of buying direct from them and then getting a photograph. All were happy to.

Good – Back issues! Some more expensive than others but a pretty good range. Loads of tables carried Golden Age issues that I hadn’t seen before and whilst a little too much in price for anything that might survive the journey home it was great to just look at them. As well as graded books there were easily ten or more stalls with $1 or $2 longboxes. You see comics in these that you’re unlikely to see in the same style boxes in the UK. I picked up some great deals.

Good – Affordable Original Art. You’ll see that I picked up a few items. Of course there are bound to be the piss-takers but if you pick and choose you can come across some great pages for under $200.

Good – The Line! Don’t go thinking this is anything like the NYCC mile long torture of a queue. This is a straightforward shuffle for ten minutes and you’re on the escalator and into the hall. Everyone was pretty relaxed and there’s not barging or running. You can get a fairly cheap VIP badge that gets you in half an hour early on all three days. Once your dogs are barking there’s a food hall where you can always get a seat. I never sat down and didn’t chat to strangers at the table (not as creepy as it sounds).

Good – Small Press. Loads of some great and not so great comics. It thankfully also isn’t full of badges and prints – unlike some other conventions I won’t mention here.

Bad – Baltimore and the Inner Harbor. Of course this is nothing that the Con can control but even since my visit two years ago it is lacking in facilities and visibly on the decline. Couple of great diners have closed and good luck in finding a bar open past midnight. Even the hotel bar we met the Eleven O’Clock Comics crew in just turned the lights out at 11pm! With the legality of cannabis lots of waiters and waitresses are stoned. One needed me to help her add up and see the phone screen, one kept having to be reminded orders (during the same short conversation), another was outside smoking a joint when I walked in, seated me then forgot I was there. (Maybe that was just me). The whole place stinks of weed and groups of men hanging about may not make for a pleasant walk back to the hotel after dark for lone females.

The Convention is great. I’m still buzzing. Washington is only 50 minutes away by car so you can always do what I did and fit some sightseeing in on an extra added day.

Let’s get back to those weekly reads.

Small Press Book of the Week.

A bootleg Batman by Jesse Lonergan who has also just given us the brilliant ‘Drome’. This was gifted to me by Cliff Cumber and is a black and white example of how good Batman could be.

Non-stop action! Highly recommended.

Tops.

I read this in an early morning IHOP visit. Terrible coffee and great comics. Interrupted only by me intervening in a fight between a waitress and a homeless man. I feel bad that I haven’t recommended this more since the first few issues. A female Ronin and a Western killer caught in a purgatory together came to a hiatus last week with hints at low sales. Try and pick up the trade if you get time, it’s a cracking run and I want more.

Bottoms.