The March + April + May General Comic Book Thread - anyone still here?

[fujishig]

Figured I'd start the March thread since new comics are coming out... even though the comics I'm reading are from last month.

Here's my (thinning) haul from Feb's order:

Annihilation Book 2 TP: Finally gave up on finding the hardcover version, so this will be sandwiched between two HCs... of course, I couldn't wait and read through vol. 3 (and Conquest) already. Still, it's nice to finally flesh out the missing pieces.

JLA 18

JSA 12 and 13

Legion of Super Heroes 39

Order volume 1: Next Right Thing

Showcase Presents Supergirl v. 1

Supergirl 26: I swear I complain about this book every single month. And yet, they always bring around some new creative team or new creative direction, and I get suckered into sticking around. Hey, it's the guy that wrote Batgirl, he was supposed to be pretty good, right? And he's going to be asking questions that were never asked before! And the artist can draw decent pin ups...

Unfortunately, I still can't tell if it's the weakness of the writing or the art, but the storytelling in this book leaves much to be desired. This is the third issue of the new creative team, and I'm just totally lost. The climax of the issue, after the big fight, is some simple comment that Supergirl made (and really she had no way of knowing what the situation really was), and that's presented as a huge deal. As if Superman wouldn't have said something like that himself. And then this "new question" that she asks is presumably the big direction shift for the title.

I guess it's good that she's not fighting every other superhero in the DC Universe on a monthly basis, or trying to kill Superman anymore, or hooking up with superpowered psychos. So there has been some improvement in the title. It will just always make me wonder: they cancelled PAD's series for this?

Teen Titans 56:

[davidh777]

Teen Titans 56:

Is this cliffhanger another way of checking to see if anyone's here?

[fujishig]

Is this cliffhanger another way of checking to see if anyone's here?

Ha... no, just haven't finished reading all the comics yet, figured I'd update my post tomorrow... :)

[True_Story1011]

I had to work today, or I would've gone to the comic book store.

I'm heading out tomorrow morning bright and early, I'm also going to be hitting up Gamestops and Targets to see what HD product is left over.

Big day for daddy, a.k.a, sneak out while fiancee and daughter are sleeping in! :lol:

[Giantrobo]

I'll probably hit my LCBS on Thursday. I'm 2 weeks behind on shit.

[Superboy]

Today, I picked up:

Logan:

I was really hesitant about this one. I love BKV to bits, but I find his superhero work not up to par with his creator-owned series. Furthermore, I hate Wolverine. I find him to be one of the worst characters in almost all of comicdom. If people think Superman is a stodgy character, Wolverine is by far the most immature character ever.

[Patman]

I'm about 3 weeks behind, but I'm looking forward to reading Echo, RASL, Young Liars (picked up within the past couple of weeks).

[Bronkster]

Amazing Spider-man - The Brand New Day thing isn't bad, but I'm still having trouble accepting the whole "reset" business. So far, everything feels like the old "Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-man" title where all the stories had that "filler" feel - careful not to mess with the main title plots. If I weren't such a die-hard Spidey geek, I think I'd be dropping this.

Uncanny X-men On one hand I'm liking that there's a break from whatever major universe-changing threat event, but on the other hand the last 2 issues have felt kinda directionless.

Other Stuff I've Been Reading - Having recently completed my search for the first 24 issues of the current Captain America run, I have now finished reading them. If I didn't have a pile of unread stuff to get through I'd probably re-read the rest of the series again, but there's always a future date for that.

[Giantrobo]

Crime Bible #5 of 5

I was really into this Mini because I like The Question/Renee Montoya.

However....WTF!? :grunt: Way to string me along for a crap ending!!!! If you can even call it an ending. Then you cut the story short for some DC/Wildstorm Crossover tease for the last several pages.


LAME!!!

[MovieExchange]

Haven't picked up a book in months, but I've been in and out of the threads and I notice that the discontent is growing and growing... so I wonder, who here is buying Marvel / DC books because they actually still enjoy the stories, and how many are buying them to bide time and keep up with the story, hoping that it eventually improves?

[fujishig]

Haven't picked up a book in months, but I've been in and out of the threads and I notice that the discontent is growing and growing... so I wonder, who here is buying Marvel / DC books because they actually still enjoy the stories, and how many are buying them to bide time and keep up with the story, hoping that it eventually improves?


I've stopped a lot of my monthly reading... I think I'm finally dropping Supergirl and maybe Teen Titans, because it's been a long time since I've enjoyed them... I always read them first when I get my monthly pile, and I usually save the best for last. After 52 was over, I picked up the first month of Countdown and then stopped (just got burned by having too many miniseries tie-ins, though I'll try the collections). JLA is decent enough that I'll continue with it, as is Legion, though both seem to regularly get TPB collections, along with Teen Titans (on a sidenote, the new #1 reason to go TPB only: almost every issue of the recent Teen Titans series is collected EXCEPT for the fill-ins, which include Liefeld's issues).

JSA is the one book that I look forward to reading month in and month out. It gets collected regularly too, but I just can't stop.

I don't collect any Marvel series because EVERYTHING they publish gets collected.

In tpb/HC form, I'm still collecting and enjoying:
Annihilation whatever-series-is-current, including Nova
Green Lantern
Green Lantern Corps
Invincible (I'm a sucker, I buy the tpbs AND the large hardcovers)
Ultimate FF and X-men (large hardcovers)
X-factor
Y the Last Man

and am catching up on Fables (on v. 8 now).
and a ton of manga.

[boredsilly]

I always read what I enjoy. There are lulls, like in anything, that I may ride out but it's never for too long. I can deal with a few bad issues or a bad storyline (X-Factor during Messiah for example -- just because I didn't read the rest of it), but not an overall bad book. And honestly, sometimes my enjoyment from a series does essentially come from seeing what happens next (like Mighty and New Avengers).

I see the discontent too, but I just don't have it. There is so much in comics that I enjoy, that I don't harp too much on that which doesn't.

I am still loving Thor which is on its way to becoming a classic if this maintains its steam. X-Factor is still really good. JSA is a great read. Gotham Underground is like crack for a Batman/Gotham fan like myself. And there are a handful of other mainstream Superhero/mainstream books I'm enjoying as well and another handful that I want to try/catch up on (mainly Iron Fist - I've finally given in and will try this book).

ETA: I know it's tired now, but I still love a good fight between Batman and Superman. It's a fanboy guilty pleasure. Well, Cooke gave a great version of this classic matchup in the New Frontier Special. One of the better "fights" between the big two that I've read. I love how Cooke writes those two.

[MrNicolas]

I am still here but barely. I went cold turkey with comic books about 3 weeks ago, I dropped my entire sub list from the LCS and now I only get the 3 per month Amazing Spiderman and Ultimate Spiderman by mail order. I am saving over $35 per week now and I am never looking back. The LCS in my area is on life support and once this store closes (within the year) there will be no more comic stores in this area. In my opinion comic books are a dying bread. I think about the numerous full comic boxes I have and how little they are worth and how much I spent on them over the past 35 years and it makes me sick. If comics ever go back to $1 each maybe I will come back but I seriously doubt that will ever happen.

[bishop2knight]

I am still here but barely. I went cold turkey with comic books about 3 weeks ago, I dropped my entire sub list from the LCS and now I only get the 3 per month Amazing Spiderman and Ultimate Spiderman by mail order. I am saving over $35 per week now and I am never looking back. The LCS in my area is on life support and once this store closes (within the year) there will be no more comic stores in this area. In my opinion comic books are a dying bread. I think about the numerous full comic boxes I have and how little they are worth and how much I spent on them over the past 35 years and it makes me sick. If comics ever go back to $1 each maybe I will come back but I seriously doubt that will ever happen.

Why are you sick at the money you spent? Did the comics not bring you valued entertainment? If not, then that is bad. But if you enjoyed reading and collecting them, then the money was well spent.

Remember that you probably won't make any money on your couch when you sell it or throw it in the dumpster, but you're not considering that a waste of money. So if comics served their purpose on an entertainment level, it shouldn't matter if you get nothing for your collection.

[fujishig]

Why are you sick at the money you spent? Did the comics not bring you valued entertainment? If not, then that is bad. But if you enjoyed reading and collecting them, then the money was well spent.

Remember that you probably won't make any money on your couch when you sell it or throw it in the dumpster, but you're not considering that a waste of money. So if comics served their purpose on an entertainment level, it shouldn't matter if you get nothing for your collection.

All too true... unfortunately, all my various hobbies have a very poor resell rate... my stacks of videogames, dvds, and toys are now worth a pittance of what I put into them...

[MrNicolas]

Why are you sick at the money you spent? Did the comics not bring you valued entertainment? If not, then that is bad. But if you enjoyed reading and collecting them, then the money was well spent.

Remember that you probably won't make any money on your couch when you sell it or throw it in the dumpster, but you're not considering that a waste of money. So if comics served their purpose on an entertainment level, it shouldn't matter if you get nothing for your collection.

Here is my thinking. For the last 2 years or so I have been paying 2.99 for one single comic book. It takes me a total of about 10-15 minutes to read it and then it gets bagged and boarded. I see on Ebay people buying huge lots of the books I have bought thru the years for 10-20 cents each. Yes I enjoyed reading them, but damn they are not even worth the paper they are printed on! Selling a $3 comic for less than 50 cents is giving it away. Collecting comic books is a hobby, they should maintain some value over time. I think I got out when the time was right, the comic business is due for another cover price hike and then it is really a waste of money.

[fujishig]

Here is my thinking. For the last 2 years or so I have been paying 2.99 for one single comic book. It takes me a total of about 10-15 minutes to read it and then it gets bagged and boarded. I see on Ebay people buying huge lots of the books I have bought thru the years for 10-20 cents each. Yes I enjoyed reading them, but damn they are not even worth the paper they are printed on! Selling a $3 comic for less than 50 cents is giving it away. Collecting comic books is a hobby, they should maintain some value over time. I think I got out when the time was right, the comic business is due for another cover price hike and then it is really a waste of money.

I think the problem is that there are very few ways to (legally) preview comics, or rent them and read them once. I think if I could rent comics or check them out at the library (which does usually have a good tpb section, but obviously not the recent monthlies ), I'd cut back on purchases. A lot of stuff, like you say, I'll only read once... but the hook is that if I want to find out what happens to these characters, the only way to do that is buy the book. We'll see if the online service that Marvel's offering will help that.

I have decided to cut down on both monthlies and tpbs, though. I mean, Ms. Marvel is a fun read, but do I really need to own the tpbs? On the other hand, something like Fables or Y the Last Man or JSA I can see reading over and over again.

[MovieExchange]

I think most every real reader knows that their collection will not be worth money. I worked in a comic store back during the "big" events like the Breaking of Batman and the Death of Superman, and I dealt with a lot of "I'm gonna get big money from this" type of people. I finally gave this advice to people looking to invest in comics - take a look at that long wall of books. That's the last 3 months of comics. In 20 years, one of those books might be worth $30. The rest will be worthless. If you're dead-set on investing in comics, you're better off taking your money and investing in high-quality Silver Age books.

People still didn't understand. One guy came in and said "see, I just sold my copy of Superman 75 for $50!" To which I said something like "great. You bought 10 copies of each cover of Jim Lee's X-Men #1. How much are those worth now?" (they were in our 50 cent bin at the time).

[boredsilly]

Why are you sick at the money you spent? Did the comics not bring you valued entertainment? If not, then that is bad. But if you enjoyed reading and collecting them, then the money was well spent.


Quoted for truth.

Most of the books (novels) I own are worthless now too, but I don't regret buying them and reading them. Same for dvds (which hold their value ok, but not if you buy them upon release). But unlike books and dvds which people tend to turn over when they no longer want them (selling, give them to friends, etc), comic fans hold onto everything so after some years of collecting you see all of those books you amassed and start to think what you could have spent that money on instead. I get where Nicolas is coming from.

I don't hold onto mine (only trades - and not many of those to be honest) so I avoid that. My whole goal is to only keep books that I think I will read again or may want to lend out to others in the future. That leads to a nice tailored library that speaks to my personal tastes, and the things I read that I didn't like or only sort of enjoyed I make bounce.

I bought the first Runaways giant HC, liked it but knew once was enough, so I gave it away. I don't look at that as $20 wasted as the story was very enjoyable and I gave the comic to someone who might enjoy it as well. This is easier to do with trades and such instead of singles, but same principle. I think hoarding anything can become overwhelming overtime.

[ivelostr2]

I went to the LCS today to pick up my books. I hadn't been ther ein a few weeks, so i had maybe 10-12 books. near the checkout they have there "pick of the week" and "you must read this book" display, and Hulk #2 was the "must read book." I figured, ok I'll check it out, so i walked back to pick up 1 and 2, since i never picked up issue 1 and both were sold out. near where they should of been, was a card saying something to the effect of "ask for hulk red variant at the counter, one per account $49.95." WTF...1st of all, of have nothing but bad about this book, and it is sold out, they had a shit-ton of them the week it came out, like Spidey BND, no one bought them, and now both are sold out...weird, and the 49.95 variant, wtf is that...

[Giantrobo]

Sinestro is a Genius.

So far his plan is right on Target and working like a charm.....

[SteveOVig]

I've been reading old Batman stories in reading order as of late. I found some pdf file that had a huge reading order of the Batman continuity and I started at the top. I read Year One again and was loving every minute of it as if it were my first read. Then, I read a couple old stories, one from the late 80's early 90's and one crappy story from a 2000 Annual. I can't fathom the idea of Batman fighting guys with jetpacks in Year 1 continuity. When I get paid next month, I plan on buying more to continue on.

I've also been reading the exclusive Larry Hama comics that have come out with GI Joe packs. They're not great but what can you do? The best one, in my opinion, was I think 26 and a half. It had the introduction of the Crimson Twins. These are nothing special but they come with some awesome figures. I'm also thinking about continuing on with GI Joe World War III. I think I only got as far as issue 2 in the arc.

[dx23]

I've been reading old Batman stories in reading order as of late. I found some pdf file that had a huge reading order of the Batman continuity and I started at the top. I read Year One again and was loving every minute of it as if it were my first read. Then, I read a couple old stories, one from the late 80's early 90's and one crappy story from a 2000 Annual. I can't fathom the idea of Batman fighting guys with jetpacks in Year 1 continuity. When I get paid next month, I plan on buying more to continue on.

I've also been reading the exclusive Larry Hama comics that have come out with GI Joe packs. They're not great but what can you do? The best one, in my opinion, was I think 26 and a half. It had the introduction of the Crimson Twins. These are nothing special but they come with some awesome figures. I'm also thinking about continuing on with GI Joe World War III. I think I only got as far as issue 2 in the arc.

Care to share a link to that pdf?

[ivelostr2]

Uncanny X-men On one hand I'm liking that there's a break from whatever major universe-changing threat event, but on the other hand the last 2 issues have felt kinda directionless.[/b]

Uncanny X-men #496
I am actually digging the directionlessness going on in uncanny, I feel like the last two stories actually acknowledge that these people (colossus, wolverine and nightcrawler) are friends/family. I like some of brubakers work on Cap America, other stuff I don’t like, but I am liking the general direction this is taking. I wish they would let this book go along without worrying what is going on in the other books, but...

X-Factor is still really good
X-factor # 29
I think i wrote this last month, I am really impressed that Maddrox has become an interesting character capable of carrying a book. I still haven't picked up the Maddrox TPB and the first 2 arcs of Xfactor in trade, but I really like this book alot. Anything can and does happen in this book.

Captain America #35
The new Cap in action for the 2nd issue...saddly, I don't think this is as interesting as it was without a Cap, The new threads were ok at first, but now they are distracting, I think the best parts of this book has been the Falcon, and I have never been a fan of his.

X-Men: Legacy #208
I don;t know what they expect to do with this book, I hate when they change a name for no apparant reason. it isn't like xavier isn't coming back, they didn't even leave him dead for an issue, fuck, i should just let this title go...

[Chew]

Anybody going to read The Ten-Cent Plague? It's a novel about the 50's, the Seduction of the Innocent, and how comics were changed because of it.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51PP7xt%2B1zL._AA240_.jpg

[boredsilly]

I probably will somewhere down the line. I find all of that stuff pretty interesting, but I wonder if that book will really relay any new info that hasn't been touched on in previous books, interviews, podcast, and such. We'll see.

I am really excited to learn Alex Robinson has a new GN coming out in July. Called Too Cool For School and has a pretty dope cover.

http://www.topshelfcomix.com/catalog/covers/too_cool_to_be_forgotten_lg.jpg

From Top Shelf's website:

"Andy Wicks is a forty-something father of two who’s tried everything to quit smoking -- from going cold turkey, to the latest patches and nicotine chewing gums -- so he figures he'll give this hypnosis thing a try. What's the worst that could happen? Unfortunately, Andy gets dealt a fate worse than death -- high school! Transported back to 1985, Andy returns to his formative years as a gangly, awkward teenager. Is he doomed to relive the mistakes of his past, or has he been given a second chance to get things right? One thing's for sure … this time he’s going to ask out that girl from math class... Presented as a gorgeously formatted hardcover graphic novel. "

Sounds pretty interesting, and coming from the man who brought us Box Office Poison, I have nothing but high hopes for this.

[fujishig]

Finally read the first volume of the Sinestro Corps War, and it is as good as advertised. I'm just hoping that the ending won't be a letdown.

[Bronkster]

X-factor # 29
I think i wrote this last month, I am really impressed that Maddrox has become an interesting character capable of carrying a book. I still haven't picked up the Maddrox TPB and the first 2 arcs of Xfactor in trade, but I really like this book alot. Anything can and does happen in this book.
I'm glad you reminded me of this. Someone mentioned the 4-parter last month (you?), which was the first I had heard of it, and meant to track it down. Then forgot. Your comment got me to track the 4 issues (preferring the comix over TPBs) and they just arrived today! I got me some readin' to do tonight! :banana:

[taffer]

Ultimate Spidey #120:

Liz Allen's father is The Blob. rotfl

[boredsilly]

I can't believe Ult Spidey is already to 120 issues. That is kind of crazy. I wonder what it would be at if it never moved to bi-monthly shipping for a while. Still, that is pretty damn impressive.

In an error where a "creative team" consists of 6-12 issues, I commend Bendis and Bagley for what they did, and what Bendis and Stuart are doing now, even if I don't read the book. Hell, or what Bendis did with Maleev or Oeming. I love consistency in a run.

[ivelostr2]

The Mighty Avengers #11 - the thought balloons are killing me...as well as how confused i was through most of the story.
The New Avengers #39 - I have continued reading this because it has been the most entertaining Avengers book, and I actually liked the weird mix going on. I really think i will hate the skrull storyline, so I may be out in the near future...
X-men Legacy #209 - really boring, professor x stayed dead all of 2 issues lol , One more issue, just to see if I can figure out where this is going, and I'm dropping it...

Overall, really bad week for books, glad Im still working my way throught hte second of Morrison's New X-men Hardbacks, it has been really good...

[boredsilly]

All Star Superman continues to kick ass.

[ytrez]

I haven't read anything that was released this month but I have been reading:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61THYMXM2BL._AA240_.jpg
which has rekindled my interest in undergrounds. As soon as I'm done I'm going to pull
http://i4.ebayimg.com/08/i/000/bd/48/31df_1.JPG
http://image.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/04153548817.1.GIF
off of my shelf to give it another read (it's a flip book so those are both covers).

I also have a bunch of old undergrounds like Zap, Slow Death, DOA, and others as well as the Complete Robert Crumb tpbs. I think I'll be spending the next couple of months working my way through them.

[PalmerJoss]

All Star Superman continues to kick ass.

Quoted for truth. All-Star Supes is by far the best Superman story I've ever read, and that's saying something. I only wish that Grant Morrison would stay on longer than the 12 issues he signed up for.

[Superboy]

Walking Dead

wow, everyone died. And just like all those other stupid comics, we just KNOW they're coming back!

[boredsilly]

:lol:!

That issue was pretty crazy. I'm really curious to see where the hell Kirkman takes the story now.

[Superboy]

To be honest i'm glad everyone's dead. The cast was getting too big and I honestly didn't like most of the characters

[Giantrobo]

I have 3 weeks of comics in a stack and several weeks of "need to read" stuff. I don't know why but I've been buying comics on auto pilot but not reading.

[CaptStormy]

Same here Giantrobo...I am months behind. i am seriously contemplating the attempt to stop cold turkey. ;) My OCD is yelling at me to order one more month though ;)

With luck i may spend more time on my 360 and actually play with ya one day!
Kunane954.

[Patman]

I thought it was just me, but I also have a stack of about 20 issues to read to be "caught" up on my regular buying list. I probably do need to trim some titles, but I did pick up a few from the old indy creators of the 90's (RASL, Echo, Young Liars), as well as "The Twelve", so that's added to the reading pile.

I am bummed that "The Order" is being cancelled after 10 issues, but Marvel just couldn't keep Barry Kitson on such a low-selling title, and Fraction didn't want to continue on with another artist for that title.

[sinned]

I just read "The Order" TPB and the series completely underwhelmed me. I just could not care for the characters at all. They all seem like generic versions of "heroes" (i.e. another Flash wanna be?)

[Bronkster]

Everyone has gotten so far behind in their comic reading - including me - that we're still in the March thread! http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a142/Bronkster/HeadSmack-1.gif

[JasonF]

I'm up to date! Here's what I read the last few weeks:

Legion of Superheroes 40 With each passing issue, this seems more and more like the Legion I love. Good balancing of main plot and subplots with lots of face time for lots of Legionnaires. I hope that the upcoming Johns/Perez event (which I am looking forward to) doesn't screw this book up.

Spirit 15 Aragones and Evanier turn in another fun, Eisner-esque tale. This time, it's illustrated by the incomparable Paul Smith. Nobody will ever match Will Eisner on his signature character, but this is definitely a book worth reading.

Marvel Atlas 2 What can I say -- I'm a sucker for these handbooks. This one covers the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East, giving us profiles of such fictional countries as Santo Rico (Giant-Man and the Wasp fought El Toro there back in Tales to Astonish), Halwan (from the pages of the 1970s Iron Fist series), and Canada (home to Alpha Flight). Interestingly, Wakanda is in East Africa, nestled among Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, and about a dozen fictional countries from a dozen different Black Panther stories. I had always thought of it as being in southern Africa, but I think the reality is that it moves around Africa based on the needs (or the geographic ignorance) of the writer.

Amazing Spider-Man 555 Spider-Man and Wolverine versus ninjas. The story works much better than that short description makes it sound like it would. I'm not sure Bacchalo's art is right for Spider-Man, but it sure is pretty to look at.

Clan Destine 2 & 3 Somehow, I missed issue 2 when it came out, so I"m playing catch-up here. Clan Destine is probably the best thing that Alan Davis has ever done. It's a great book. You should be reading it.

Jonah Hex 30 It's Die Hard in the old west, with Jonah Hex in the Bruce Willis role. Palmotti and Gray have done a great job with this book, consistently turning in great single-issue stories. It helps that Jonah Hex is such a great character.

Buffy 13 Continuing Joss Wheedon's "Wolves at the Gate" arc, this is mostly a moving pieces around issue. We spend some time with Dracula, see an Andrew lecture (as seen on TV in Season 7), and find out a little more about our villains. This isn't a very exciting issue, to be honest.

Angel 6 In this issue, we jump back in time to just after the finale of the TV series. We get three tales -- one of Spike, one of Connor, and one of Lorne. We don't get too many answers about how we got from there (the Season 5 finale) to here (the opening of the comic book series), but we do get some. I liked the Connor story best and the Lorne story least, but they are all worth reading.

Project Superpowers 2 Continuing the rehabilitation of various public domain Golden Age characters. Lev Gleason's Daredevil has been rechristened "The Devil," which puts him in the same good company as Billy Batson as a victim of trademark law. This is a pretty enjoyable book. How could it not be when one of the main chaaters is a floating American flag?

Twelve 4 Continuing the rehabilitation of various Marvel Golden Age characters. Straczynski moves ever so slowly toward an actual plot, still giving us healthy portions of people sixty years out of their time adjusting to the modern world. Which is fine with me -- I'm really enjoying just watching the characters. But the main plot does look like it's shaping up to be pretty interesting, too. Chris Weston's art continues to impress.

She-Hulk 27 When I pulled this book out of my bag after I got home from the comic shop, I sort of thought to myself "Why am I still reading this? I should drop it. I liked Slott's run, I gave Peter David a chance, but this just hasn't grabbed me." But then I read this issue and it grabbed me. David surprises me by going back to the hapless guy whose wife got killed last issue and giving us a realistic look at the aftermath. Well, realistic for the Marvel Unvierse, anyway. Along the way, David provides some solid character moments with the title character (and with her sidekick, Jazinda the Skrull). I'm sticking with this book.

Detective Comics 843 Boy, Paul Dini really has a thing for Zatanna, doesn't he? I think she's appeared in his run on Detective more than Alfred, more than Commissioner Gordon, more than Robin. Here, she teams up with Batman to take on the Ventriloquist. I like the new Ventriloquist, although I miss the old, Wexler version. I also like Paul Dini's run on this book, which has been one solid Batman story after another. No flash, no razzle-dazzle, just good comics.

Casanova 13 Remember when Cornelius Quinn got killed by Zephyr Quinn last issue? Well, he's back. EMPIRE's got a plan, the Bendays have a plan, and Casanova himself is still AWOL (though we get to see him in some flashbacks). How many times do I have to tell you people that you should be reading this book?

[Giantrobo]

Isn't Paul Dini's wife a real life version of Zatanna? :lol:

[boredsilly]

Detective Comics 843 Boy, Paul Dini really has a thing for Zatanna, doesn't he? I think she's appeared in his run on Detective more than Alfred, more than Commissioner Gordon, more than Robin.

Yes he does. In fact, he married her...in a fashion.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/89/234707240_9df2c36771.jpg
http://www.mistylee.com/gallery/phpslideshow.php?directory=.&currentPic=1

ETA: I remember reading the first Buffy season 8 comic and thinking the art was bad. What the hell was I smoking? The art is actually pretty damn good. Maybe it was just a case of my expectations getting in the way of the actual product. That, or comparing this to Angel's new comic -wink-.

[JasonF]

If you want good art in a Wheedon TV-show comic, check out the new Serenity comic. Artist Will Conrad absolutely nailed the likenesses.

[boredsilly]

Yeah, I might. Thing is I like what I know about Firefly and that universe. I don't know if I have the "desire" to revisit that world. Is the book good on its own merits?

So I've read the first 8 issues of Season 8 and I've really fallen in love with the book. I still don't get how I didn't like it right away, but I'm glad I came back! It's turning out to be a neat story and I can hear the characters so clearly in my head, that it does feel like a true continuation of the show (versus a lot of "lost episode" stuff). This makes me wish that Space Above and Beyond could continue as a comic. Only six people would read it, but we would be such a happy six.

[Superboy]

Joss Whedon just knows how to write a comic book. His books might be somewhat tepid at times, but they never fail due to scripting, pacing, or a general lack of how a comic should be written.

[davidh777]

If you want good art in a Wheedon TV-show comic, check out the new Serenity comic. Artist Will Conrad absolutely nailed the likenesses.

How many issues are out so far?

[JasonF]

How many issues are out so far?

The second one just came out this week. It's a 3-issue mini, but they've said they'll be doing more minis after this one.

[davidh777]

The second one just came out this week. It's a 3-issue mini, but they've said they'll be doing more minis after this one.

Awesome. I'll pick this up and double-dip for the TPB as well.

[atxbomber]

Joss Whedon just knows how to write a comic book. His books might be somewhat tepid at times, but they never fail due to scripting, pacing, or a general lack of how a comic should be written.

Except of course for that whole "getting them out on time" thing.

[fujishig]

Except of course for that whole "getting them out on time" thing.

That's par for the course in the comic book industry today, though, so he's following the trend.

[boredsilly]

Buffy has shipped regularly due to other writers handling the duties no? Or are you just referring to Astonishing?

Re Buffy: I've caught all the way up and all of the characters are acting true to nature, save for Xander whom I think they've actually improved upon in the comic. Comic!Xander is awesome! Whereas I was getting kind of sick of his character around season 5 of the show since he didn't have much to do.

[atxbomber]

That's par for the course in the comic book industry today, though, so he's following the trend.

True enough. But of the 40 or so books I get on a regular basis, the two that are written by Whedon consistently miss their solicited date and in general, run later (more late?) then the others.

Buffy has shipped regularly due to other writers handling the duties no? Or are you just referring to Astonishing?

Astonishing and Runaways.

[JasonF]

True enough. But of the 40 or so books I get on a regular basis, the two that are written by Whedon consistently miss their solicited date and in general, run later (more late?) then the others.

I'm guessing you're not a reader of All-Star Batman and Robin. ;)

[atxbomber]

I'm guessing you're not a reader of All-Star Batman and Robin. ;)

Ha! Actually I dropped that after two issues. Wasn't feeling Lee's art, and had no idea what Miller was trying to do there.

[boredsilly]

Miller is being AWESOME! That's what he's doing. -wink-

[ytrez]

Just a question.

Why are we still in the March thread in mid-April?

[dadaluholla]

Why are we still in the March thread in mid-April?

We're saving the April thread for May. You can expect May to be available sometime in the fall.

[mdc3000]

Buffy 13 Continuing Joss Wheedon's "Wolves at the Gate" arc, this is mostly a moving pieces around issue. We spend some time with Dracula, see an Andrew lecture (as seen on TV in Season 7), and find out a little more about our villains. This isn't a very exciting issue, to be honest.

Not a lot of big events but this might be my favourite issue yet. Goddard knows how to write great dialogue for Andrew and Xander...the lecture was great (the chalkboard was awesome and a Krull reference!) and the Dracula scenes really worked for me (complete with Bram Stoker's Dracula reference!) Just a fun, light and entertaining issue.

[davidh777]

We're saving the April thread for May. You can expect May to be available sometime in the fall.

lol

[ytrez]

We're saving the April thread for May. You can expect May to be available sometime in the fall.

Sweet! I'm all about doing my part for conservation and sustainability.

[Rogue588]

Yes he does. In fact, he married her...in a fashion.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/89/234707240_9df2c36771.jpg
http://www.mistylee.com/gallery/phpslideshow.php?directory=.&currentPic=1-other- :hump:

Wonder what she looks like in Zee's fishnets? :drool:

[boredsilly]

I'm sure Paul could tell you if you get him drunk enough. I would bet my life that they play dress up. -wink-

I read this over the weekend:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51NoB3Kz5tL._SS500_.jpg

And it was awesome! Sure, it is derivative of Lord of the Rings, Alice and Wonderland, the Narnia books, and others of this ilk, but still -- damn! The art and sequential storytelling in this thing was just off the charts. The dialog was sparse, and instead of being heavy handed with captions and stuff, Kazu let the art speak for itself. Thank god he did, because this book had some of the best action sequences I've ever seen. They were so good that you could hear the musical score behind them. I can't wait to read the rest of the story and believe this might be the next Bone. Has anyone read his Daisy Kutter series?

Also, I'm two volumes into Death Note, and this too is really awesome. The story is really interesting, and it makes me wonder how no one thought to do it before. It's awesome knowing there are 12 volumes of this stuff out there waiting to be read by me. I'm going to devour them!

[fujishig]

I think we talked about this before (I don't remember if it was you or someone else), but Deathnote starts off great, and then kinda derails a bit about halfway through. It is a great manga, though, with incredible art by Obata, and there's even a book that is labeled as volume 13, but is mainly background info and interviews and stuff.

If you're a fan of Obata's work on this, also consider picking up Hikaru No Go. It's a very, very different title, and the plot is basically about a teenage Go player (Go is a Japanese strategic board game, more like chess than monopoly), which would seem to be an odd subject for a comic book, but I highly recommend it.

edit: I should probably make it clear that unlike some manga, Obata is only the artist on each title, they are written by different writers (Tsugumi Ohba for Death Note, Yumi Hotta for Hikaru No Go), so the storytelling is very different.

[Shiv Shankly]

Yeah, Death Note goes in the toilet after book 7. Really disappointing after how the story had gone up to that point. And Hikaru No Go is compellingly readable, despite having almost no experience with Go beforehand.

[boredsilly]

Well I will try Hikaru No Go because the art on Death Note is pretty amazing. Enough so to make me seek out some of his other stuff.

Sorry to hear that the series hits a few speed bumps, but I'm still down to read them all and decide for myself. Especially since the library has all of the volumes and they're pretty quick reads.

Have either of you tried the anime series based on Go or Death Note? I hear they are pretty direct translations and there isn't much point in watching them if you read the manga.

[Shiv Shankly]

It's not so much Death Note hits a few speed bumps, it's that in book 7 there is a major, series-changing event, and the direction chosen after that event really didn't work at all for me. It's all anti-climax after that point. If you like Obata's work, Viz is publishing another manga he did, called Ral Grad. It's a fantasy thing, based on the video game Blue Dragon. The main character is a teen boy obsessed with tits, and he basically spends most of his time trying to cop feels. The first volume was released here a month or two ago, and it only runs four books. Artistically speaking, it's more exciting than Hikaru No Go, but the latter has the more involving story by far. Haven't watched the anime of either Death Note or HnG, but the Death Note live action movies are good if you have region free access. Or wish to acquire them by less...savory means.

[xmiyux]

Have either of you tried the anime series based on Go or Death Note? I hear they are pretty direct translations and there isn't much point in watching them if you read the manga.

The anime of Hikaru No Go is great. Unfortunately they aren't bringing any more of them to the US after the 11th DVD so the rest of the story has be be read.

I do play Go so i especially loved the story.

I picked up the first two issues of the Firefly 3-shot and have yet to read them. Flipping through them the art is great though.

I also snagged issue 2 of a book called Echo. I bought it purely on a whim because my daughter's name is Echo. :lol: Hopefully it is a good story.

[boredsilly]

I also snagged issue 2 of a book called Echo. I bought it purely on a whim because my daughter's name is Echo. :lol: Hopefully it is a good story.

Well that comic is done by one of the best creators ever for my money, so you should get some enjoyment out of it.

[B.A.]

I picked up The Complete Frank Miller Batman at a book fair yesterday for $.50.

It's in pretty good shape - a little bit of wear on the corners.

[ytrez]

I picked up The Complete Frank Miller Batman at a book fair yesterday for $.50.

It's in pretty good shape - a little bit of wear on the corners.

Is this the leather bound book? If so, that's a great price for it.

[B.A.]

Is this the leather bound book? If so, that's a great price for it.Yep - I checked Amazon last night to see what it is going for.

[The Bus]

Read this over the weekend:

<img src="http://scottwesterfeld.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/robotdreams.jpg">

Robot Dreams by Sara Varon

It is probably one of the saddest/bittersweet books I've ever read and it has almost no text or dialogue. On Amazon you can "Search Inside" and hit "Surprise Me" and it will give you a random sample of a few pages.

[boredsilly]

I read that too recently...definitely not what I was expecting. Still, I did really enjoy it.

[fujishig]

So finally read through the Ultimate Power or whatever that crossover between the new Squadron Supreme universe and the Ultimate universe was called.

Mainly it seemed like an excuse to use every major "hero" from the Ultimate Universe, with fan service to the old Squadron Supreme fans (they even had that Skrull Martian Manhunter analog). That being said, there were a few major things to come out of the crossover, and I had a few questions (if anyone read this)


So the main changes seem to be:

Nick Fury stuck in the Supreme Power universe. Why exactly? Because he had that agreement with Doom? That wasn't even the cause of all this crap anyway, what harm did he really do?

Power Princess (or whatever she calls herself) switches to the Ultimate Universe. Why did she make that decision so readily, when she seems so eager to extend her influence over Hyperion? That seemed a little sudden.

So the "old" Squadron Supreme was sent here through a rift caused by the Scarlet Witch. So why did someone like the Skrull come along, when he has no known analog in the Supreme Power universe? Where was evil Dr. Doom-esque Emil Burbank?



Also read the latest New Avengers hardcover. I actually like Leinel Francis Yu's art in this, though it's heavy on cheesecake at times and he sometimes draws eyes that seem really, really bloodshot. Otherwise he reminds me of John Paul Leon (what is he doing these days anyway?). I also like the paranoia, and I guess because I don't read many of his comics anyway, I still enjoy Bendis's dialog. I also like that they recognize how underpowered of a team they really are... besides Dr. Strange's do-pretty-much-anything powers, they don't really have any powerhouses.

[dadaluholla]

So do you think we should start a new thread for May? I haven't been in to the shop to pick up my books since the week after Christmas. If I didn't have $75 in credit there, I'm not sure I'd even bother. Still love comics though.

Currently reading Essential Dazzler, which I had avoided for some time, but I'm finding that I'm actually enjoying it more than the other Marvel female titles of that era such as She-Hulk or Spider-woman.

[Rogue588]

I've been diggin' the heck out of Wolverine: First Class.

http://www.marvel.com/comics/onsale/covers/0408/wolvfirst2.jpg

I think it's because the stories take place right around the time I started collecting comics and have that "feel" about them. In this issue, Kitty does her best to get Wolvie to drive her and some classmates to a Dazzler concert. ;)

[fujishig]

Not to be the continuity police or anything, but that cover seems a little odd... did Kitty still have that costume when Sabretooth went to that whole big upper body costume? I don't remember exactly...

what era is it depicting, anyway? The New Mutants (hence First Class)?

edit: now that I think about it, I think Jim Lee created that costume, and by that time Kitty had become Shadowcat, right?

[Rogue588]

The depiction is right after Kitty moves into the mansion. I'm not sure about Sabretooth's costume, but Kitty was Shadowcat way before Jim Lee.

[boredsilly]

I've heard a lot of good things about First Class. Just pure simple fun comic, that is a step up from the Adventures titles, but not as adult or continuity laden as the X-proper books. I might have to give them a go.

About Ultimate War, it seems odd to put the Ultimate universe through the same paces as a typical mainstream comic-verse. I would think they would want to keep those books as accessible as possible. Sure, Ultimate Spidey is pushing 120 issues now, but it's all one long story, no?

[fujishig]

IMHO, the Ultimate Universe has long since gone past the premise of being "easy to get into." Ultimate Spidey may still be staying that course, but Ultimate X-men and FF, at least, seem filled to the brim with nods to "regular" continuity that would go way over the heads of any first time readers. And Ultimate War would just leave everyone confused (I hear the new Ultimates series is pretty difficult to read as well).

When the Ultimate universe first came about, I thought it was going to be a streamlined universe, without so many characters and crossovers and continuity, and appealing to maybe younger kids. Spidey was back to being a teenager, as were the X-men and FF. Ultimates, good as it was, seemed to turn the Universe into a much darker place. And now what's the point of it? After this whole Civil War garbage, the Avengers and superheroes are basically working for the government in the "real" Marvel Universe. "Real" Spidey no longer has the "baggage" of being married. I do seem to enjoy Ultimate FF a bit more than the "real" FF these days, but besides the Ultimates being younger, it seems like most of the stories could be done with either team.

[fujishig]

march/april/may! :)

So I finally read the first HC of Mighty Avengers... I thought you guys were joking about the though balloons, but man are they annoying. And they're not used as they traditionally were, but more as a way of making a joke... which worked at times, but when it's done constantly on every single panel, it got old really quickly.

Also, when did Tony get this ultra sophisticated morphing armor?

[Bronkster]

So, Action Comics Annual #11 finally came out (the conclusion of the "Last Son" storyline that was dropped about a year ago). Can someone who's read it and has a better memory than I fill me in on the following spoilerized query?
At the end of Action 11, Chris is missing. He's currently a part of Clark and Lois' lives, but I don't recall any point where Chris was gone and came back - it seems like he was always a part of things once he was introduced. Am I forgetting something, or is this a symptom of the delayed story and editors dropping the ball?
Thanks! http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a142/Bronkster/SuperBanana.gif

[fujishig]

Finally got my April comics in, and it's just a handful of comics, about to get smaller by next month:

Groo Hell on Earth 4: I finally get the last issue of the miniseries, and they already solicit the collection in this month's previews. On the plus side, the collection is a bit more expensive than the individual issues, and I get Groo grams in my book. I really wish they'd start making Groo Omnibus's, though.

JLA 20: Cool standalone story explaining why the Flash hasn't been around to help out since his return. Van Sciver's art, didn't look as good as it has i the past, though, I'm not sure if that's because of the inker or what.

JSA 14: There are a ton of characters in this book, but I think it adds to the charm... this ties so closely with Kingdom Come that I'm surprised they don't mention it on the cover.

Legion of Superheroes 41: Since Waid and Kitson left, they've brought this back towards the Legion of old, the problem is that it's still not the legion of old, so I'm not sure who they're trying to please... I don't think a new reader would be able to make heads or tails of what's going on.

Supergirl 28: last issue I'm buying for a while, at least. The plotholes are just too much for me to take. Let's see, Supergirl wants to cure cancer. To prove that she can't, Wonder Woman has Supergirl fly to Paradise Island to get the healing Purple Ray, punches Supergirl, and heals Supergirl, telling her that even that can't cure cancer, so why bother trying. Nowhere in the conversation is it brought up that hey, the Purple Ray may not be able to cure cancer, but it can sure cure a lot of people around the world, right? Also, part of Wondie's lecture is that she may have come on a mission to bring peace to man's world, but she didn't PROMISE anyone, let alone promise a child, so it's ok. And that's before the main plot with the Resurrection Man, of all people, and breaking an inmate out of prison. Ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh. Ugh.

Teen Titans 58: You know, I gave this a little longer of a leash than Supergirl, but I can't really trust McKeever on this book anymore. You need an editor's note to tell you that the events in this book take place before the previous two issues. You have Robin lecturing Miss Martian about faking identification documents for her, because, well, it's illegal, as opposed to dressing up like a vigilante and taking the law into your own hands or the hundreds of ways Batman has been breaking the law for decades.

And the collections I got this week, that I haven't read yet:

Captain Carrot and the Final Ark
Thor HC 1 (Straczynski and Coipel)
X-men Messian Complex HC (I know, I know, I'm hoping this one will actually be good)


Also, I have to pat Marvel on the back for their Secret Invasion Saga free handout (not sure how it was distributed, it came free with my monthly shipment). Sure, it was recycled art, but it was cohesive and very informative about the whole Skrull invasion, from past to present.

[boredsilly]

Thor HC 1 (Straczynski and Coipel)

This book is amazing. I don't understand how I've never heard of Coipel before this, but that mofo can draw his ass off. The one shitty thing about this book I can say is that after reading it with Coipel's art, you won't want to read Thor drawn by other people. I still have yet to read issue 7 or whatever that has a different artist on it. If you'll allow me to sound like a tool for a moment, Coipel's art is so good that you can feel the dust and wind coming off the page! Now that I've sold the book so hard, watch you come back in this thread and say you thought it was just ok. -wink-

I'm one of those losers who never read any Simonson Thor stuff, and if I'm honest I probably never will, but I'm a sucker for the character now. Between the Ragnarok story by Oeming (which is awesome and totally underrated) and this new series, I am a Thor fan.

I reread the Ultimates vol. 1 last week after being in the mood from seeing Iron Man, and while I thought this was the most awesome comic in the land years ago, I don't feel like it holds up. I can't quite put my finger on what I don't like about the book now, but reading it in two sittings it just felt a bit dry to me. It still has some really cool moments, but not the all time classic (at least for me), that I once thought it was. Maybe I just think the Authority does everything this book does 100 times better? Or maybe the Ultimate Cap isn't so impressive any more since Cap proper has been fixed by Brubaker? I don't know, but it doesn't feel "special" anymore.

I've also started reading The Boys, and while this definitely isn't out Preaching Preacher, the book is kind of awesome. It's totally ridiculous and over the top, but fun all the same.

[slop101]

Now that I've sold the book so hard, watch you come back in this thread and say you thought it was just ok. -wink-I thought Copiel was average, not bad, but certainly not great - the guy that's drawing Thor now is much better, and Simonson of course, just trounces him.

[fujishig]

Still haven't read Thor yet, but Coipel's art has improved drastically from his Legion Lost early days. He's still not an artist that I'd pick up a book for, but he's decent. Sometimes he reminds me a lot of Jim Cheung (who I thought was a competent artist back in his Iron Man/X-Force days, but who seemed to improve in leaps and bounds with his Crossgen and Young Avengers stuff).

Who's the guy drawing Thor now?

Simonson's stuff: I can see why some people won't like it, it's pretty stylistic and sketchy, but he did amazing things in Thor. I wish he was more popular, as I think his Orion series would've lasted a bit longer if he were a bigger name with the average fan. What's he doing now anyway?

I'm now halfway through Messiah Complex: it does seem like an "old school" X-title crossover. I have no idea who any of the "New X-men" are, though it seems like the history of that book was just one massacre after another. They tried to give a good excuse for X-factor to be in it (Madrox being necessary for one mission, and Wolfsbane in the new X-force) but I still would've preferred that book to be separate. Hopefully it brought more readers to the underappreciated (and IMHO, best written) corner of the x-verse. At this point, I'm not sure that I understand why they are so convinced that Cable is out to get them (besides an excuse to resurrect X-force in a totally unrecognizable way), but I'm hoping that gets fleshed out.

[slop101]

Guys, you have to check out the new Batman Confidential (#17). It's a flashback to the first meeting between Batgirl and Catwoman, and it's a blast. The whole issue is essentially one long chase. Oh, and the art's by the always reliable Kevin Maguire.

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/5969/batconbv8.jpg

[xmiyux]

Guys, you have to check out the new Batman Confidential (#17). It's a flashback to the first meeting between Batgirl and Catwoman, and it's a blast. The whole issue is essentially one long chase. Oh, and the art's by the always reliable Kevin Maguire.

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/5969/batconbv8.jpg

I have not, but i may have to hunt it down. I <3 Catwoman.

[Jackskeleton]

Since I love Batgril, I picked up that issue the second I saw it on the shelf.

[fujishig]

Is that Maguire run on Confidential a 3-issue story? Just noticed he was doing this tory in last month's Previews, which was soliciting number 19.

[slop101]

Yeah, it's a 3 or 4 issue long story. Which I'm sure will get collected in a handy paperback the week after the last issue comes out.

[boredsilly]

I thought Copiel was average, not bad, but certainly not great - the guy that's drawing Thor now is much better, and Simonson of course, just trounces him.

Wow, just average, really? I guess we all have different tastes, but I thought his drawing was one of the few times Thor actually had some physical character other than a generic Fabio-type. Coipel made him look distinct.

I have been less than impressed with Grant Morrison's run on Batman, but decided to give the first issue of R.I.P. a go...and I have no idea what's going on. Maybe if I read all of his issues it would be clearer, but they just weren't holding my attention. I think Grant is a great writer, but sometimes gets a pass because his fans (myself included) assume that it's all going to come together sooner or later in a big mind-fuckey way.

[dadaluholla]

I always hated Oliver Coipel's art.

The first time I saw the new Thor stuff, I thought "Wow, why is Marvel still giving Rob Liefeld work? Oops, my mistake...that Coipel". Top that off with Straczynski writing, and I wouldn't touch that book if they were giving them out free.

[boredsilly]

Coipel = Liefeld? :lol:

What bizarro world is this? That Frontier(s) banner must be doing something to everyone's head. -wink-

[Gamblor187]

So, Action Comics Annual #11 finally came out (the conclusion of the "Last Son" storyline that was dropped about a year ago). Can someone who's read it and has a better memory than I fill me in on the following spoilerized query?
At the end of Action 11, Chris is missing. He's currently a part of Clark and Lois' lives, but I don't recall any point where Chris was gone and came back - it seems like he was always a part of things once he was introduced. Am I forgetting something, or is this a symptom of the delayed story and editors dropping the ball?
Thanks! http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a142/Bronkster/SuperBanana.gif

It's been so long that I can't be sure, but I don't think that you're forgetting anything. It's just the major delays and poor editing. Although they handled him pretty well in the books, I'm glad to see Chris gone. The introduction of children can really kill a book. (See: The Flash)
If not for the delays, I would be ready to call "Last Son" a truly great Superman story. But I just can't be sure if it really work until I go back and read the story from the beginning.

[fujishig]

Like I said before, I think Coipel's art has improved greatly since the nearly-unreadable Legion Lost (and a lot of the improvement came between Legion Lost and the first issue of his regular LOSH gig). I've started reading Thor, and his art is reminiscent of a low-rent Travis Charest (that's not a put down, either). Sometimes, the lines he puts on faces also reminds me a bit of Romita Jr.

However... is it just me, or didn't they just do a "find the Asgardians who are disguised as humans with no memories" plotline just a few years ago? Also, post Civil War, is it just an edict to have all writers write Iron Man as a jerk? Watching the movie (and even reading Mighty Avengers) made me forget how much I hate comic book Iron Man.

[Giantrobo]

Project Superpowers 2 Continuing the rehabilitation of various public domain Golden Age characters. Lev Gleason's Daredevil has been rechristened "The Devil," which puts him in the same good company as Billy Batson as a victim of trademark law. This is a pretty enjoyable book. How could it not be when one of the main chaaters is a floating American flag?


So it's decent huh?

I just picked up issue 3. Are 1 and 2 hard to find? I had read some of stuff about this book in Wizard and I had wanted to catch it but totally dropped the ball until I noticed #3 in my LCBS last week. I had an, "oh man! I'm behind on this!", moment. :lol:

Anyway, it looks good.

[JasonF]

So it's decent huh?

I just picked up issue 3. Are 1 and 2 hard to find? I had read some of stuff about this book in Wizard and I had wanted to catch it but totally dropped the ball until I noticed #3 in my LCBS last week. I had an, "oh man! I'm behind on this!", moment. :lol:

Anyway, it looks good.

I would say it's pretty good. The strange thing is that all of the Ross/Kreuger collaborations have a similar feel to them in terms of a slow build to some large Ragnarok-like event. Only, unlike with Earth X and its various sequels or with Justice, I have no pre-existing attachments to these characters. So it's a similar but different experience for me from reading their other stuff.

I'd call this book a fun ride, but so far not destined to go down as one of the all-time classics. I certainly plan to keep reading it.

[JasonF]

Also, post Civil War, is it just an edict to have all writers write Iron Man as a jerk? Watching the movie (and even reading Mighty Avengers) made me forget how much I hate comic book Iron Man.

Pick up the Michelinie/Layton miniseries ("Legacy of Doom"). It's classic, heroic Iron Man and classic, evil but regal Doom (Doom does not rant, eyes bugged and spittle flying, that his foe is a "fat piece of furniture he may need for trade." Bendis, I'm looking at you).

[Giantrobo]

I would say it's pretty good. The strange thing is that all of the Ross/Kreuger collaborations have a similar feel to them in terms of a slow build to some large Ragnarok-like event. Only, unlike with Earth X and its various sequels or with Justice, I have no pre-existing attachments to these characters. So it's a similar but different experience for me from reading their other stuff.

I'd call this book a fun ride, but so far not destined to go down as one of the all-time classics. I certainly plan to keep reading it.



Thanks. Yeah, I like the fact that they're using these heroes from the early days of comics.

[ytrez]

Just thought I'd pimp an upcoming book.

Harvey Kurtzman's Humbug is getting a deluxe hard cover 2 volume slipcase set in August and Amazon has it available for preorder for only $31.50.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/518cLfW8vsL._SS500_.jpg

"We won't write for morons. We won't do anything just to get laughs. We won't be dirty. We won't be grotesque. We won't be in bad taste. We won't sell magazines."—Declaration of editorial principles, Humbug #1

Harvey Kurtzman changed the face of American humor when he created the legendary MAD comic. As editor and chief writer from its inception in 1952, through its transformation into a slick magazine, and until he left MAD in 1956, he influenced an entire generation of cartoonists, comedians, and filmmakers. In 1962, he co-created the long-running Little Annie Fanny with his long-time artistic partner Will Elder for Playboy, which he continued to produce until his virtual retirement in 1988.

Between MAD and Annie Fanny, Kurtzman's biographical summaries will note that he created and edited three other magazines, Trump, Humbug, and Help!, but, whereas his MAD and Annie Fanny are readily available in reprint form, his major satirical work in the interim period is virtually unknown. Humbug, which had poor distribution, may be the least known, but to those who treasure the rare original copies, it equals or even exceeds MAD in displaying Kurtzman's creative genius. Humbug was unique in that it was actually published by the artists who created it: Kurtzman and his cohorts from MAD Will Elder, Jack Davis, and Al Jaffee, were joined by universally acclaimed cartoonist Arnold Roth. With no publisher above them to rein them in, this little band of creators produced some of the most trenchant and engaging satire of American culture ever to appear on American newsstands. At last, the entire run of 11 issues of Humbug is being reprinted in a deluxe format, much of it reproduced from the original art, allowing even owners of the original cheaply-printed issues to see the full impact of these creators' artistry for the first time.

"Man—We're Beat! Satire has got us beat. 1953—We started MAD magazine for a comic-book publisher and we did some pretty good satire and it sold very well. 1956—We started Trump magazine...and we worked much harder and we did much better satire and we sold much worse. 1957—We started Humbug magazine and we worked hardest of all and turned out the very best satire of all, which of course now sells the very worst of all. And now...as they throw rocks at Vice President Nixon...as space gets cluttered with missiles...and as our names are carefully removed from our work in MAD pocketbooks—a feeling of beatness creeps through our satirical veins and capillaries and we think how George S. Kaufman once said, 'Satire is something that closes Saturday night....'"—From the editorial to Humbug's final issue

[Bronkster]

^^^ Awesome!

[Giantrobo]

WTF? I'm catching up on Batman and the Outsiders and now the previously dead Ralph(Elongated Man) and Sue Dibney are back together as ghosts possessing bodies like Deadman, and helping the living? When did this happen?

[dx23]

WTF? I'm catching up on Batman and the Outsiders and now the previously dead Ralph(Elongated Man) and Sue Dibney are back together as ghosts possessing bodies like Deadman, and helping the living? When did this happen?


According to wikipedia, DC hasn't explained that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elongated_Man

Another thing that they have pulled out of their ass. We need another Crisis on Infinite Earth!!!!

[JasonF]

WTF? I'm catching up on Batman and the Outsiders and now the previously dead Ralph(Elongated Man) and Sue Dibney are back together as ghosts possessing bodies like Deadman, and helping the living? When did this happen?

That was Mark Waid's big contribution to 52 -- recasting Ralph and Sue as Ghost Detectives. I don't like the idea of them possessing living people -- it seems too much like Deadman, as you point out -- but I think it's a nice and logical use of the characters.

[boredsilly]

Isn't Deadman gone or off limits, thanks to the Vertigo series?

[Giantrobo]

That was Mark Waid's big contribution to 52 -- recasting Ralph and Sue as Ghost Detectives. I don't like the idea of them possessing living people -- it seems too much like Deadman, as you point out -- but I think it's a nice and logical use of the characters.


I guess. We'll see how it pans out. I guess I was just a bit shocked when they were revealed.

[Giantrobo]

Isn't Deadman gone or off limits, thanks to the Vertigo series?

Man, I tried to follow that series but I just gave up. It's like, ok...I've been through X amount of issues...where's Deadman!?!?!

[henryfish]

Vertigo essentially "traded" DC Jonah Hex for Deadman. But instead of creating a new Deadman series with the established character, they went with the whole-new-character-with-the-same-name route. The first Deadman was never meant to show up on the short-lived new series. That said, Deadman should be available for any DC universe story, but he hasn't been. Shrug.

[JasonF]

Deadman -- the real one -- is due to show up in next month's Brave & the Bold.

http://dccomics.com/media/product/9/5/9520_400x600.jpg

[Giantrobo]

Awesome!

[JasonF]

The following issue continues the Deadman/GL stroyline with two additional heroes:

http://dccomics.com/media/product/9/7/9724_400x600.jpg

The issue after that is a Superman/Catwoman team-up that I don't think is part of the same storyline.

I'm really enjoying Brave & the Bold. Waid is one of those writers whose stuff I either really like or really dislike. This is one of those books where he's hitting all the right notes and it's really coming together for me.

[JasonF]

By the way, what's the verdict on Countdown? The first trade comes out next week and I'm considering picking it up. I enjoyed 52, but I've heard Countdown isn't as good. Thoughts?

[Patman]

I'm ashamed to say that I actually read all of Countdown, and it was pretty lame. I regret going with it, and not quitting early on in the year-long run. Why didn't I quit? Probably because I did enjoy a weekly serial, but the whole thing lacked vision, and Dini's over-seeing of the title just couldn't sustain a weekly title for the entire year in terms of suspense, intrigue, interest.

[boredsilly]

Having read up to the seventh volume of Deathnote, I can say that the big shake-up didn't bother me at all. Things were getting a bit boring actually, so I'm glad that the status quo changed. Whether I'll like this in later volumes or not is left to be determined, but I'm still on board.

Actually, I was scared that the business stuff was going to be where the book was going (from volumes 5 and 6), which would have really put me off the book. That stuff was a bit too dry for my tastes.

I will say that this book just feels like I'm reading one gigantic instruction manual. All rules, plans, and logic with paper thin characters I could not care less about. For those that read it, did you feel the same? I'm really only concerned with seeing what happens next, but I'm not invested in any of these people. They're just pawns on a chess board, and it's fun to see how they're moved around.

[Rogue588]

That was Mark Waid's big contribution to 52 -- recasting Ralph and Sue as Ghost Detectives. I don't like the idea of them possessing living people -- it seems too much like Deadman, as you point out -- but I think it's a nice and logical use of the characters.I don't read Birds Of Prey, but I heard that Darkseid is back...and black...? Is this true? :hscratch:

[Giantrobo]

I don't read Birds Of Prey, but I heard that Darkseid is back...and black...? Is this true? :hscratch:

Yeah I just read this issue.

Misfit and Black Alice get kidnapped into an underground Meta-Fight Club and all the people running it have the same names as the baddies on Apokolips. Granny Goodness is a huge masculine Black Woman, "Dark Side" is a Big black Dude who runs the fights, and so on. Since they(Apokolips characters) have all been killed I'm not sure if it's just a play on the names, or some kind of actual reincarnation of the characters.


Here's what happened in the issue. From Wiki:


<i>Her addiction to antidepressants saves her when she's kidnapped by Darkseid's henchmen, dosed with will-suppressing drugs and pitted against other metahumans, the antidepressants intefere with the drugs. Finding Misfit similarly trapped, but almost completely brainwashed and vulnerable, she briefly contemplates the idea of stealing her teleport abilities to flee alone, in retailation for taking "her place" in the Birds of Prey. After a discovery by Bernadeth that she may be a blood relative of Misfit, she has a change of heart, and helps the girl escape. She leaves behind a letter, explaining her discoveries, but claiming that her feud with the young teleporter is not over. </i>

[boredsilly]

That sounds...random. Though, "Dark Side" is a badass name for a big black dude...if only I could pull that off. Sadly, I'm too soft looking for that. -wink-

[fujishig]

Isn't that straight from the Mister Miracle series done by Morrison for the Seven Soldiers of Victory mini-event? There, "Dark Side" was a big black gangster, and apparently he had finally found the secret to the Anti-life equation, reducing the New Gods to humans on Earth without their memories (I think High Father was a bum). I have no idea how that ties into the Death of the New Gods mini, as I haven't read it yet.

[JasonF]

I picked up Final Crisis #1 today. I read it once and I want to reread it before I really form an opinion on it. There are some cool bits, and some good uses of some characters I didn't really expect to see ... but there's also a lot of Grant Morrison being Grant Morrison, which doesn't always work for me.

The comic also sheds some light on the New Gods situation referenced in the last few posts.

[Superboy]

I had the same thoughts about Final Crisis, although I felt it wasn't as pretentious as the first issue of Infinite Crisis, although definitely not as good as the original Crisis.

Giant Size Astonishing X-men was a confusing mish-mash of good and bad ideas. The art was solid, I'd begun to see Cassaday slipping in previous issues. However, many of the problems in this issue simply stem from how late it is to the party, and where exactly this story fits into Marvel continuity at the moment. The first pages were Spider-man in classic form, which means it probably takes place before Civil War (which is when this storyline began, remember, almost 2 years ago), but there are numerous indications that this takes place afterwards. But that still doesn't work, because of where the X-men are right now. So in an effort to reach the current audience, Whedon has alienated the original audience for this story. It's not particularly important to me though.

Continuity aside, this issue sums up everything that was good and bad with Astonishing X-men. Great character moments, excellent dialogue, stunning art, and some great sci-fi concepts; on the flipside of that coin, muddled continuity, flat moments, and a mediocre and predictable ending bring this story down.

[boredsilly]

Usually, the first issues of "event" books always get me excited for what's to come. House of M, Civil War, Infinite and Identity Crisis, and the rest (regardless of how they play out) had exciting and captivating first issues. Final Crisis however left me completely cold. Here's hoping the next issue or two manage to capture my interest.

[Superboy]

Usually, the first issues of "event" books always get me excited for what's to come. House of M, Civil War, Infinite and Identity Crisis, and the rest (regardless of how they play out) had exciting and captivating first issues. Final Crisis however left me completely cold. Here's hoping the next issue or two manage to capture my interest.

I felt like the book really had a lot of "meat" to it though, and that's something i've come to expect from Grant Morrison. He's not a "cliffhanger" writer either so that's probably why the ending felt so flat, although it was still exciting.

[boredsilly]

That's fair. Grant is a writer who tends to build a foundation early that pays off later, and that's why I'm not just writing the series off, but to be honest even the "meat" in this issue wasn't that interesting to me. Which makes sense when you consider I've never really been into the New Gods (outside Darkseid and the New God's portrayal in the Superman and Justice League cartoons) or the monitors (I've never read the original crisis).

[Rogue588]

... but there's also a lot of Grant Morrison being Grant Morrison, which doesn't always work for me.Thank GOD i'm not the only one that thinks so...

Also, lemme get this straight...Kitty's "bonded" to a metal ship that's aimlessly flying around the galaxy...right? :rolleyes:

[fujishig]

Ok, so got my last month's batch of comics and trades... yay, no more Supergirl! Teen Titans still bites, though.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #21: decent issue, though the arrogance of the "Big 3" kinda surprises me... having them be the masterminds behind the league made sense maybe in pre-Crisis days, but post-Crisis, aren't all three about the same, experience-wise, as a lot of the other heroes on the roster?

TEEN TITANS #59: I guess Morrison's version of the New Gods is now canon. Other than that... meh.

I'm about halfway through COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS TP VOL 01. They priced it pretty reasonably. The cover has some blurb from a review about how it's amazing the kind of talent they put together for the book... the writers, maybe, but the art is hit and very, very miss at times. I realize it's a weekly book, but geez. Like 52, it's like a condensed version of the "important stuff" happening in the rest of the DC Universe, with some side stories about relatively minor characters sprinkled in. I don't think it works as well as 52, mainly because it's happening in real time, and if someone were to just read this book and not the other DC series, they'd feel lost and/or like they missed out on the best parts. Which may be by design, as I'm sure it helps sell books. But it just does not work when read by itself, sequentially, because you have these big gaps in continuity that are briefly touched upon. For instance, if not for reading JLA and JSA, there's no way I'd be able to make heads or tails of why Karate Kid fought Batman, then got put behind bars, then got released.

Still have yet to read:
LEGION OF SUPER HEROES #42
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #15: always the last monthly I read, because it's always my favorite
STARMAN OMNIBUS HC VOL 01: Looking forward to this, even though I collected these issues when they first came out... it's been a while since I revisited the series.

edited to add:
oops, wrong thread...