Josh-da-man

Speaking of the Comics Journal, I think it is true that they have gone down hill in the last several years. There's a certain narrowmindedness that pervades their editorial policy which exalts the avant-garde, "cartoonists," and golden age at the exclusion of almost everything else, as well as a fair amount of politicking.

It's very much reflected in their Top 100 list. You'll notice the emphasis on Fantagraphics material, as well as thing like Barks' Ducks and old newspaper strips.

Curious how some things are lumped into a single category (like the Lee/Ditko Spider-Mans) while LOVE AND ROCKETS gets five spots. There's also a heavy emphasis on Fantagraphics-published material, which on one hand shouldn't be surprising because of course Fantagraphics would seek out and publish material that they believe to be outstanding, but on the other it can't help but appear suspect.

There are also some pretty obvious omissions like SANDMAN and CEREBUS. Not surprising that they'd leave SANDMAN off of the list because it's such a huge crossover hit (I've always gotten a player-hater vibe off of the Journal), same for CEREBUS (isn't there a bit of a feud between Sim and TCJ editorial?).

SpacemanSpiff

thanks for that list, good to see calvin and hobbes on there

Eric F

The Comic Journal's list, blah. Akira isn't even on there. What is their problem?

The new Dark Horse reprints are so good, it deserves to be in the top 10, if not #1.. Can anybody tell me if Dark Horse updated the translations from the last US release over 10yrs ago? It seems as if the slang they're using (one line was "bust a cap in their ass"), while current, I can't see it being a literal translation from Japanese. Actually I don't see much of it being very literal. The story is excellent and easy to understand unlike most direct Japanese-English Magna. That's why it's so amazing.

Book 5 going on to Book 6 any minute now...

SpacemanSpiff

i need to read akira sometime...


btw battle angel alita is very good too!

nny

For the person who asked about 100 bullets, I don't see why people think it's so great, but it's definitely entertaining and the tpb's are real cheap. I'll keep buying the tpbs as long as they keep the price low.

Lone Wolf and Cub is probably the best value out there, but does anybody know of any other series where you save a lot of money by waiting for the tpb? I'm pretty cheap and buy too many comics, so I'm always trying to figure out how to save money. The comic I'm most thinking about waiting for the tpb is Daredevil, but I don't know where the tpb would stop and end. I'm so cheap I'd want to avoid buying the same comic twice. I love Bendis and wouldn't want to miss any of his stuff, but Daredevil is moving too slow and at 2.99 an issue I think I'd save money waiting for a tpb.

nny

AAAAAAH! Just read this week's Daredevil. In addition to being the best issue since they started this secret identity mess, it also has a big cliffhanger ending. Guess I'll keep getting Daredevil after all. I think I'm going to stop getting Uncanny X-men since a new writer/artist team starts next issue. If I hear a lot of good things about the run, I'll pick up the tpb.

SpacemanSpiff

if you guys read my book buying binge thread:

as for tpbs i just bought arkham asylum and elektra: assassin

woo (spent too much money)

Tuan Jim

The Wizard list was good to list Hellboy, but they didn't pick the best one out there -- Wake the Devil is a lot better, particularly for being a single, very solid story.

Also, looking for opinions, is Scud the Disposable Assassin any good? I remember hearing a good amount about it back in the day, but not much recently.

I really wish they'd get around to putting out more Hitman TPBs, but sadly they've probably quit on that series completely.

Tuan Jim

nny

Nooooooo. After college, I quit all my comics except Preacher, Cerebus, and Sin City. So I have unfinished runs of Hitman, Invisibles, and several other series. I was planning on picking up some of that stuff in tpbs, but Hitman was the only one I really wanted.

Josh-da-man

Probably true, though I hope it isn't.

By DC logic, since the series has ended, there's no need to keep putting out TPBs of the remaining uncollected material.

I hope to hell they keep Starman coming out, but it wouldn't surprise me if the last one was the last one we'll see.

DC usually gets a lot of credit for having a great TPB program, but I don't see it. The print/paper quality in all of their recent TPBs is substandard. They're over-priced, and they have a hard time committing to reprinting ANYTHING. When you consider the deep AOLTW pockets they have access too, it's really a shame. Independent and self-publishers put out higher quality and more frequent collections than DC, and presumably they have access to considerably less capital than DC.

Sessa17

100 Bullets is my current favorite comic book & IMO one of the greatst stories ever told in comic book format. Someone posted they don't know why it is so great, don't listen to that, it's either not that persons taste of they just don't get it.

The book is crime noir at it's absolute best , way better that Sin City I am a big fan of Sin City. Bullets is extremely intelligent & the plot line is very very intricate & complex. The first trade covers the first 2 story arcs & barely even hints at the larger picture of what the book is actually about. Sure the premise is that a mysterioud man offers revenge to individuals who have had their lives ruined by giving them 100 untraceable bullets & proof of who ruined their lives. This however is not what the comic is about. Their is a very large picture being formed, every character in the book is connected to each other & serves a purpose. I cannot recommend this enough & I garaunty once you read the 3rd which won the Eisner for best story of the year, you will be absolutely hooked. Order it!

benedict

<small></small>I just picked up three anthologies of this title: I think they didn't have book two. Here's hoping it lives up to the reviews

Sessa17

Does that mean you got trades #1, #3 & #4? If so DO NOT read 3 & 4 without reading 2 first, as #2 introduces one of the 3 most important & pivitol characters in the book. Also a lot of people that I recommend 100 Bullets to don't like the first trade, (although looking back I've grown to love it), you have to read at least up till the 3rd trade to start to get a sense of the bigger picture involved & buy then you should be hooked. I really hope you enjoy it.

SpacemanSpiff

so...
wheres dk3?

SiberianLlama

I'm surprised there's none of David Mack's Kabuki on the Wizard List. Circle of Blood is up there with anything else on the list...

veritas

Moore's work on Watchmen and Swamp Thing is the pinnacle of great writing in comics. You can follow that up with Gaiman's work on Sandman and Death. From Hell was incredibly well-written, but I think it's a little too ostentatious to be included on the same level as the rest of his work.

A now-forgotten masterpiece that's always been one of my favorites is the Death of Captain Marvel. I don't know if it's even in print, but it's a moving tale told by Marvel no less.

SpacemanSpiff

i just bought crisis on infinite earths, though im debating wheter to keep it, as i dont really care for any superheros too much per say

cept batman of course, but is it a good book?

whatcha all think?

SpacemanSpiff

i returned crisis on infinite earths, and got kabuki: book one, batman : the long halloween, and elektra: assassin

kevin75

i really like crisis but you made a good choice with batman-the long halloween. if you end up liking that then i suggest picking up dark victory too. it is by the same team and is a sequel to it.

as for dk3..the hardcover will be coming out in october.

SpacemanSpiff

nah dude
i think its out next week

Eric F

The Long Holloween's sequel is equally good, Dark Victory where they sort of re-write Robin's origins. Great stuff.

kevin75

sorry, i thought that you were talking about a collected version of it. yes, the 3rd issue is out next week.

nny

On Bendis' messageboard somebody asked people to put up non-mainstream comic recommendations. I think I'll go ahead and repost mine here:

1. Hellshock vol.2 - Only 3 issues made, but it's Jae Lee's best artwork and also some amazing writing from Lee who I don't think has written anything else. (never collected in tpb)

2. Johnny the Homicidal Maniac
3. Squee - 2 of the funniest series ever produced, but also great characters and stories. From the creator of Invader Zim.

4. Cerebus - True, there's been low points, but High Society and Church and State are 2 of best works of art this medium has ever seen.

5. Optic Nerve - I don't know what to say here. I can't describe why this series is so good, but every story touches me in some way.

6. Peepshow - The best autobiographical comics ever.

7. Underwater
8. Yummy Fur - 2 amazing works from Chester Brown. I don't think Underwater was ever collected, but as for Yummy Fur seek out the Ed, the Happy Clown tpb.

9. Enigma - My favorite Peter Milligan comic.

10. Tick - The original 13 issue series from Ben Edlund is second only to JTHM and Squee as the funniest comic I ever read.

11. Akira - It's like non-stop action for 2000 pages.

12. Fortune and Glory - Bendis' most unknown masterpiece.

The order of my list is a combination of my love for the work and how well it is known by most people. There's better comics than Hellshock out there, but nobody ever talks about Hellshock.

SpacemanSpiff

i just bought the first three volumes off ebay of Astro City

i gotta stop buying stuff when i dont have time to read any of them

damn

Eric F

You'll make time, like the rest of us do. I read all 2000 pages of Akira, but there's alot of filler there. You could read a full volume in about 2hrs. The panels are huge, not alot of text. But it's still great.

I'd also like to recommend The Kents. Yes, I know it's from DC but it has little to do with Superman. It's like reading a pulp-fiction western about the mid-late 1800s. This is based in historical fact, and they managed to fit the Kents in there somehow. John Ostrander did a wonderfull job, and the savage, brutal history of America and the civil war is right there for you to read. Good stuff. I'd highly recommend it to anyone into the Civil War era, and even teenagers learning about that period in school.

Not your standard DC fare by any means.