What's the last TPB/collection you read?
#327
DVD Talk Hero
Re: What's the last TPB/Graphic Novel you read?
Finally finished this:
It's basically one of of the ideas they used for the Captain America movie, where it turns out that Hydra's infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. since WWII, finally doing away with the organization, and Nick Fury puts together various teams to battle these threats in Shield's absence.
I liked it, mostly. Especially that it's one complete story. The main thing I didn't like was how decompressed the whole storyline was. It was about 30 issues that could've been 10 or 15 issues without missing much, if anything. I guess that's Hickman's thing. Another thing I didn't care for was the resolution;
Otherwise, a good ride that I'd recommend. That is, if you can find it at a reasonable price. I guess, it went out of print while I was reading it.
It's basically one of of the ideas they used for the Captain America movie, where it turns out that Hydra's infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. since WWII, finally doing away with the organization, and Nick Fury puts together various teams to battle these threats in Shield's absence.
I liked it, mostly. Especially that it's one complete story. The main thing I didn't like was how decompressed the whole storyline was. It was about 30 issues that could've been 10 or 15 issues without missing much, if anything. I guess that's Hickman's thing. Another thing I didn't care for was the resolution;
Spoiler:
#328
Challenge Guru & Comic Nerd
Thread Starter
Re: What's the last TPB/Graphic Novel you read?
Read the first Nightwing collection from 1995 I think. I didn't care for the art, too pretty-boyish, but the story was better than I expected.
#329
DVD Talk Hero
Re: What's the last TPB/Graphic Novel you read?
Just finished this bastard:
It's good. It's really fucking good! In fact, it's probably the best X-book I've read since the classics. And what's great about it is that you don't really need to be too up to speed on the more current goings on in the X-books as it's basically a continuation of a lot of the classic storylines from the '70s, '80s and '90s. It's not decompressed like a lot of current books; it hits the ground running, without letting up. A lot happen in each chapter/issue. Characterization is solid. Art is mostly great as well.
Anyways, if you're at all interested in the X-Men, I highly recommend you pick up this Omnibus, especially since it just went out of print!
It's good. It's really fucking good! In fact, it's probably the best X-book I've read since the classics. And what's great about it is that you don't really need to be too up to speed on the more current goings on in the X-books as it's basically a continuation of a lot of the classic storylines from the '70s, '80s and '90s. It's not decompressed like a lot of current books; it hits the ground running, without letting up. A lot happen in each chapter/issue. Characterization is solid. Art is mostly great as well.
Anyways, if you're at all interested in the X-Men, I highly recommend you pick up this Omnibus, especially since it just went out of print!
#330
DVD Talk Hero
Re: What's the last TPB/Graphic Novel you read?
And you just so happen to have a copy you can sell us at double the price, now that it's out of print. I see your game...just joshing with you.
#331
DVD Talk Hero
Re: What's the last TPB/Graphic Novel you read?
Ooh, I ain't selling it! Although you can find new copies for just under cover price still. But probably not for long. It seemed to sell out a little quicker than most Omnibus do.
#332
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: What's the last TPB/Graphic Novel you read?
Planetoid
#333
DVD Talk Hero
Re: What's the last TPB/Graphic Novel you read?
Finally got through the Dark Avengers hardcover. There are a couple of issues of the series missing because it crosses over with X-men, and you'd think they could have just included it here but why miss a chance to sell another hardcover (which is probably out of print). Plus you're missing a huge chunk of the story because Siege is so pivotal. But I appreciate that Bendis made this team of villains posing as heroes work, and that his longform storytelling could actually work because he wasn't shuffling members of the team around due to other events.
#334
Re: What's the last TPB/Graphic Novel you read?
Just finished this bastard:
It's good. It's really fucking good! In fact, it's probably the best X-book I've read since the classics. And what's great about it is that you don't really need to be too up to speed on the more current goings on in the X-books as it's basically a continuation of a lot of the classic storylines from the '70s, '80s and '90s. It's not decompressed like a lot of current books; it hits the ground running, without letting up. A lot happen in each chapter/issue. Characterization is solid. Art is mostly great as well.
Anyways, if you're at all interested in the X-Men, I highly recommend you pick up this Omnibus, especially since it just went out of print!
It's good. It's really fucking good! In fact, it's probably the best X-book I've read since the classics. And what's great about it is that you don't really need to be too up to speed on the more current goings on in the X-books as it's basically a continuation of a lot of the classic storylines from the '70s, '80s and '90s. It's not decompressed like a lot of current books; it hits the ground running, without letting up. A lot happen in each chapter/issue. Characterization is solid. Art is mostly great as well.
Anyways, if you're at all interested in the X-Men, I highly recommend you pick up this Omnibus, especially since it just went out of print!
Things I liked (mostly already mentioned by others):
-It's basically a self-contained story with a definitive beginning and end. It suits the omnibus format perfectly.
-It pulls more from 80's/90's X-Men continuity (and some Morrison) than it does from more recent stories. It's pretty much tailor made for someone like me who hasn't followed the franchise for some time to just jump right into.
-Despite the grim nature to the book, there is some fun stuff. Lots of alternate reality/time travel silliness to be had.
-Underused (imo) characters like Angel and Psylocke get some good characterization. Even Deadpool, who I've read very little of, gets some depth and isn't treated as strictly a comedy character.
Things I didn't like:
- It's a very violent series with liberal amounts of blood/gore. It's certainly more violent than any x-series I've read before. The older I get, the less interested in that sort of thing I am.
- I feel like I'm one of the last adults willing to defend the character of Wolverine, but at a certain point, enough is enough. I was tired of him almost instantly. Maybe I just can't accept any version of the character besides Claremont's. Every time it was mentioned that he was an Avenger, it made my blood pressure rise just a little.
- Likewise, Fantomex is a character that works ok within the context of Morrison weirdness, but take him out of that environment and he just doesn't cut it. His "misdirection" powers got old pretty quickly and all I could think of was the overused mask gimmick in the Mission: Impossible movies.
- I've never been a huge fan of the Captain Britain mythos, so that part of the story was a bit of a slog for me.
- The story's accessible because it's pretty much detached from anything else going on in the Marvel Universe, but it's so detached that it almost feels like an elseworlds story or something. Compare that to other semi-recent runs like Morrison's or Whedon's which feel singular and somewhat detached, but at the same time being vital pieces of the ongoing narrative.
Like I said, I enjoyed it overall, but it's not something that will get added to my personal x-canon. It has a lot going for it, but I don't know if it's the mix of characters involved or the general tone of the series. Something didn't click for me. Still, I'd be interested in checking out Uncanny Avengers to see where Remender goes next. Does anyone have anything to say about that series?
#335
DVD Talk Godfather
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Home of 2013 NFL champion Seahawks
Posts: 52,624
Received 1,016 Likes
on
840 Posts
Re: What's the last TPB/Graphic Novel you read?
Just read this light-hearted fluff:
I recently read the Marvel Fanfare TPB, and one of the backup stories was Hawkeye working in corporate security and called into question by a mysterious masked man. This four-issue miniseries (which I never read back in the day) expands on that idea. Nothing great, but entertaining, and I like the Hawkeye character. What I like about the TPB is that it also includes Hawkeye's '60s debut in Iron Man, the first appearance of the Mockingbird character, and some other stuff.
Note that the AVENGERS at the top of the cover is just marketing.
I recently read the Marvel Fanfare TPB, and one of the backup stories was Hawkeye working in corporate security and called into question by a mysterious masked man. This four-issue miniseries (which I never read back in the day) expands on that idea. Nothing great, but entertaining, and I like the Hawkeye character. What I like about the TPB is that it also includes Hawkeye's '60s debut in Iron Man, the first appearance of the Mockingbird character, and some other stuff.
Note that the AVENGERS at the top of the cover is just marketing.
#336
DVD Talk Hero
Re: What's the last TPB/Graphic Novel you read?
Just read the first volume of Amazing X-Men: the return of Nightcrawler.
I'm a sucker for Mcguiness art (he's still the closest thing to the late, great Weiringo we have), Firestar, Nightcrawler, and callbacks to Davis-era Excalibur, so this was right up my alley. A fun book, an interesting cast of X-men and flashbacks to the era of Claremont-era X-men with actual characterization. So how quickly down the line does this book get bogged down with continuity and crossovers and stuff?
I'm a sucker for Mcguiness art (he's still the closest thing to the late, great Weiringo we have), Firestar, Nightcrawler, and callbacks to Davis-era Excalibur, so this was right up my alley. A fun book, an interesting cast of X-men and flashbacks to the era of Claremont-era X-men with actual characterization. So how quickly down the line does this book get bogged down with continuity and crossovers and stuff?
#337
Re: What's the last TPB/Graphic Novel you read?
I finally finished off this beast last night. I was never particularly interested in the Fantastic Four. The concept/characters just never really appealed to me. Other than the odd issue here and there, the only FF I've read was Waid and Wieringo's run from a few years back. I picked up the Byrne omnibus because I'm a Byrne fan from X-Men and I've always heard good things about his run. Also, I was able to pick it up for under $50.
After finishing the whole thing, I can say that it was a worthy investment. Even though I still have little interest in Fantastic Four as a brand/franchise, I had a blast reading this thing. Late 70's/early 80's Marvel really is my personal sweet spot, both in terms of style and content. Byrne was at the absolute peak of his powers and his artwork is a joy to look at in the oversized format. I know some criticize his writing, but I don't really have any complaints. The four leads aren't given a whole lot of depth/characterization, but the stories are so fun that I didn't care either way. It was a great blend of self contained issues and serialization that is sadly missing from today's industry. Also, the fact that he was writing, penciling, and inking the book by himself with no fill-ins is pretty astonishing. It's just really nice to see a long, multi-year run with a consistent creative team.
I don't have much if anything negative to say, other than that the book gets off too a bit a of a slow start due to the fact that the early issues collected are from Byrne's early stint as artist only. There are some gaps in the story since non-Byrne issues aren't included. However, once he takes over the writing, things really pick-up. One other tiny nit-pick I have is that he takes some obvious shots at Chris Claremont towards the end of the volume. Byrne didn't like the way Claremont wrote Dr. Doom in X-Men 145-147 and completely retcons that story. The X-Men story is pretty inconsequential and the retcon is admittedly kind of funny, but Doom then goes on a rant about how much of a pussy Magneto has become lately. I've never understood Byrne's hatred for Claremont's more nuanced version of Magneto. If I thought it was all in good fun, I'd probably laugh it off, but Byrne being the cantankerous sort that he is pretty much guarantees that he was doing it to pick a fight. Oh well. The book is still great. I hope I can find vol.2 for a decent price sometime soon, although I think the print run was much more conservative than on vol.1 so it may never make it to clearance prices.
#338
DVD Talk Hero
#339
DVD Talk Hero
Re: What's the last TPB/Graphic Novel you read?
Uh... wasn't that rumor debunked? Kirby was having problems with them at the time, but IIRC he asked that his likeness not be used on the cover.
On a side note, who criticized Byrne's writing? His stuff at that point in his career was incredible. I didn't notice a dip in Byrne-ness until post Next Men... for instance, I collected his Wonder Woman run but was surprised at not enjoying both his writing and his artwork as much as before (and around that time Claremont was doing Sovereign Seven, which had a similar reaction from me at the time)
On a side note, who criticized Byrne's writing? His stuff at that point in his career was incredible. I didn't notice a dip in Byrne-ness until post Next Men... for instance, I collected his Wonder Woman run but was surprised at not enjoying both his writing and his artwork as much as before (and around that time Claremont was doing Sovereign Seven, which had a similar reaction from me at the time)
#340
Re: What's the last TPB/Graphic Novel you read?
Still, the fact remains that he's missing from the cover and it's pretty obvious that *something* was supposed to be filling that space.
#341
Re: What's the last TPB/Graphic Novel you read?
On a side note, who criticized Byrne's writing? His stuff at that point in his career was incredible. I didn't notice a dip in Byrne-ness until post Next Men... for instance, I collected his Wonder Woman run but was surprised at not enjoying both his writing and his artwork as much as before (and around that time Claremont was doing Sovereign Seven, which had a similar reaction from me at the time)
#342
DVD Talk Hero
Re: What's the last TPB/Graphic Novel you read?
Hmm... I wonder if it's more a backlash to his more current works. I'm not saying his FF work is above reproach, but I put it in the same strata as Claremont on X-men, Simonson on Thor, Miller on Daredevil, Michelinie on Iron Man etc., where it may feel dated at times but it's because, well, it is, and so many copied them afterwards.
I mean, Starlin wrote stuff like "Death of the New Gods" recently but his classic stuff still holds up.
I mean, Starlin wrote stuff like "Death of the New Gods" recently but his classic stuff still holds up.
#343
DVD Talk Hero
Re: What's the last TPB/Graphic Novel you read?
I think Byrne was a solid writer, though I can't really point to any run of his outside of the Claremont years that I consider top-notch writing. Looking back, I appreciate his Superman run much more now than I did when it was ongoing. I would have liked to see Byrne tackle the Legion of Superheroes.
#344
Re: What's the last TPB/Graphic Novel you read?
That's probably part of it. There's also the personality factor at play. Some people just flat out hate the guy.
Oh, I would too. It wasn't breaking new ground the way Miller and maybe Claremont were, but it's still really fun stuff. It's interesting that you mention Micheline in that group though. I'm just finishing up his Iron Man omnibus (Well, not really...I'm reading it via digital.) and in my opinion it does not stack up to those others you mentioned. I'll post more later when I finish the last 6 or 7 issues.
I'm not saying his FF work is above reproach, but I put it in the same strata as Claremont on X-men, Simonson on Thor, Miller on Daredevil, Michelinie on Iron Man etc., where it may feel dated at times but it's because, well, it is, and so many copied them afterwards.
#345
DVD Talk Godfather
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Home of 2013 NFL champion Seahawks
Posts: 52,624
Received 1,016 Likes
on
840 Posts
Re: What's the last TPB/Graphic Novel you read?
I loved the Byrne run. I read FF in the '70s then returned to comics in the '80s, and I picked up Byrne's run because it looked so intriguing, especially that issue 236. It was fun stuff, with a retro feel. I bought most of the TPBs which went on longer than I did with the floppies, and also bought the Omnibus 1. I should read it someday, though the TPBs are so much easier to handle.
I still have my original 236, and the cover looks like this:
I have to admit that I'm intrigued by this new TPB which seems to have the same retro feel. I know nothing about the run, and have only read a bit of the Simonson Thor run--need to fix that!
I still have my original 236, and the cover looks like this:
I have to admit that I'm intrigued by this new TPB which seems to have the same retro feel. I know nothing about the run, and have only read a bit of the Simonson Thor run--need to fix that!
#346
DVD Talk Hero
Re: What's the last TPB/Graphic Novel you read?
That's probably part of it. There's also the personality factor at play. Some people just flat out hate the guy.
Oh, I would too. It wasn't breaking new ground the way Miller and maybe Claremont were, but it's still really fun stuff. It's interesting that you mention Micheline in that group though. I'm just finishing up his Iron Man omnibus (Well, not really...I'm reading it via digital.) and in my opinion it does not stack up to those others you mentioned. I'll post more later when I finish the last 6 or 7 issues.
Oh, I would too. It wasn't breaking new ground the way Miller and maybe Claremont were, but it's still really fun stuff. It's interesting that you mention Micheline in that group though. I'm just finishing up his Iron Man omnibus (Well, not really...I'm reading it via digital.) and in my opinion it does not stack up to those others you mentioned. I'll post more later when I finish the last 6 or 7 issues.
New Warriors Omnibus (because it was cheap)
Michellinie Iron Man Omnibus
Glory The Complete Saga
Secret Warriors Omnibus
Infinity Gauntlet Omnibus
Mark Waid Daredevil hardcovers 2 and 3
JSA omnibus v. 1
in my big stack of books to be read. And I just bought the Sin City digital collection, so there's that. And I think I'm only on Hellboy Library volume 2.
The real thing keeping me away from these is that it's so much easier to pick up the iPad and read either something from my comixology backlog or from Marvel Unlimited (well, MU isn't exactly easy to navigate, but convenient).
Because of a comixology sale I did re-read the complete Marvel-published Transformers series, then the IDW Regeneration follow up. Man that book is dated, but still pretty good for a comic book tie in (though really, Shooter and co. were the ones who designed the backstory for the toy/cartoon characters, so maybe we can consider the comic to come first).
#347
DVD Talk Godfather
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Home of 2013 NFL champion Seahawks
Posts: 52,624
Received 1,016 Likes
on
840 Posts
Re: What's the last TPB/Graphic Novel you read?
Just read this light-hearted fluff:
I recently read the Marvel Fanfare TPB, and one of the backup stories was Hawkeye working in corporate security and called into question by a mysterious masked man. This four-issue miniseries (which I never read back in the day) expands on that idea. Nothing great, but entertaining, and I like the Hawkeye character. What I like about the TPB is that it also includes Hawkeye's '60s debut in Iron Man, the first appearance of the Mockingbird character, and some other stuff.
Note that the AVENGERS at the top of the cover is just marketing.
I recently read the Marvel Fanfare TPB, and one of the backup stories was Hawkeye working in corporate security and called into question by a mysterious masked man. This four-issue miniseries (which I never read back in the day) expands on that idea. Nothing great, but entertaining, and I like the Hawkeye character. What I like about the TPB is that it also includes Hawkeye's '60s debut in Iron Man, the first appearance of the Mockingbird character, and some other stuff.
Note that the AVENGERS at the top of the cover is just marketing.
#348
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: What's the last TPB/Graphic Novel you read?
Juice Squeezers
#350
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Saint Clair Shores, MI, USA
Posts: 2,641
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: What's the last TPB/Graphic Novel you read?
I've got about $35 in credit with Amazon and need help deciding what to get. Here's what I'm looking at.
Fear Agent: Library Edition Volume 1 - I just got caught up on Black Science and love it, but I've never read anything else by Remender. I'm leery about jumping right in with a deluxe hardcover, but it costs the same as buying the first three trades.
Mind Mgmt - I've never read anything by Matt Kindt other than an occasional DC issue, but the concept is intriguing.
The Spectacular Foes of Spider-Man - I'm on a Spider-Man kick lately (Older stuff. Nothing current) and I hear that this book has a bit of a Hawkeye vibe. (Love that book.) I read the first trade of Nick Spencer's Morning Glories but didn't care for it.
Hellboy: Library Edition Volume 1 - One of my favorite books but my single issues and trades are starting to fall apart from reading them so often. (Dark Horse trades seem to be bound with a glue that disintegrates after one reading.) What's the quality of this deluxe edition and how bulky is it?
Or I may just pick up the last two trades of Gotham Central, I have the first two trades. I liked them but wasn't blown away.
Of course and other recommendations are welcome.
Fear Agent: Library Edition Volume 1 - I just got caught up on Black Science and love it, but I've never read anything else by Remender. I'm leery about jumping right in with a deluxe hardcover, but it costs the same as buying the first three trades.
Mind Mgmt - I've never read anything by Matt Kindt other than an occasional DC issue, but the concept is intriguing.
The Spectacular Foes of Spider-Man - I'm on a Spider-Man kick lately (Older stuff. Nothing current) and I hear that this book has a bit of a Hawkeye vibe. (Love that book.) I read the first trade of Nick Spencer's Morning Glories but didn't care for it.
Hellboy: Library Edition Volume 1 - One of my favorite books but my single issues and trades are starting to fall apart from reading them so often. (Dark Horse trades seem to be bound with a glue that disintegrates after one reading.) What's the quality of this deluxe edition and how bulky is it?
Or I may just pick up the last two trades of Gotham Central, I have the first two trades. I liked them but wasn't blown away.
Of course and other recommendations are welcome.