I don’t normally post pointers to the columns or news stories at big sites like CBR, but I’ll be damned if Augie doesn’t take it to Wizard in a killer column this week. Love him or hate him, Mr. De Blieck breaks the Wizard bullshit/hype machine down so freaking clearly, it’s a sight to behold. Good job, man.

Having said all that, though, Wizard still disgusts me on most every level. For starters, they’ve added a new layer of frustrating hype. Case in point: Joe Madureira’s second coming to Marvel. Since San Diego, Marvel has hyped that they’d have some big announcements in Chicago. We buy into that and wait patiently for Chicago. This weekend, Marvel announces that Joe Madureira has returned to Marvel for a new project. What is that project? We can’t say; WIZARD will have the exclusive in just two weeks. If anyone had questions for Joe Mad, they were allowed to ask, but shouldn’t expect any answers. This is, Wizard says repeatedly, the show for fans. No, it’s the show for fans to be hyped on the next issue of the official con publisher’s periodical. Marvel and DC and all the rest start buying into that and feed the ugly beast. WIZARD will never learn, because nobody with enough clout ever smacks them across the maw.

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