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Post by Don Quixote on Jul 16, 2012 22:12:58 GMT -5
Comment and questions: I go on tears with comics. I don't follow any, but I'll go through periods of just devouring tons of stuff at once. But here's my problem: I read them fast, *consume* them. It's hard to justify the money I often spend because the experience is over so quickly. And I find that I don't linger over the art as much as I always think I'm going to. So how do other people actually read comics? Do you just read the blurbs and scan the pictures for the information? Or do you actually *read* the art, too, really taking it in and taking time with it? Obviously it's different for different artists. Some are workaday and just there to get the story along while others are more thoughtful. But, that said, I'm still curious if other people are often surprised to find how little time they actually spend on the visual side as I am? I usually read my comic at least twice. Once, I read the dialogue and monologues, and scan the pictures for a brief clarification of what the word bubbles tell me. I focus on the prose this go through. Next, I reread it, but this time I focus on the art. I still read the prose, but the art takes center stage. I look for easter eggs and/or continuity nods. If I have the time, the third time has me slowly reading each page, soaking in as much of it as possible at once, and keeping in mind what I learned from the first two passes. I get the most out of my three bucks.
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Post by Joker on Jul 25, 2012 0:22:36 GMT -5
I usually just read the dialogue then look at the art. I read a lot of comics so this helps me get through many at a quick pace.
Read:
Blackgas by Warren Ellis and Max Fiumara. A young guy and his girlfriend on a trip to his parents place on an island have their trip turned into a nightmare when a mountain there suddenly cracks open during an earthquake and a cloud of black gas covers the town. The residents then have black ichor running out of their orifices and become hateful maniacs. As the couple try to get off of the island they have to fight the evil horde of infected people just to find the world outside has changed as well. It's all very gory and nihilistic so the whole thing feels like a colossal waste of time unless you're a pessimistic gorehound and hate everything and everyone.
Night of the Living Dead, Vol. 2 by Mike Wolfer, John Russo and Aira Tomas. The undead plague was taken care of months ago apparently and a young Vietnam veteran is going to a massive peace rally at the national mall in Washington, D.C. to tell all about what's really going on in the war. A young black man who is about to be a father is working in the National Guard and tasked with keeping the peace there when a bunch of zombies stagger in and the plague returns. The survivors seek refuge in a church nearby, but will still have to fight their way out to survive...
...but that's cut short by an abrupt ending that would make sense in a movie where they ran out of money, but since this is the second collection of three books and there's another story after this the comic didn't get cancelled suddenly. It's just bad writing from an established bad horror writer, John Russo. How much is his fault and who else should share the blame here is up in the air, but one thing is for certain George Romero takes none of it. The whole comic feels extremely hateful toward women with zombies tearing the shirt off of female victims in what appears to be a turn on for someone who is not me. Women are also quite petty and childish throughout being portrayed as needy and/or shrewish and are not above having a catfight during a zombie siege. There's another story about a love triangle, but it's just another anti-woman story that makes me wonder if the guys at Avatar Press actually just plain hate women. I've read a couple of things from them and it seems like they don't like them very much and only want them to be objectified to make bucks.
Batman: Death by Design by Chip Kidd and Dave Taylor. In some golden age Bruce Wayne is trying to have the train station his father had built torn down and runs into opposition from an architecture lover. The Joker crashes a society function and another masked vigilante shows up after Batman tries to save people from a stampede high above the city. Then things get more complicated as the masked guy sets out to kill several people associated with rebuilding the train station for some reason. The story is pretty standard and is only for those people who really like architecture as their are many extended discussions about it throughout that don't cover up some bad plotholes in the story.
Next up:
B.P.R.D.: Being Human by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, Scott Allie and Richard Corben
Batman: Venom by Dennis J. O'Neil and Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez
Batman: Detective Comics Vol. 1: Faces of Death by Tony S. Daniel and various artists
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Post by Joker on Jul 31, 2012 19:00:35 GMT -5
Read:
B.P.R.D.: Being Human by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, Scott Allie and Richard Corben. In the 1970's Broom was heading up the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense and goes to Massachusetts to investigate a haunted house and brings pyrokinetic Liz Sherman with him. When they find out what is really going on a past injustice could kill everyone unless Liz can get control over her power. Then Roger the homunculus and Hellboy investigate another haunting at a plantation down south and Roger will have to take action on the evil responsible - even though he doesn't have any real fighting experience. This winds up being a cool collection of single issue stories that explain the origins of the different members of the team (exceot Abe Sapien who is just in a story about the team hunting down a werewolf.) A good beginning to this series of books.
Batman: Venom by Dennis J. O'Neil and Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez. After he fails to save a young girl from drowning because of his seeming weakness Batman agree to take a new designer drug her father created that gives him incredible strength. As he begins to hit the streets beating huge thugs senseless he becomes more selfish and violent. Then the guy hooking him up with this drug and his ex-military partner decide to pull his strings through addiction and want him to kill Commissioner Gordon in part of a bigger scheme to use the drug for more lofty plans.
This is one of the most powerful Batman comics as it deals with the real-life problem of addiction. The key to Bats being able to stop the villains' master plan is him being able to kick his habit after he hits rock bottom. There's also a sub-plot about the som of the ex-military guy being turned into a soulless killing machine by a medical procedure later perfected with Bane. The action is very intense, especially when Batman and Alfred wind up in thefight for their lives in Santa Prisca.
Batman: Detective Comics Vol. 1: Faces of Death by Tony S. Daniel and various artists. In this "New 52" story Batman is investigating who broke into Arkham Asylum and broke out The Joker, leaving only the clown's severd face nailed to a wall. He finds a brutal mad surgeon and his killer gang of thugs covered with stitched together skin and Commisioner Gordon could become the newst member of their patchwork brood. Then a reporter infiltrates the Pengiun's Iceburg Lounge to find some answers about another conspiracy and Bats has to save her in the floating club. The action is fast and furious and there's a neat scene where a crowd of Joker fans attack Bats in the park while he tries to hunt down an assassin. They didn't really change too much with this supposed reboot, which is okay by me.
Superman: The Black Ring, Vol. 2 by Paul Cornell, Gail Simone, Pete Woods, and various artists. Lex Luthor is still looking for the source of Black Ring energy all over the planet, even after Vandal Savage and the Secret Six have a confrontation in one of his board meetings. Another source of this energy is in the Joker's cell in Arkham Asylum and Lex has to play the clown's game to get it. What this energy really is is a lot more than Lex could handle, but he always seems to have all of the answers. That's when Superman finally shows up and this story comes to a very clever conclusion. The whole series here is a great portrait of Lex Luthor as a three-dimensional character and the source of his wealth is explained in a logical way for the DC Universe. A very cool comic.
The Question, Vol. 4: Welcome to Oz by Dennis O'Neill and Denys Cowan. The mayoral race for Hub City is getting into high gear as the racist challenger who openly talks about reactionary ideas on his campaign commercials is beating the drunken current mayor's more competent wife, Myra. The streets are still unsafe and as The Question continues to do all he can to get some dirt on this clearly evil conservative candidate the corrupt guy calls in a violent biker gang to make sure a bunch of winos vot for him - and beat the crud out of anyone else. On top of that a tornado is about to hit the city and the faceless vigilante has his work cut out for him.
I'll say that this is still an excellent comic that tackles real issues of crime and corruption, but there are a few times where the Question fails to save people's lives despite his catlike reflexes. Also things don't ever seem to get the least bit better in the city so it would seem that the Question is very ineffectual. Those don't seem to be the focus of the story really, although they seem pretty important. It's more about martial arts ideas and quick action.
Next up:
28 Days Later, Vol. 6: Homecoming by Michael Alan Nelson and Alejandro Aragon
Invincible Ultimate Collection, Vol. 4 by Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley, and Bill Crabtree
Animal Man, Vol. 1: The Hunt by Jeff Lemire, Travle Foreman, and John Paul Leon
Kick-Ass 2 by Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr.
The Furry Trap by Josh Simmons
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Post by Mighty Jack on Aug 7, 2012 1:51:34 GMT -5
Rotworld begins! I've been waiting all year for this baby and seeing this image made me wet my pants! Animal Man (of the red) crossing over with Swamp Thing (of the green) and Frankenstein agent of S.H.A.D.E. for God-freakin-sakes! Against the evil Anton Arcane and the forces of the Rot. Woo hoo - first 2 issues were set up... and I loved them. But I'll have to wait for the continuing saga because in Sept DC is doing Zero Month. Until October comes, I'll just have to bask in this picture...
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Post by smartpatrol on Aug 7, 2012 2:08:22 GMT -5
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Post by Mighty Jack on Sept 8, 2012 13:46:23 GMT -5
Yay, bonus check fun time (well most of it went into savings, but some of it…) Atomic Robo vol 1Not bad. Humor was a little too… oh, obvious, corny? And I didn’t care for the narrative device of bouncing back and forth among eras and stories. I don’t think I’ll buy another, I got this used, and even in not great shape it was too expensive. If I’m going to spend this kind of cash I want to be blown away, not just mildly amused and mildly entertained – still, it’s not bad. Maybe it'll really click when I give it another reading in the future, sometimes that happens. The Art Of Amanda ConnerThis is my first “Art of” book (I also ordered one for the great George Tuska, but it was shipped separately and hasn’t arrived). This is an expensive HC I found cheap (cheaper than Robo) but it would have been worth retail price. Amanda’s my favorite comic book artist. Known for humor and the sexiness of her characters. She's great with body language - cartoony - doesn’t do a lot of shading. Has the clean, clear look I like best in a comic. This covers her entire career, even some early, rougher looking work back when she was attending Joe Kubrick's school of art. Through her early Barbie and Vampirella days and onward to her triumphant year on Power Girl. There are some sketches (we see a pencil draft of a cover that includes her favorite giant Monster, Godzilla) and a little blurb on the work she did on Trace's Here Come the Big People (which she said was fun as it gave her a chance to work in the humor genre she enjoys). Amanda is the only reason I still own a copy of Garth Ennis's trashy infantile, "The Pro", she's the one artist that can get me to buy any thing: bad writer, good writer, character’s I love or loath... I’ll still get it for Conner. Plus it sounds like she is one heck of a cool human being. If she ever comes to a comic-con near me I’m definitely going to have her add her signature next to Trace’s on “Big People”. Later this year a second volume, "The Sequential Art of Amanda Conner" is scheduled for release and I have that on my wish list.
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Post by Mighty Jack on Sept 11, 2012 23:34:31 GMT -5
All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison Watched the movie so I thought I'd read this again. The movie does a few things better, but because it had to lose stories for time, it's not as smooth a read. Plus it misses the point on a few things (The Kryptonian travelers weren't truly evil, they do some good. But they are arrogant, feel privileged). Of the two, book is preferred.
This is one of the best Superman stories ever written, it has nods to the obscure past, as you often get from Morrison (ala, Lex's Niece), plus is has a good heart. It doesn't moralize, but still manages to show us the good in Kal-El (the suicide scene was short, but touching and truly defines him and what he means to us Earthlings)
Frank Quietly's art is a marvel, and employs his signature style - exotic looking women, a sense of serenity in many of the figures, use of negative space, seeing the after -or before- effects of an event, rather than the event itself (ala, showing a guy wincing in pain -- rather than the punch).
Batman Incorporated (Delux Edition) by Grant Morrison Whoo boy, I love this title. So sad that Grant is going to retire from Superhero comics in 8 or 9 months. This book will be missed. It's crazed, thrilling... with superb character interaction. Many wonderful nods to Batman's obscure past.
And man, does Grant write a great Batman/Catwoman. She's got a bit of the TV Selina in her -- playful, cat affectations (didn't quite purr, but came close). She and Bruce have a great chemistry. I'd love to see Grant to a Bruce and Selina series.... outside of continuity. It would be a blast.
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Post by Mighty Jack on Sept 19, 2012 5:30:13 GMT -5
- Starman Omnibus Vol 1 by James Robinson
The son of a famous golden age hero has to take up the mantle when all hell breaks loose in Opal City. At first I found some of the dialog and interaction a bit stilted, but damn -- once Robinson hit a groove this thing was sailing. their are a few bits of wonky conversation, but the storytelling is strong, and the premise and characters are compelling (it borrows a lot from Grant Morrison). Honestly, I'm not a huge Robinson fan, I find his work decent enough but not spectacular. This though worked for the most part.
- Doom Patrol vol 1 and 2 by Grant Morrison
Wild, smart, literate and original. What a strange cast we have here, what an interesting take on powers and superheroics. These people are broken in so many ways, but they don't come off gloomy. They struggle, but they rarely wallow. I loved the Dada story, that was a mind blower.
their is some repetitiveness. Literary and art worlds/figures come to life, and they all have kind of the same vibe to them, same kind of conclusion and because of that, what was unexpected, is now expected. The last story in vol 2 -with Mala and the Brain- breaks from formula (plus it was hilarious) so maybe Grant will branch out and lose the 'tonal sameness'.
- Sandman: Preludes and Nocturns by Neil Gaiman
Revisitng the series. Of course it's a classic and its amazing to think that the book will only get more brilliant from here on out.
- The Manhattan Projects: Science Bad by Johnathan Hickman
Might very well challenge Wonder Woman as my favorite book of the year. An alt-universe look at the famous project - it takes real history and people and throws in a lot of sci-fi weirdness. It's dark, twisted, irreverent, but funny and fascinating. Amazon is selling it for $9.59. Good deal, great book - www.amazon.com/The-Manhattan-Projects-Volume-Science/dp/1607066084
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Torgo
Moderator Emeritus
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Posts: 15,420
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Post by Torgo on Sept 19, 2012 16:44:45 GMT -5
So I've been out of the comic loop for a while. Is Marvel Now Marvel's own verson of the New 52? I first heard of it a few weeks ago but didn't look to far into it. Then I read this. and noticed the word "relaunch."
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Post by Mighty Jack on Sept 19, 2012 17:57:17 GMT -5
Yes - they are not calling it a reboot like what DC did, more a relaunch in the aftermath of the X-Men vs Avengers event. They are shuffling creators and gradually starting over with new #1 issues.
I'm okay with it, as long as the work is quality and entertaining. I'll give Iron Man a go (I couldn't stand Matt Fractions run and gave up the title years ago). But I'd be broke if I added all of them to my monthly pulls list, so if they receive good reviews, theyll go in the tpb wish list.
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Torgo
Moderator Emeritus
-segment with Crow?
Posts: 15,420
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Post by Torgo on Sept 19, 2012 19:51:53 GMT -5
Aha, so this is like Ultimatum for mainstream Marvel? Is X-Men vs. Avengers any good? I haven't read much about it.
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Post by Mighty Jack on Sept 20, 2012 13:05:13 GMT -5
I haven't read any of them. I've sworn off company wide events.
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Post by Mighty Jack on Sept 23, 2012 17:10:36 GMT -5
Warren Ellis' Transmetropolitan Vol 1 Cyberpunk meets Hunter S. Thompson. I get that comics, even well written comics, are inherently adolescent. But after reading so many glowing notices about this book I thought it might prove to be one of the few exceptions to that rule.
And it was an interesting read... until our protagonist 'Spider Jerusalem' gets on his soap box. Ellis goes after politicians (who are all crooked) and Television ( which is all corrupt) and religion (which is run by thieves, psychopaths, con men and perverts) and I'm thinking, yeah it's easy to attack these guys when you make them all such obvious and cliched targets.
At one point Spider exposes his junk to a religious leader and tells him to read my F'n scripture!!" I guess I was supposed to pump my fist and cheer - such self righteous anger, well directed. Instead I rolled my eyes because I found it cheap and easy.
I'd have been far more interested if Ellis had explored the grayer areas. Lets show a good and loving religious leader. Lets put oh, say our own Mr. Atari in that comic, who seems to me a person of integrity. All of a sudden Spider's actions come off like a juvenile tantrum.
Now this is a comic, and rarely in comics do you find anyone talented enough to truly explore the issues with balance (John Ostrander's Specter perhaps came the closest) but it is disappointing. Transmetropolitan is well written otherwise, Spider is a fascinating character. But when it comes to causes Warren writes like an angry schoolboy -- and I'd rather have a sober, intelligent exploration of the issues. It's easy to throw rocks when you paint everyone as black hearted sinners Warren, it's a little tougher to delve into the gray.
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Post by Mighty Jack on Sept 25, 2012 2:02:58 GMT -5
Planetary by Warren Ellis and John CasadayA wee bit disappointed with Tranmetropolitan vol 1. I turned to my favorite Ellis title, Planetary. And man, it's still a work of great wonderfulness. A sharply written ode to the history of comics and pop culture in general (from Godzilla to Doc Savage). It concerns these "Archaeologists of the impossible" and their fight with an evil Fantastic Four-like group. But it digs deeper than that, and a lot of it goes over my head (much of it revolves around a multiverse which is based on the mathematical concept known as "Monster group") It's heady stuff, but fun and adventurous. The characters are all memorable. Art by Casaday is fantastic. Love this book and strongly recommend it (it comes in 4 volumes)
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Post by Mighty Jack on Sept 25, 2012 23:51:19 GMT -5
Sandman vol 2: The Dolls House by Neil GaimanPure, undiluted genius! Nice intro by Clive Barker explaining the types of horror/fantasy, saying Gaiman's work is a kin to the style perfected by Edgar Allen Poe. Two Step by Warren Ellis and Amanda ConnerLighter fare from Ellis, probably owed as much to the art of Amanda Conner. It's an adult comedic/romance/adventure about a cam girl who stumbles on a free-lance Zen gangster who has stolen a mob bosses artificial... uh, willy. It can get offensive, but unlike Conner's pairing with Garth Ennis on "The Pro" it doesn't come off like it was written by an angry foul-mouth 12-year-old. Which is due to Ellis superiority to Ennis as a writer and his ability to inject a measure of likability in the lead characters. It's juvenile, but entertaining. madcap and witty. Conner's a great storyteller, there's a lot of humor in her art, lots of silly stuff going on in the backgrounds. She too has a rather juvenile sense of humor, so she was the perfect penciler for this job. I wouldn't recommend it if your sensitive to rude, audacious sexual humor... but it's not as mean spirited (and isn't just one long string of F-bombs) as what was offered in "The Pro". So while that one seems to get all the attention, I prefer Ellis' "Two-Step". Only negative, the retail sales price is $20 for this thing. It's a 3 part mini series, the rest is padded out with script from issue 1 complete with B&W art. Not a good deal -- but I found it for $10, which is a better deal.
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