We breezed right through the Spring edition of general comic discussion and now we're headed into Summer. Still not a lot going on these days? I personally haven't been to the shop to pick up my comics in months. Can't say I really care either. I've only got 3 books left on my pull list and I think I'll be dropping at least 2 of those soon.
Any good summertime comic book memories?
ivelostr2
06-01-09, 02:47 PM
1. I just finished the 4 Justice Society KC trades.
I was very unfamiliar with the JSA, but i kept hearing that everyone loved the series, so i picked them up. I almost stopped after the first one, because i just didn't get it. I thought it jumped around too much, i didn't understand where they were going with all the emphasis on the recruiting and the legacies...I thought maybe this was something you had to into to be into if you know what i mean...But then i read the 2nd trade, which was the KC part 1...I really liked it, I was only a casual DC fan as a kid, so I only know of the multiverse through other peoples' complaining and recaps of the Crisis books, but I found myself loving the Power Girl part on Earth-2 or 22 or whichever it was. (I'm probably gonna pick up the multiple Crisis, Identity Crisis and Final Crisis trades to see what i have missed). Over all i really liked the series...so from that i have a few questions...
How has it been since Johns left?
I see that Johns wrote some of the books front he last JSA series. Does anyone recommend picking those up? or for that matter is there any of the older JSA stuff that is really good?
2. I also read GL: Rebirth, which i heard great things about. I have always been a casual fan of GL, and I was a reader during the parallax days, but after that my interest fell off. Last summer I read the Sinestro Corps war and was hooked, so i figured I would pick up the trades and give them a read. About halfway through this i was disappointed. It wasn't much fun...but i continued, and I thought the end was really great. Green Arrow using the ring was a highlight for me, and Hal's return at the end was really good. SO im gonna start reading the rest of the trades next...
ivelostr2
06-01-09, 03:07 PM
As far as memories go, Between the ages of 7 and 13, as soon as school would let out, my mother and I would go on business trips with my dad between Washington DC and New York / New Jersey and I would take boxes of comics with me and read the whole time. As soon as we would get to a hotel, I would look up COMICS/COLLECTABLES in the phone book and get out my dad's atlas and plot the trips. I saw so many awesome comic shops during those years. When I started working in Pittsburgh last fall, I started going to Eides, which is a big comic shop downtown. I don't buy much there, except for used trades and Random toys, but sometimes I go there just to chill out and relax. They were having a big sale in late Sept early Oct, and I saw a kid with a British accent there with a paper list and a pile of comics and his mom said "let me go out to the car and talk to dad," and I got the chills, because I remember that conversation happening every time i went to a different store with my mother, while my dad waited in the car.
My dad was very sick last year, and ultimately passed away in October. He and I hadn't seen eye-to-eye in a long time, so while i was there for support when he was diagnosed with cancer, I still harbored a lot of hostility, but hearing that kid and mom's interaction reminded of some good times with him, and stopping at every comic shop on the eastern seaboard was one of the things I thanked him for before he died...wow, this paragraph took a whole different turn from where I intended, but those are my summer comic memories...
fujishig
06-01-09, 03:18 PM
I think Johns has only just left the book... at least, the last issue I read from last month's shipment seemed like his farewell. I highly recommend starting from the beginning of his run (from the previous JSA series)... while there are a lot of things deeply steeped in DC continuity (pre-Crisis stuff), I feel the new characters are well developed for newer readers who have no clue who the Golden Age Mr. Terrific was, for instance.
I'm curious though... did you read Kingdom Come? That probably enhances the last JSA KC issue, at the very least. Also, while I can wholeheartedly recommend the original Crisis, I can only halfheartedly recommend Infinite Crisis, and I haven't yet read Final Crisis, but all signs point to it being terrible. Johns did a great job, IMHO, of keeping his books understandable outside of the big events.
And I have nothing but praise for GL... although the last "origins" trade I read was a little disappointing, the thing I like about Johns' series is that even in the seemingly mundane issues there is a ton of setup to what will happen.
boredsilly
06-01-09, 03:33 PM
I wish I liked GL better. It's not a bad comic by any means, but I just have a bear of a time connecting with it in any way. For me, it's just "ok", which is fine, but does not gel with the comic community treating this book like it is the best thing since sliced bread. Granted, I've never been big on the Green Lanterns (outside of their use in the Justice League), so that could be it, but I haven't cared about other character that Johns has wrote in the past -- whom he eventually made me love (JSA springs to mind). I keep reading it though, because it is mildly interesting, and the library keeps getting in the latest volumes. However, I think I'll probably be done once Blackest Night passes.
I will say I read a comic that completely surprised me. Jeph Loeb catches a lot of shit these days. I personally enjoy his stuff, but I totally get why so many don't. However, above any personal tastes, I think his Captain America Fallen Son story was just a really great comic. It's not surprising that he was able to capture what it's like loosing someone important to you, but man -- he really knocked this out of the park. Especially the speech by Falcon, which really tugged at the heart strings.
And while it's not a comic, I am PUMPED to read this!
Comic book novels and novelizations have gotten really really good in the last 10 years, and I'm hoping this is no exception. It's about the first meeting of Batman and Superman in the 50s -- which is a story I never get tired of reading. If it is half as good as It's Superman! by Tom DeHaven (one of my favorite books of all time) then I'm in for a treat. The guy who wrote Enemies and Allies also wrote the book about the last days of Krypton, but I haven't read that.
ivelostr2
06-01-09, 03:44 PM
I think Johns has only just left the book... at least, the last issue I read from last month's shipment seemed like his farewell. I highly recommend starting from the beginning of his run (from the previous JSA series)... while there are a lot of things deeply steeped in DC continuity (pre-Crisis stuff), I feel the new characters are well developed for newer readers who have no clue who the Golden Age Mr. Terrific was, for instance.
.
Thank you, I am goiong to pick up those trades, i see there are 12 of them, and Johns started on issue # 5, so I might as well start from the beginning...
I'm curious though... did you read Kingdom Come? That probably enhances the last JSA KC issue, at the very least. Also, while I can wholeheartedly recommend the original Crisis, I can only halfheartedly recommend Infinite Crisis, and I haven't yet read Final Crisis, but all signs point to it being terrible. Johns did a great job, IMHO, of keeping his books understandable outside of the big events.
I planned to mention this, in the first post, but after reading the first JSA KC trade, I planned to dig through my comics that are in storage to get out the KC issues, because I had read them, but that was around the time I quit reading, I was just graduating HS, so what i did read was only half-assed, and I had never picked up issues 5 and 6. That weekend, i attended a toy show and found the absolute for $30 or $35, i can't remember, so I did end up picking it up and rereading it between the JSA KC 1 and JSA KC 2...I really liked the ending of the last JSA trade, it was satisfying...
And I have nothing but praise for GL... although the last "origins" trade I read was a little disappointing, the thing I like about Johns' series is that even in the seemingly mundane issues there is a ton of setup to what will happen.
yeah, i find that his stories are very planned out. I have no doubt that the whole blackest night storyline was something that he had been planning for for years...and they are just so much fun, nothing feels like it was throuwn togeter to meet a deadline...
dadaluholla
06-02-09, 10:48 AM
ivelostr2, thanks for sharing your summer comic memories!
A lot of my best memories of summer and comics come from early morning visits to the local drug store to pick the latest Marvel releases. They would come into the store in big bundles, and they always let me open them up and check out all the new arrivals. Back then it seemed like one comic could last me an entire day. I would read that thing from cover to cover, every ad, every bullben bulletin, every subscription offer. Now I get through an issue in about 5 minutes and box it away.
I also have a lot of great memories of going on trips with my family and visiting new comic shops. It was always overwhelming to me, because I wanted to spend all day in there checking out everything (and wanting to buy everything). Not only that, but hitting up the racks at every convenient store we stopped at. Wow, I can even remember they had comics in the gift shop at a hotel we were staying at. I know the exact issue of Iron Man I bought too (still have it). Great times.
Patman
06-02-09, 12:02 PM
My memories of summertime comic book collecting probably revolved around riding my bike to the nearby 7-11 to pick up comics and slurpees, though I forget it that was on Mondays or Tuesdays for new releases. One summer, for about 2 months, I'd draw one character/night, either a head shot, or a full body pose. Not much in originality, more of a swiper. Didn't really see many different shops growing up because the direct market hadn't occured yet, so I was reliant on bookstores, supermarkets and 7-11s to get my weekly comics fix.
While I dropped JSA after Geoff Johns was done with the title last month, I did pick up Jerry Ordway's issue last week, and will most likely drop JSA for good once the new creative team shows up. I'm done with JLA as well, unless the post-Len Wein creative team gets me excited again. McDuffie got fired for airing his feelings on always being stymied by the demands of crossovers/events on his JLA run because the title went from being a team book to being a book that feels in gaps of the most current "event" in the DCU. That's too bad, but his run wasn't all too exciting, though he did give the characters some flavor to their dialogue.
Marvel is really trying to see how inelastic the demand is for their popular books, raising the prices on them to $3.99 to maximize profits (in the short term, I'm afraid) and hoping enough will stick around to make the price hikes profitable. I seriously doubt they'd reduce the prices back if demand drops drasticly.
I just picked up Werewolves on the moon vs. Vampires... There is no way that this can live up to the awesomeness of that title.
Patman
06-15-09, 06:29 PM
Anyone read Captain America 600 yet? It showed up today at LCS everywhere on a Monday just so retailers would have some extra time to get their orders for Reborn adjusted (as Reborn #1 ships in a few weeks on July 1th). Just finished it, and I'm on the fence about the whole thing. I may just jump off, or pick up the issues in the dollar bins later as they are jacking up the Reborn miniseries to the $3.99 price point, and if it's still 22 pages of story/art, I just won't buy at at the inflated price. Got to take a stand and vote with my dollars.
Superboy
06-16-09, 12:32 PM
I've moved to trades with most of my comics because of the cost. It's just too much money. And I can be more selective about my purchases, without feeling that collector's itch. Most comics read better in trades these days, and to be honest, that's not a bad thing.
fujishig
06-16-09, 03:38 PM
I've moved to trades with most of my comics because of the cost. It's just too much money. And I can be more selective about my purchases, without feeling that collector's itch. Most comics read better in trades these days, and to be honest, that's not a bad thing.
It is for the guys collecting the monthlies... :)
I may be joining you soon... I've collected Teen Titans and JLA for a while now without really being happy with them, and JSA is turning over a new leaf, so maybe the time is now (plus, there's no Legion monthly).
Giantrobo
06-16-09, 04:07 PM
I've moved to trades with most of my comics because of the cost. It's just too much money. And I can be more selective about my purchases, without feeling that collector's itch. Most comics read better in trades these days, and to be honest, that's not a bad thing.
Considering I've been collecting monthlies and stacking them in my "too read" pile, I think I should go the way of trades too. I'm so far behind it's not funny. I used to ignore trades because they took too long to come out. But now I'm so behind the trades of issues I still haven't read are passing me by.
fujishig
06-21-09, 12:45 AM
Ok, you guys warned me, but I like Joe Mad art too much... so I picked up and read Ultimates 3 by Loeb and Mad. Ugh. Ughugh. Seriously, what's the story behind this series, did someone lose a bet, or did Loeb have to script around already drawn pages, or what? And Amazon lists this as a v.1... are there really more issues of this coming out?
I don't even understand what the point of the main bad guy doing all that was... he certainly didn't fool anyone. The longest lasting effect of this seems to have happened in issue 1. And the Black Panther "mystery?" Please. Ugh.
fujishig
06-29-09, 03:43 PM
I am really starting to feel like Marvel is starting to pad their collections to up the page count and not including so many issues. Bought the World War Hulk HC, and just read it... it retails for 34.99 and 304 pages, collecting only the 5 main WWH issues and padding it with a couple of specials with interviews with the creator. The Planet Hulk Hardcover was 39.99 for 416 pages, and collected 14 regular issues, one giant size issue, and a side story.
Granted, the WWH issues were oversized and pricey (4 bucks a piece, I think) but I still feel ripped off, and not only because WWH was lackluster compared to Planet Hulk. Would it have killed them to include some of the tie in issues, especially the important ones?
My own fault for not reading the solicits closely, though.
ivelostr2
07-02-09, 03:32 PM
Between the X-world and tfaw sales in May and the Marvel Omnis shipping in June, I have had a lot to read the last few weeks...
1. Ultimate X-men tpb 1-17
I finally finished the last one today. I know there are 2 more trades, and a few other issues, but these 17 I got during the TFAW sale at 85% off and they were worth every penny. Before this, the only Ultimate title I had read was the Gah Lak Tus trilogy, which I had gotten in HC during an earlier sale...The quality dropped off a little after BKV was done. the first Kirkman issue almost gave me a seizure, but they were still enjoyable.
2. Iron Fist Omni -
I am only 10 issues in, but I have never been a fan of IF before, but figured I'd give it a read since Bru was given a lot of acclaim for it. It is a really good read, I actually like the way it jumps around and shows how everthing is connected...I just read the (first?) fat cobra duel, and while only a few pages, the way it was put together visually was very pleasing...I'm glad I picked this up...
Patman
07-02-09, 03:42 PM
I did buy Captain America Reborn at the $3.99 cover price (minus discount at my LCS) because it had 30 pages of artwork (though a lot more splash pages than necessary in my eyes). Let's hope the page count stay at the 30-page range, else I'd hate to drop it and then pick it up in the cheap bins months down the line. Sometimes I hate having to rationalize my comic buying addiction.
Sessa17
07-02-09, 04:53 PM
2. Iron Fist Omni -
I am only 10 issues in, but I have never been a fan of IF before, but figured I'd give it a read since Bru was given a lot of acclaim for it. It is a really good read, I actually like the way it jumps around and shows how everthing is connected...I just read the (first?) fat cobra duel, and while only a few pages, the way it was put together visually was very pleasing...I'm glad I picked this up...
That Iron Fist-Omni is one of the greatest collections to come out in recent years. I cannot recommened it enough if you had to buy just one giant hardcover. The art is brilliant & you don't need to know anything about Iron Fist.
I've been slowly catching up with my backlog of books.
Ghost Rider has been one of my least favorite characters ever, but I just read the entire run of the most recent series only b/c Jason Aaron took over as a writer & wow is this book phenomenal once he got on board. Does anyone know if the series has been cancelled though? There hasn't been a new issue in the past couple of Previews.
Mhepburn20
07-02-09, 06:35 PM
Sadly Ghost Writer was cancelled. A couple books I've really been digging just barely outside the norm:
House of Mystery - picked up the first two trades and was surprised to see there was a complex framing story interwoven with the somewhat unrelated anthology style tales and promptly added ALL house of mystery trades to my pull/preorder list.
Unwritten - The new Vertigo series where the first issue was only $1 (we may have mentioned it at the end of the May thread) but this series is just one big fun mystery with a large amount of fantasy influence and the artwork is great.
And then lastly if you haven't checked out Mark Waid's work over at Boom, his two current series are a lot of fun.
Irredeemable is a bit of a miracle man lite but he's definitely taken his character further into the villain realm rather than just mere ambivalence at the human condition and it's making for an interesting read so far.
The Unknown is straight up mystery with a bit of an encyclopedia brown leading character who is definitely too smart for her own good. This one is a limited series and if he keeps up the quality it'll definitely be worth it to pick up the trade.
fujishig
07-03-09, 12:03 AM
That Iron Fist-Omni is one of the greatest collections to come out in recent years. I cannot recommened it enough if you had to buy just one giant hardcover. The art is brilliant & you don't need to know anything about Iron Fist.
I'm glad to hear this, since my latest shipment of books included the Iron Fist Omni, Brubaker's DD omni and Starman Omnibus #3. Who needs weekly comics?
I did get 4 monthlies, up one from my normal mainly because of the insane deal Mailordercomics gave me on issue 1. A brilliant ploy, because it ensures I'll pick up #2 and #3 before I even get to issue 1...
Batman and Robin #1
JLA #34: This is the culmination of the Starbreaker arc? Seems like a clunky way to explain all the Milestone Universe combining with the DC universe, referencing a crossover from more than a decade ago that even I can barely remember, and I was a huge Milestone fan. I know McDuffie had some problems on this book, but any reason to stick around after this? I think I mainly started picking up the latest run because of the hype, but I don't think I ever really loved the book.
JSA #28
Teen Titans #72: Actually enjoyed this issue, though Bennet does a lot more cheesecake than I remember. Ironically, I think my enjoyment of this has gone up as a result of the new Blue Beetle growing on me because of the Brave and the Bold cartoon. Cross marketing works!
I see they're bringing the old Archie/Impact characters back... Interesting. Also looks like JSA isn't going to be dropped by me anytime soon, with the new writing team announced.
stingermck
07-04-09, 02:46 AM
I know McDuffie had some problems on this book, but any reason to stick around after this?
Robinson and Bagley are taking over, and his Cry For Justice story will feed into JLA
I've already bought Invincible 2. I'm not as pumped up about Sable 2 but will probably get it as well since I'm a Grell fan. In fact, I got the first two Warlord floppies and thought they were pretty decent (much better than that bad series from a couple years ago). Issue #2 had a story recap, and it wasn't ringing many bells for me. Granted it's been many years since I read those, but I'm wondering if they might have rebooted the origin story a bit.
fujishig
07-08-09, 01:27 PM
I'm reading through the Final Crisis HC right now (currently on the Superman special). I kinda like it, though my expectations have been greatly lowered by all the criticisms. But it is classic, over-the-top Morrison. It does seem like he just gave the guys who did "Countdown" vague story ideas and the editors did a horrific job into making sure they match up ("At the end of Countdown, I want the New Gods dead, Zodiac as a prominent criminal and Mary Marvel evil... I don't care how you do it, just draw it out for a year. And then I'll change everything anyway."). Haven't made it to the end yet, so there's still time for me to sour on it.
I heard good things about "Incredible Hercules" but the first trade, collecting the crossover with World War Hulk, was pretty bad. I'm guessing this is not the tone of the rest of the series? Because the Champions (really Herc, Angel, Cho, and Namora) basically show up and go back and forth on whether the Hulk is a good guy or bad guy, ultimately doing absolutely nothing except get beat up.
Ralph Jenkins
07-08-09, 01:48 PM
I've been enjoying Phonogram: Singles Club, Locke & Key, and The Umbrella Academy. These are the only singles I've been picking up, although I probably should've waited for the trades/HCs.
boredsilly
07-09-09, 01:22 PM
I finally got around to reading the first Umbrella Academy, and it definitely is a really fun book. Lived up to nearly all of the hype.
JasonF
07-09-09, 03:06 PM
Wednesday comics is GORGEOUS!!! The stories themselves range from "This is OK" to "This is a really good opening chapter," but the artwork is just phenomenal.
dadaluholla
07-10-09, 03:08 PM
Pretty sure I saw Robert Kirkman at the zoo today.
Sessa17
07-10-09, 07:32 PM
Pretty sure I saw Robert Kirkman at the zoo today.
Cincinnati Zoo? You totally did, how on earth did you recognize him? I follow his twitter, he was there with his family.
dadaluholla
07-11-09, 01:47 AM
LOL! Yes the Cincy Zoo. Shit I should have said something but I wasn't sure it was even him at first. I was standing there with my girlfriend, watching one of the handlers show off this huge snake and I see this big bearded guy with his family, and I'm like "that guy looks like Robert Kirkman". Then I saw he had on a Criminal shirt on (Brubaker), so I was pretty damn sure it was him but then he went into one of the bathrooms to change his kid, so I just let him be.
I just finished the 4th Invincible hardcover this week, too!
davidh777
07-11-09, 11:12 AM
I just finished the 4th Invincible hardcover this week, too!
I just started #2 and love it.
Thought this was a surprisingly entertaining read:
:thumbsup: Love those, I think the new one comes out soon.
davidh777
07-12-09, 07:16 PM
My LCS just said they're having a tenth-anniversary celebration on Wednesday: 50% off everything! :banana:
Superboy
07-13-09, 08:28 AM
Wednesday comics is GORGEOUS!!! The stories themselves range from "This is OK" to "This is a really good opening chapter," but the artwork is just phenomenal.
I think that's a really good direction that comics are headed into - Batman and Robin is another good example - of comics becoming a pop caricature of themselves.
slop101
07-13-09, 03:38 PM
Wednesday comics is GORGEOUS!!! The stories themselves range from "This is OK" to "This is a really good opening chapter," but the artwork is just phenomenal.Yeah, but $4 a pop for 15 pages of incomplete stories presented on newsprint is a bit much. It feels like even more of a rip of when the pages start to rip at the folds like mine has. The whole idea of a "Wednesday Comics" is to bring back the old disposable feel of old school comics when they were fun but cheap throwaways you'd roll into your back pocket, which they accomplished with some great talent, but they were never this expensive.
Sessa17
07-13-09, 04:45 PM
Some random stuff I've been reading catching up on my massive backlog. . .
Jonah Hex - Continues to be one of the best comics that nobody reads. The rotating artists are phenomenal, it's mostly stand alone stories, which makes this current arc even better. It's the first 6-part story arc I think of the entire series, & the first time all the characters are coming together for one story.
The Sword - What a phenomenal series, if anything I wish I never picked up the monthies & waited for the complete hardcover, but every issues is so damn good. Way better then Ulta & Girls both of which I thought were pretty overrated.
House of Mystery - Great series, just read the first 8 issues. Phenomenal art. A must read if you dig Fables.
I Kill Giants - Just read this trade, WOW. Should be in every comic fans collection (although it is printed on some pretty crappy paper). One of the best mini-series I've read in a while. It's the kind of book where discovering what kind of book it is is half the fun & has a phenomenal ending that just makes the story stay with you.
fujishig
07-13-09, 05:33 PM
Yeah, but $4 a pop for 15 pages of incomplete stories presented on newsprint is a bit much. It feels like even more of a rip of when the pages start to rip at the folds like mine has. The whole idea of a "Wednesday Comics" is to bring back the old disposable feel of old school comics when they were fun but cheap throwaways you'd roll into your back pocket, which they accomplished with some great talent, but they were never this expensive.
Ah, I had no idea they went back to newsprint for this. I thought the throwback was in the page layout and size. So basically I should have just waited for the trade... :(
slop101
07-13-09, 06:24 PM
I don't seen how they'll be able to do a trade for Wednesday comics.
Maybe that's why they're charging so much - they won't be able to recoup any money from trades.
Patman
07-14-09, 11:42 AM
I could see them doing a trade in the size of those oversized comics, like Superman: Peace on Earth (dimensions 9.8" x 13.2"). It's not exactly 14" x 20", but it's a manageable size for a collection that be 180 pages in page count.
I'd wonder if they'd still be bold enough to print the issues as-is for all 12 issues, and not collate the pages for each feature as a stand-alone story.
fujishig
07-15-09, 12:51 PM
I don't seen how they'll be able to do a trade for Wednesday comics.
Maybe that's why they're charging so much - they won't be able to recoup any money from trades.
They are certainly planning for a couple (not sure how or if it will actually happen):
Then he pulled out a set of proofs of “Wednesday Comics,” which he had rushed from the printer to bring to the show. The 12-issue series will debut in July.
“This is huge,” Sattler said, which is true in a literal sense. The stories are massive, featuring Superman, Batman, Metamorpho, Flash, Katamandi and others as told by Neil Gaiman, Mike Allred, Paul Pope and others.
Sattler expressed uncertainty after the panel about how retailers would respond to the comic, which is so different from traditional comics. He also said editor Mark Chiarello has plans for collecting the series including both downsized and full-size trades. “It’s important we show you how awesome this is,” Sattler said. “People ask, ‘Why don’t you do something different?’”
Of course, I started ordering it because I didn't think they would ever come out in trade form.
boredsilly
07-15-09, 10:26 PM
So Blackest Night came out today. I have to say, I'm not really a GL guy (I've read all of the trades up until Secret Origin to grab me -- it didn't), but this was a cool start to the story. This feels much more like a DC story, with a GL focus, instead of just a GL story. I think everyone and their mamma is calling for Hal to become a White Lantern, but I'm curious to see how this is going to play out.
There were a couple of really awesome pages here.
Also, I've just started reading 100 Bullets. That's my summer reading project, and those first 5 issue just grab you by the balls. This year I've already read Fables and Y The Last MAn, but 100 gets off to a better start than both of those series combined. Knowing how good Fables and Y got, I can only imagine what I'm in store for with 100.
Sessa17
07-16-09, 04:21 PM
So Blackest Night came out today. I have to say, I'm not really a GL guy (I've read all of the trades up until Secret Origin to grab me -- it didn't), but this was a cool start to the story. This feels much more like a DC story, with a GL focus, instead of just a GL story. I think everyone and their mamma is calling for Hal to become a White Lantern, but I'm curious to see how this is going to play out.
There were a couple of really awesome pages here.
Also, I've just started reading 100 Bullets. That's my summer reading project, and those first 5 issue just grab you by the balls. This year I've already read Fables and Y The Last MAn, but 100 gets off to a better start than both of those series combined. Knowing how good Fables and Y got, I can only imagine what I'm in store for with 100.
Blackest Night is phenomenal so far.
100 Bullets is as good as any comic published, well . . . ever. It is so highly re-readable to, the way all the characters connect & stories interweave is just flawless. And the art is as complex as the story.
JasonF
07-16-09, 04:23 PM
Blackest Night just felt like continuity porn to me.
slop101
07-16-09, 05:56 PM
Blackest Night just felt like continuity porn to me.Agreed. Part of it for me might be that I don't follow DC too closely - but there was definitely some self-fellatio going on.
Sessa17
07-16-09, 07:16 PM
Blackest Night just felt like continuity porn to me.
I can see that, but I'm a huge GL fan so it all worked well for me.
boredsilly
07-16-09, 08:10 PM
100 Bullets is as good as any comic published, well . . . ever. It is so highly re-readable to, the way all the characters connect & stories interweave is just flawless. And the art is as complex as the story.
Y'know, I'm only 14 issues into the series, but it's already hitting the deep comic itch that only the best comics can scratch. So far, 100 Bullets is pretty much perfect. The characters are all great, the story is interesting, the plot is dense and complet yet not convoluted, and that art? Fuck me.
Risso is a master. It's amazing that he can draw the sexiest women you've ever seen, while also making them look like they'll give you every STD known to man. And the guys (who are supposed to) all look like hard men. I'm not ever fucking with Mr. Graves. It's amazing that Risso can get across such gravitas for Mr. Graves in a comic. I'm addicted.
I can see why Blackest Night felt like continuity porn, but when you're in the mix all that stuff works. I don't think every event needs to be accessible for every reader, though I think BN is easy to get on. This isn't Final Crisis continuity after all. I don't know how many of the tie ins I'll be reading. The concept is one that intrigues me, so I'm much more apt to follow things I wouldn't normally just to see the fallout of the dead returning to certain books.
JasonF
07-16-09, 09:51 PM
It wan't that Blackest Night was inaccessible -- there was nothing in it that left me puzzled. It was that (except for the final scene with the Hawks) there didn't seem to be any point to the story other than to take us on a tour of a half dozen or so characters who have died. Maybe the second issue will be more plot-focused, but this issue just didn't do it for me.
Green Lantern First Flight really, really sucked. This movie somehow sucked harder than Mystery of the Batwoman. That was just boring. This movie was just bad. For the purposes of this review, i'll ignore the comic continuity and just accept what's established in this movie.
I like a movie that focuses on one character, but apparently all we need to know about Hal Jordan is that he's a test pilot, and he's a daredevil. That's all we learn about him before he becomes a Green Lantern. In fact, that's all we ever learn about him throughout this movie. And people wonder why this guy was killed off.
So he gets the Green lantern ring, and right away all anyone wants to do is take it away from him. So how the hell did he end up with it in the first place? does the ring automatically get passed along to the next worthy successor, like in the comics, or does it just go back to the guardians? does the dying predecessor just pick someone at random? doesn't that seem a little foolish since every time one of these guys dies, they green lanterns have to show up and make sure they didn't just hand an incredibly powerful weapon to a total psycho?
So they have the obligatory "heroes get into a huge fight for no reason and it ends for no reason". They drag him back to Oa where the Guardians continue to grill him, telling him that they regularly give people rings that they only intend to take away because they don't think they're fit to wield it. Right.
Then the Guardians talk about how humans would naturally be unfit to wield the ring, even though everyone else in the corps are aliens that act like humans anyway. Wow, it's no wonder all these guys got killed off...
So it turns out Sinestro is a traitor, and with a name like that, you'd never guess. They could have easily changed the name of his character so he didn't sound like such a douche. He strikes a deal with the Weaponers of Qward, whom we never really learn much about. But judging by how they talk, they must be evil. Then he gets a giant blimp that lets him rob the powers of the Green Lanterns.
If there's one good thing to come out of this movie, at least Sinestro was fleshed out a little bit better than most villains are. His motivations aren't pure evil or destruction for the sake of destruction. In fact, it's the exact opposite: he wants absolute control of the universe, one free of chaos and destruction. He mocks the Guardians for their misuse of their power, denigrating the role of the Green Lanterns.
Okay, so his plan to take over involves robbing the Green Lanterns of their power. And considering how they fight (standing there firing energy bolts at him, or coming up behind him and TRYING TO PUNCH HIM), they really deserve to lose. So the Lanterns and the Guardians accede to Sinestro, which basically really amounts to nothing, and didn't matter anyway because he defeated them. And considering how badly they fought when they had the rings on, without them it would be a futile battle.
Then Hal absorbs all the energy in the power battery... because... because can. You know, if Sinestro wanted all the power of the Green Lanterns for himself, why the hell didn't he just do this? why did he have to concoct this intricate plot when he could have just waltzed into the power battery and stolen all the energy? oh well. I guess if this thing was going to make sense, it wouldn't be a movie.
But that's not the worst part. There's just no substance to this movie. Anyone who hasn't read the comics wouldn't care about these characters, because they're all so two-dimensional. There's nothing much here for a comic audience either, since it's just a retread of stuff that happened in the comics. I can't even say it's a movie for kids, because some parts aren't really appropriate for younger audiences.
All in all... this movie sucked. It reminds me why comic movies have such a hard time getting off the ground. They start with a fanboy script and end up with a vehicle to sell toys, comics, games, and more tie-ins.
davidh777
07-22-09, 02:44 AM
I hope you haven't kept up to date on the plot.
Just reading the Ultimate Collections. Now I'm worried...
Superboy
07-22-09, 05:17 PM
Just reading the Ultimate Collections. Now I'm worried...
Just because there are so many twists and turns, reading ahead can really ruin the current issues. I suggest you don't even look at the upcoming covers.
I dropped the book for a while but picked it up again just recently. It just felt too much like a mary-sue story.
boredsilly
07-23-09, 02:34 PM
I dropped the book for a while but picked it up again just recently. It just felt too much like a mary-sue story.
How do you mean? Robert Kirman was writing himself as Invincible, or something else? I have the first two Ultimate Collections, but I just haven't been able to bring myself to read them yet. I read the first 15 issues or so of the series, way back when, and really enjoyed it -- but I think I might be done with the story.
davidh777
07-24-09, 12:51 AM
Just because there are so many twists and turns, reading ahead can really ruin the current issues. I suggest you don't even look at the upcoming covers.
I dropped the book for a while but picked it up again just recently. It just felt too much like a mary-sue story.
Thanks for the warning
ivelostr2
07-28-09, 09:01 AM
the X-men Inferno HC actually shipped from Amazon today...i think it was scheduled for April...
Superboy
07-29-09, 06:23 AM
How do you mean? Robert Kirman was writing himself as Invincible, or something else? I have the first two Ultimate Collections, but I just haven't been able to bring myself to read them yet. I read the first 15 issues or so of the series, way back when, and really enjoyed it -- but I think I might be done with the story.
He was writing himself as Invincible, and he became this flat, unbelievable character. The series just became really dull, and almost nothing happened.
I had the same feelings about The Walking Dead. NOTHING HAPPENED FOR ALMOST 3 YEARS!!!!
boredsilly
07-29-09, 06:32 AM
Alright people, why didn't anyone tell me how awesome Astro City is? I read Life in the Big City and thought that was ok, but Confessor's Story was really good. It's crazy how that one trade pretty much did two recent Marvel events justice in just 6 or 7 issues. I'm reading Tarnished Angel right now, and I'm loving it. It's got this Watchmen undertone to it, but it isn't just derivative of that story, Tarnished Angel just echoes similar themes.
I always thought Kurt Busiek was just a solid writer based on his mainstream stuff, but Astro City shows that he's actually pretty good to great.
boredsilly
07-29-09, 06:41 AM
He was writing himself as Invincible, and he became this flat, unbelievable character. The series just became really dull, and almost nothing happened.
I had the same feelings about The Walking Dead. NOTHING HAPPENED FOR ALMOST 3 YEARS!!!!
Ah ok. Invincible is something I see a lot of people praise, so I may revisit it someday, but the fact that it's an ongoing title turns me off a bit. It's weird, but I don't mind that mainstream books go on forever, but I like it when I know independent books have an ending. That isn't fair, but it's just how I like it.
I disagree with you that nothing happened in Walking Dead for 3 years. That book is all about the personal human drama these survivors face, and while the setting might have stayed the same, there was plenty of stuff happening. If you think nothing was happening, maybe Walking Dead just isn't the book for you? I will agree that the title seemed to stall a bit, but only for a bit. I've switched to reading it in trade so I won't notice that so much anymore.
fujishig
07-29-09, 01:27 PM
Alright people, why didn't anyone tell me how awesome Astro City is? I read Life in the Big City and thought that was ok, but Confessor's Story was really good. It's crazy how that one trade pretty much did two recent Marvel events justice in just 6 or 7 issues. I'm reading Tarnished Angel right now, and I'm loving it. It's got this Watchmen undertone to it, but it isn't just derivative of that story, Tarnished Angel just echoes similar themes.
I always thought Kurt Busiek was just a solid writer based on his mainstream stuff, but Astro City shows that he's actually pretty good to great.
Astro City's awesome, but I think there was a huge gap in the publishing schedule, and now I just wait for the HCs to come out (and it's a long wait). Is it coming out regularly again? The other one I'm still waiting to come out is Planetary...
I find Invincible and Walking Dead much more palatable in the large collections, when you can read a bunch at once. The Walking Dead collections don't even have covers between the issues to let you know when one stops and the other starts (all the covers are in the back) which is actually pretty effective. The problem with the big collections is that it takes a year for each one to come out, but I happily re-read the ones I have before the next one is out.
Just finished reading the Immortal Iron Fist Omnibus, and it was as great as people had said on this board. So does the same creative team continue with the book (meaning will there be a second omnibus of similar quality down the road)?
wmansir
07-30-09, 04:12 PM
I'm not a big comic reader. I've read some Alan Moore, about 30+ issues of Preacher and a few others, before this summer. Since then I've been reading a lot more and have read probably more than the rest of my life combined.
I'm about 60 issues into 100 Bullets (trade 8). The first dozen+ issues were great and even though it's seems a little bogged down at times since then, it's still very enjoyable.
I've read all the Scott Pilgrim that's out. This is probably my favorite comic. In fact, it's the only one I started re-reading almost as soon as I finished the last one. For some reason I went in thinking the series was complete, so it was a bitters sweet moment to realize that another book is coming but not for a year.
I read the first five trades of Walking Dead and then gave up on it. I really liked the premise of this, but was never really satisfied with the execution. For me the draw was the realistic post-apocalyptic survival aspect, but I can see how that doesn't exactly translate into action all the time. So at times I found it a little soap opera-ish, but the jump the shark moment was the introduction of the Governor. He was way over the top.
davidh777
07-30-09, 10:00 PM
Woot. I just found this in a used book store. I have no idea how many times I checked this out of the library when I was a kid.
Ah ok. Invincible is something I see a lot of people praise, so I may revisit it someday, but the fact that it's an ongoing title turns me off a bit. It's weird, but I don't mind that mainstream books go on forever, but I like it when I know independent books have an ending. That isn't fair, but it's just how I like it.
I disagree with you that nothing happened in Walking Dead for 3 years. That book is all about the personal human drama these survivors face, and while the setting might have stayed the same, there was plenty of stuff happening. If you think nothing was happening, maybe Walking Dead just isn't the book for you? I will agree that the title seemed to stall a bit, but only for a bit. I've switched to reading it in trade so I won't notice that so much anymore.
I felt like he saturated the book with so many useless, boring characters that were just waiting to be cannon fodder. I did not find any of their interactions or deaths interesting. Early on, that formula worked, but he should have either 1. kept them alive or 2. kept the group to a minimum.
I have to agree about the governor too. That was totally unbelievable. The book just became totally sadistic for its own sake.
dadaluholla
08-02-09, 10:59 PM
I've heard a lot of good things about the Sinestro Corps War. Can I pick up those 3 trades and enjoy them without reading the prior Green Lantern collections?
JasonF
08-03-09, 12:49 AM
Woot. I just found this in a used book store. I have no idea how many times I checked this out of the library when I was a kid.
That's a great one. My uncle had that one and the Superman one when I was growing up and I borrowed both about a jillion times. I found used copies of both a few years ago. Love them.
davidh777
08-03-09, 04:14 AM
That's a great one. My uncle had that one and the Superman one when I was growing up and I borrowed both about a jillion times. I found used copies of both a few years ago. Love them.
Yeah, I liked the Superman one too but not as much
ivelostr2
08-03-09, 05:03 PM
Went tot the LCBS today and picked up the first 2 issues of Flash...they were enjoyable, but I have never been more than a casual fan of the Flash, so the Speedforce stuff is a little complicated and lost on me...I'm gonna check out wikipedia later...
Also have been reading the first Captain America Omni...I started reading monthlies around the time of Civil War, so I kinda know how all of this turns out, but it has been really good so far...
ytrez
08-04-09, 07:41 AM
That's a great one. My uncle had that one and the Superman one when I was growing up and I borrowed both about a jillion times. I found used copies of both a few years ago. Love them.
I've got the Superman and Batman and have been looking for the Shazam volume. Great books.
Speaking of Shazam, I just learned yesterday that DC will be releasing the DC Classics Library: Shazam! Monster Society of Evil hardcover in February 2010. I've been tracking down this book for 20 years but either the price was outrageous or the condition was poor. Now I'll finally get it. Can't wait! http://www.marvelfamily.com/Comics/search/issueinfo.aspx?title=DCLSMSOE&issue=1
JasonF
08-04-09, 10:28 AM
I've got the Superman and Batman and have been looking for the Shazam volume. Great books.
Speaking of Shazam, I just learned yesterday that DC will be releasing the DC Classics Library: Shazam! Monster Society of Evil hardcover in February 2010. I've been tracking down this book for 20 years but either the price was outrageous or the condition was poor. Now I'll finally get it. Can't wait! http://www.marvelfamily.com/Comics/search/issueinfo.aspx?title=DCLSMSOE&issue=1
Cool! I bought a copy more than a decade ago for an outrageous price. It's a fun story.
davidh777
08-04-09, 03:41 PM
I just read the Shazam Showcase Presents and was surprised by how many of those stories I remember. A good read in its own silly way.
boredsilly
08-05-09, 02:21 AM
I've heard a lot of good things about the Sinestro Corps War. Can I pick up those 3 trades and enjoy them without reading the prior Green Lantern collections?
I think you can. The story stands on its on well enough. I didn't love it like everyone else seems to, but it's a solid story.
I'll tell you what I read recently and did love --
Previews says the Shazam! Monster Society of Evil book is being released in December while some sites say February. I'm hoping for December.
I can't wait. These stories are infinitely better than anything in the Showcase presents volume. I hope this is a hit and leads to more reprints of Fawcett Marvel/Marvel Family stories.
fujishig
08-08-09, 02:14 PM
Ok, it's not just my imagination that Marvel trades and Premiere HCs are shrinking:
Runaways Dead End Kids Premiere HC, collects Runaways 25-30, 19.99, 152 pages
Runaways: Dead Wrong Premiere HC, collects issues 1-6, 19.99, 136 pages
Runaways Rock Zombies Premiere HC, collects issues 7-10, 19.99, 112 pages
That last one is ridiculous... issue 10 may be oversized (it contained two stories), but 4 issues retailing for 20 bucks is too much. I'm also a little miffed that at the same time they're releasing the newer Runaways HCs, they are also re-releasing the original series, and already twice I've ordered the originals by mistake.
kevin75
08-08-09, 04:14 PM
fujishig,
you're not imagining things. marvel's page count v. price has been dropping fast for quite some time. i used to be all over their oversized hardcovers, but now they seem to be focusing more on smaller volumes at a higher price point. that's a big reason why i don't buy very much from marvel anymore.
boredsilly
08-11-09, 12:27 PM
I've had a bit of a lull in my reading. I've slowed on my 100 Bullets reading, haven't read many single issues, and haven't touched trades. I have Asterios and The Nobody to read, so that should be good.
davidh777
08-12-09, 12:09 AM
That last one is ridiculous... issue 10 may be oversized (it contained two stories), but 4 issues retailing for 20 bucks is too much. I'm also a little miffed that at the same time they're releasing the newer Runaways HCs, they are also re-releasing the original series, and already twice I've ordered the originals by mistake.
That's almost floppy price
davidh777
08-12-09, 12:11 AM
Am now onto #3. Crushing on Atom Eve....
Interruping the sheep game to mention I'm onto Invincible #4. After this, I'll have to wait to catch up :(
fujishig
08-12-09, 02:47 PM
5 comes out soon... I think end of next month. After that, it's at least a year... :)
As far as the Marvel trade pricing... I guess I'll drop some series, just like some here have dropped the floppies recently. Runaways hasn't really been great since way back when Vaughn left, anyway. At the very least, I can wait a month or two for the non-hc to come out.
Sessa17
08-12-09, 04:53 PM
I just got caught up on a couple of books last night.
Madame Xanadue which is officially the most underrated Vertigo title being published, b/c I see no talk of it anywhere, even on comic book sites. The art is amazing & a love a good fantasy series of which there are very few nowadays.
Old Man Logan, just read this story, wish I waited for the upcoming Hardcover in the new previews, but I'm not a huge Wolverine fan, & I just read the last 20 issues of the series. This was such a fun "what-if/future" story, I just loved seeing what Millar did with every Marvel character as they popped up throughout the series & the idea that Wolverine gave up violence b/c he killed all the X-men by accident was awesome. The best Wolverine story by far since Darwyn Cooke's Wolvie/Doop one-shot.
slop101
08-12-09, 06:32 PM
I just loved [...] the idea that Wolverine gave up violence b/c he killed all the X-men by accident was awesome.Which I call shenanigans on since Wolverine is supposed to have super-heightened senses, or good enough to be able to detect who's who, even with his eyes closed[/comic-nerd talk]
Sessa17
08-12-09, 07:21 PM
Which I call shenanigans on since Wolverine is supposed to have super-heightened senses, or good enough to be able to detect who's who, even with his eyes closed[/comic-nerd talk]
[continues comic nerd talk] There have been several times where villains have tried masking themselves as innocents or friends & Wolvie detected them but this one it was all mental, his mind was messed with so in his own brain he couldn't tell the difference. Like I said, I've never really been a Wolverine fan, one of the most boring characters in comics, so I'm not expected many good Wolvie stories, I just thought this one was a lot of fun.
slop101
08-12-09, 09:47 PM
Yeah, I enjoyed it as a fun "future of the Marvel universe" storyline. I wish the final issue would come out already!
dx23
08-12-09, 11:04 PM
Today was Marvel's 70th Anniversary. I picked up the Marvel Comics #1 reprint they released for the occasion and found it pretty neat.
davidh777
08-13-09, 02:46 AM
5 comes out soon... I think end of next month. After that, it's at least a year... :)
:gah:
Though from the talk here, maybe I'll be unhooked by then
JasonF
08-13-09, 10:20 AM
Today was Marvel's 70th Anniversary. I picked up the Marvel Comics #1 reprint they released for the occasion and found it pretty neat.
What was the deal with that? It was clearly the original scripts and layouts, but I couldn't tell what was going on with the art. Was it simply recolored? Re-inked? Completely new pencils? Does anyone know?
ivelostr2
08-13-09, 04:42 PM
Anyone pick up the new adventure comics with superboy?
Did the last page of the Legion back-up story confuse anyone?
I haven't read the FC: Legion mini yet, I'm waiting on it to come, so maybe something in that would have helped but...
JasonF
08-13-09, 06:58 PM
Anyone pick up the new adventure comics with superboy?
Did the last page of the Legion back-up story confuse anyone?
I haven't read the FC: Legion mini yet, I'm waiting on it to come, so maybe something in that would have helped but...
I think it was just a flash forward to scenes that will appear in the book over the coming issues. Although, at 8 pages a month or whatever, it seems like it will be quite some time before we see them all.
I will say that Legion of 3 Worlds was probably my favorite Legion story in over a decade, and one of my top five of all time, so I have high hopes for where he'll take the team.
dx23
08-13-09, 09:09 PM
What was the deal with that? It was clearly the original scripts and layouts, but I couldn't tell what was going on with the art. Was it simply recolored? Re-inked? Completely new pencils? Does anyone know?
I think it was just recolored. It is actually the first time I read the comic. I've seen the cover thousands of time, but was never able to get a reprint and read the comic.
Adam Tyner
08-14-09, 04:16 PM
I've read all the Scott Pilgrim that's out. This is probably my favorite comic. In fact, it's the only one I started re-reading almost as soon as I finished the last one.Between this post of yours and seeing the 8,000th nod to it on Chris' Invincible Super-Blog (http://www.the-isb.com/) and Comics Should Be Good (goodcomics.comicbookresources.com), I finally picked up the first volume of 'Scott Pilgrim' not even two weeks ago, and since then, I've already picked up the other four and have lent the first book to a friend of mine. I've even bought three t-shirts off Oni's website! :)
There have only been a couple of times when I've fallen this hard, this quickly for anything. It's like when I watched the second season of The Venture Bros. that first time: it's exactly what I wish I could make if I had any talent at all, and it feels so intensely tied to my sense of humor, my sensibilites, etc., etc., etc. that it just feels like it was made expressly for me and no one else. I mean, my dream instrument is a Rickenbacker bass, and what does Scott play...? There's a nondescript Moog in volume 2, and I have two of those synths. "Clash at Demonhead" was one of my favorite NES games, I remember having long conversations with a friend of mine about "Kid Chameleon"... There are those sorts of nerdgasms, sure, but I'm really drawn into the characters too and how complex and realistic their relationships are. I could seriously write a thoughtful essay about it if I were bored enough.
I've been reading comics for closing in one 30 years now, so I'm hesitant to say that Scott Pilgrim is my favorite book I've ever read in case it's honeymoon hyperbole :), but...I'm really, really tempted.
fujishig
08-14-09, 04:36 PM
Great... I just ordered Asterios Polyp and Parker the Hunter because of this forum, and now I have to go seek out Scott Pilgrim...
boredsilly
08-14-09, 04:47 PM
It's great to see the Scott Pilgrim love. I was skeptical, but that book really is just a bucket of love. It's so quirky and random and fun, you just can't help but come away from it feeling good. I've only read the first 2 volumes (I own 3 and 4, I just need to get on it).
Adam, I know that feeling about falling hard for something. It's so great. The last thing that did that for me was Avatar: The Last Airbender -- talk about perfection.
Sessa17
08-14-09, 05:09 PM
The last thing that did that for me was Avatar: The Last Airbender -- talk about perfection.
:thumbsup:
I was pluggin' Scott Pilgrim since the comic book forum began, glad to see people getting on board, I know a ton more will when the movie comes out.
So glad people are checking out Parker & especially Asterios, it warms my geeky heart.
fujishig
08-14-09, 07:06 PM
:thumbsup:
I was pluggin' Scott Pilgrim since the comic book forum began, glad to see people getting on board, I know a ton more will when the movie comes out.
So glad people are checking out Parker & especially Asterios, it warms my geeky heart.
Amazon is in on it... Asterios showed up in my goldbox a few days ago, and I remembered you guys talking about it, so I bought it, and then a couple days later Parker was in my gold box as well. In fact, if you search for Asterios on amazon, they are the first two entries.
davidh777
08-23-09, 11:48 AM
Interruping the sheep game to mention I'm onto Invincible #4. After this, I'll have to wait to catch up :(
5 comes out soon... I think end of next month. After that, it's at least a year... :)
:gah:
Though from the talk here, maybe I'll be unhooked by then
Finished volume 4 and still enjoying the series. Need to order #5.
NOOO, you had Atom Eve in the palm of your hand--why toss her out like that? Do not get it on with your brother's tutor!
Dupli-Kate and Multi-Paul :lol:
Sessa17
08-23-09, 06:12 PM
I just read 11 straight issues of Tiny Titans.
It ruled.
boredsilly
08-24-09, 02:42 PM
I've only read 1 issues so far, but it is an adorable book. The artist on that book, Art Balthazar (not sure on that spelling), is a great guy too. I would suggest you go listen to the two episodes he did on the Around Comics podcast (they were so good, I listened to them twice). He comes across as one of those guys you just want to see succeed in every possible way. He's really funny, and has a good story with how he found success in comics. He's definitely one of the "good guys".
Buy: