Cathepsin

Continue to buy them only if you're particularly enjoying them. The series as a whole goes nowhere and was essentially retconned out of existence mere weeks after completion - you may have to go back to the end of Morrison's New X-Men for something similar.

What hurts is that you probably can't get any kind of return on the issues if you want to get rid of them, while you can sell your TPB (the first volume, anyway) to Lone Star Comics for $8.00 store credit.

fujishig

Here's the thing: I liked 52. I like the Legion of Super Heroes. I like Mary Marvel. I like the lesser-seen realms of magic in the DC Universe. I like the New Gods and Olsen's connection with them. I like the DC Universe, especially the lesser-known corners of it. I like Donna Troy. I like Piper and Trickster.

So far (the two tpbs I've read), Countdown takes all of these pieces that I like, jumbles them up, and comes up with a product that, for some reason or another, feels very disjointed, despite some cool moments. Maybe it read better as a weekly comic, when the events in Countdown tied more closely to whatever was going on in the DC universe at that time. Perhaps that's why 52, which didn't have to be tied to anything currently going on in the DC universe, worked better for me (and I read it every week). The thing is, I read some of those issues (like the Supergirl tie-in) at the time without reading Countdown, and it was super confusing... and I'm not sure that reading Countdown now made it any less so.

Now knowing that it doesn't even do what its title says it's supposed to do is like the nail in the coffin.

fujishig

Sorry, duplicate post. Might as well ask here, though: so Starlin's Death of the New Gods series is also useless, continuity-wise, right? Is it at least a good read?

Jackskeleton

The lead up to the last issue was awful and I was about to drop it. But that issue was really good. Let's see where the road takes it.

But yeah, I'm not feeling Final Crisis at all. It may read great in trade, but for now it just feels too random.

Rogue588

I wonder why DC allowed this? I also wonder if anyone's taken them to task for it..

Jackskeleton

Because they liked the profits of a weekly book selling no matter how little effort they put into it. And it's Grant Morrison. So he could do whatever he wants to when it comes down to it.

boredsilly

Are you talking about issues 50 and 51? I agree that 50 was kind of a lame issue and that 51 was better, but I do know I'm not really feeling the book right now. It definitely needs to take a breather after the events of issues 47-49, so I get that, but I'm looking forward to what happens "next".

Is anyone reading Action Comics by Geoff Johns? Once again Johns has gone and made me care about a cast of characters I normally wouldn't give two shakes about. I'm determined now to just go back and read everything he's written. I haven't really read anything of his that has disappointed me, and a lot of his stuff has been down right great.

For anyone who's read it, how was his Avengers run? How about Stars and STRIPE?

Superboy

I thought the storyline during the prison was really hit-and-miss, more miss than anything. The issues just felt really stuttered and more suited for the trade format. Re-reading earlier issues reveals better pacing issue-to-issue.

Issue 50 was definitely weak, and I think Kirkman was looking for a break from all the heavy drama of the last 12 issues. 51 was definitely a return to more balanced storytelling and the fact that there isn't a huge cast of characters makes the book feel tighter and more focused.

His Avengers run was weak and overrated; the Busiek/Perez issues were gold in comparison. Stars and Stripe is what it is: stupid, immature superhero storytelling.

Rogue588

The Busiek/Perez Avengers issues were gold - period. Particularly the Ultron storyline. And Stars And Stripe was far from stupid and immature.

boredsilly

I liked the Prison arc fine, but there were sections where it felt like Kirkman was treading water. If anything I'm glad for the cast changes. I was having a hard remembering who was who and what was what.

Also, I don't know how overrated his Avengers run is. I hardly ever see people cite it among his best stuff. I think it's kind of just there. Still, I will probably try it just to see how he handles Marvel characters

Superboy

I meant that the Busiek/Perez issues were infinitely preferable. He really understood the Avengers. And Perez's understated yet fantastic artwork is perfect for the "human" super-hero team.

I did hear an overwhelming amount of positive feedback for John's Avengers run, but I felt it was tepid and very tedious sometimes. Still, much better than the Chuck Austen issues.

boredsilly

See, I think those issues might be too "classic" for me. I've never been an Avengers fan, so for all intents and purposes the Bendis penned Avengers are "my team". I don't doubt those books are good, especially going by the creators, but I wonder if I could get into them. I like the melodrama/modern edge of the Bendis teams.

Superboy

I like the Bendis run because it was different and yet still good. I do agree that the "modern" edge really improved the book. Nearing the end of the Busiek issues, they began to feel somewhat tired. But the classic silver age Avengers stories were great and they're still accessible. That's before Marvel's editorial department went to shit.

dadaluholla

After about 25 years of reading Avengers (not continuously of course; I'm not crazy enough to have suffered through the mid 90's sludge), Bendis was what finally drove me to drop the title completely. Forcing myself through Disassembled and the initial "breakout" run must have simply broken my spirit. It was like trying to read an issue of Brigade or Bloodstrike.

Superboy

I guess for me it was refreshing after a few years of stagnation.

MovieExchange

I just read the Wiki entry for the current Batman R.I.P. storyline... is it really as bad as it sounds?

Patman

I can't make heads-or-tails out of the RIP stuff, and I just get Batman and Detective Comics, and refuse to get the other titles, so maybe I'm confused because I am not getting the other titles, but given that Batman is currently about some other form of Batman, while Detective deals with the past of Hush, it's awfully confusing to find even a small thread between just those 2 titles for this RIP storyline.

boredsilly

I love Batman, but RIP...yeah, it just isn't for me. I see a lot of people online like it, and that's great, but to me? I just wish Winnick was back on the book.

I don't believe this fully, but sometimes I can't help but wonder if Morrison isn't a bit like PBS. People saying they like his current stories because they want to be "smart" or to be able to "get it". Or maybe I'm just stupid . Honestly though, I think I just don't care much for the 52 type Morrison (which I think is the way he's writing Final Crisis and RIP), meanwhile classic Morrison is writing one of my favorite books of the last 3 years in All Star Superman.

Jackskeleton

It's going to work a lot better in trade.

Much like Seven Soldiers. in single issues is was a bit hard to follow. But in trade it's a great read.

Superboy

I think that's a bit hasty to say. I thought Seven Soldiers' problem was that it was a story that was too big to be told with monthlies. RIP seems like it's just not cohesive storytelling.

All-Star Superman is his magnum opus.

JasonF

All-Star Superman!? Please. Animal Man is Grant Morrison's magnum opus. Doom Patrol and Invisibles are also contenders. All-Star Superman is good -- in my opinion, the only* really good thing Morrison has done this decade -- but it's far from Morrison's magnum opus.

* I hear good things about We3, but I'm scared to read it because I get weepy when bad things happen to animals, even fictional cartoon animals.

Superboy

Well... you've got a point there. Seeing as how no other mainstream DCU book since can compete with Animal Man. That issue with Dolphin always makes me shed a tear...

Bronkster

I've never heard of Animal Man

On other comics - X-Factor finished the 3-part crossover with She-Hulk which was a Secret Invasion tie-in. So far, I'm liking the whole Skrull thing (for the titles I regularly get) and this worked well, although I don't care for when different artists with vastly different styles are used in a 3-part story.

Also out - X-Factor 1-shot getting back (or forward?) to Layla Miller and how she's coping 80 years from now.

Giantrobo

Really?

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

MovieExchange

Ahhh, "Arrested Development" syndrome!

I think you're on to something. I've read Morrison's other stuff, and for the most part it's incomprehensible unless you're under the influence of a lot of mind-altering substances.