The Comic Book Discussion Thread [Archive] - Page 26

sevenarts

06-12-2014, 10:20 PM

I love both but that's not really a fair comparison. There's no doubt to me that X-Statix is a deeper book, with greater emotional stakes and more to "say," but Nextwave is just a balls-out blast of energy and humor, the kind of book that really shouldn't be dismissed on grounds of substance or anything like that. It's just a hilarious book, non-stop fun on every page in a way that X-Statix doesn't really hit (or try for, really). Despite some superficial similarities in tone and style, they're pretty different books in terms of what they're going for, and both (to me) just totally nail their respective territories.

Acapelli

06-13-2014, 03:55 AM

the only similarities between the two are, maybe, the art style and the oddball characters. i've never had more fun with a comic than i've had with nextwave. probably the run i've reread the most

ledfloyd

06-13-2014, 01:40 PM

It's been a few years. Maybe I owe it another shot.

number8

06-13-2014, 05:32 PM

Goddammit Copra is gorgeous.

number8

06-18-2014, 06:14 PM

DC and Dynamite will co-publish a Django/Zorro crossover miniseries written by Quentin Tarantino and Matt Wagner.

Hot shit (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/quentin-tarantino-write-comic-book-712768)

Ezee E

06-19-2014, 02:39 AM

Gittes

06-19-2014, 06:28 AM

Adrian Tomine! Is anyone else a fan?
http://www.adrian-tomine.com/Prints/MissedConnection.jpg
http://www.adrian-tomine.com/Prints/WinterBreak.jpg
http://www.adrian-tomine.com/Prints/1965.jpg

More:

http://www.adrian-tomine.com/Prints/AC.jpg

http://www.adrian-tomine.com/Illustrations/SUMMERRAIN.jpg
http://www.adrian-tomine.com/Illustrations/ATNewYorkerB.jpg
http://www.adrian-tomine.com/Illustrations/INHERENT.jpg
http://www.adrian-tomine.com/Illustrations/ATNewYorkerJ.jpg

number8

06-19-2014, 02:31 PM

More his art than his writing. Which is why I think that New Yorkers collection book is his best book. Heh.

Gittes

06-19-2014, 02:32 PM

More his art than his writing. Which is why I think that New Yorkers collection book is his best book. Heh.

I love that book. Besides the few pieces in New York Drawings, I've never checked out his writing.

sevenarts

06-19-2014, 06:00 PM

Tomine's art is pleasant enough, though distinctly unexciting. His writing is cringe-inducing to me, he embodies all the cliches that other indie cartoonists are unfairly accused of.

dreamdead

06-19-2014, 06:24 PM

I like a lot about Tomine's Shortcomings, but agree that it can feel rather turgid in being an indie comics 101 cliche-house. That said, I feel that the engagement with Asian identity there allows the writing to explore material that other writers don't focus on, whereas some of his earlier complications feel more rote in their storytelling. This is the first that I've been aware of the New Yorker collection--is it largely all one-sheets or are there a fair amount of longer stories?

number8

06-19-2014, 07:45 PM

dreamdead

06-19-2014, 07:53 PM

Eh, I like Gene Luen Yang's approach better.

The New York Drawings book is a collection of every illustration Tomine ever did for The New Yorker. There are a couple of comics but it's mostly covers (now presented sans text!) and article illustrations.

Ah, thanks for the heads-up about content. I don't like any artist (save possibly JH Williams III) enough to drop money on them, sans writing.

I liked Yang's ABC but that's all I've read of his; Sarah read his two takes on the Boxer Rebellion. There are ways in which Shortcomings's focus on adult subject matter (what's it say that this Asian doesn't watch Asian-themed porn?) make it far more interesting to me than anything in the more comparatively young adult ABC. Some of the historism that Yang explores in undercutting the continual racism of these caricatures goes beyond Tomine's study of adult relationships, in that Tomine interrogates less of the social history of these images, but I still find myself pulling out Tomine's book at times, something I don't do with Yang's...

Apropos of nothing, we'll be getting to the first volumes of Pretty Deadly and Velvet here soon. Hoping for good things.

number8

06-19-2014, 08:22 PM

Apropos of nothing, we'll be getting to the first volumes of Pretty Deadly and Velvet here soon. Hoping for good things.

I'm loving both.

Oh! Almost forgot. Wicked + Divine came out yesterday! I'm liking it a lot already, but I have a soft spot for the Lucifer looks like David Bowie thing. It reads very much like Phonogram, but I accept Gillen's explanation in the last page on why this can't just be the third Phonogram book. Yet another ongoing added to my ballooning Image pulls.

sevenarts

06-19-2014, 08:47 PM

I thought Wicked + Divine was great, too, all the best parts of Phonogram and Young Avengers mixed together. Beautiful art as always from McKelvie, and Gillen's pop culture transcendence stuff is always a blast to read just because he seems so invested in it.

Irish

07-04-2014, 01:20 AM

Can anyone recommend a comic book reader for iOS?

sevenarts

07-04-2014, 01:51 AM

I assume you mean for cbr/cbz files? I use Comic Zeal, which has always been good but has been a bit buggy since the last update (about a week ago). Hopefully they clean things up soon. I've used YACReader and a couple of others and didn't like them as much.

Irish

07-05-2014, 08:07 AM

Very cool, thanks for the tip

Grouchy

07-07-2014, 05:09 PM

I don't know if it's Americans in general or comic-book readers who are so deeply afraid of sex, but anyway - censorship is coming. And in a big way. There have been countless scandals like this and the anger always seems to be directed at the creators, as if they want to make an example of them. Websites like The Outhouse contribute in my view to this "police the comics" thing.

http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2014/07/falcon-jet-scene-in-captain-america-22-sparks-calls-for-remenders-firing/

number8

07-07-2014, 06:19 PM

How is that in any way censorship?

Grouchy

07-07-2014, 06:44 PM

How is that in any way censorship?
They are collecting signatures to fire a writer from a book because of a sex scene their tiny little minds can't process.

number8

07-07-2014, 06:51 PM

I don't think an internet movement that will not result in anything constitutes as censorship.

Grouchy

07-07-2014, 06:57 PM

I don't think an internet movement that will not result in anything constitutes as censorship.
I get your point, but consider how often you have read similar stories in the past few years. Off the top of my head there were attacks on Jimmy Palmiotti because of a Harley Quinn contest and on James Gunn because of a ten-year-old blog.

So it's not the publishers themselves that are the problem, but the fact that there's a large portion of readers that want their comics PC and sanitized disturbs me. A climate such as the British Invasion's in the '80s would be impossible now because of this self-appointed morality police.

EDIT: Granted, the British Invasion would also not be possible now because there are zero editors with Karen Berger's balls.

Irish

07-07-2014, 11:16 PM

The Palmiotti thing was absurd & funny because they were so clueless ("Hey kids! Draw this character committing suicide!" ... A week before National Suicide Prevention Week).

Gunn deserved what he got, more or less, for spewing a bunch of frat boy homophobia & sexist "jokes." (It was a 2 yr old post, not 10, btw, which I think makes a difference given Gunn's age). He's kinda a spaz.

I dunno about sanitizing things. I think people are hyper sensitive. But they've got good reason, too.

Grouchy

07-08-2014, 12:48 AM

The Palmiotti thing was absurd & funny because they were so clueless ("Hey kids! Draw this character committing suicide!" ... A week before National Suicide Prevention Week).
The idea that you should check the calendar in order to avoid "insensitive" topics in comic books makes me want to puke.

Gunn deserved what he got, more or less, for spewing a bunch of frat boy homophobia & sexist "jokes." (It was a 2 yr old post, not 10, btw, which I think makes a difference given Gunn's age). He's kinda a spaz.
Well, I can't find the blog post right now, it's obviously been taken down, but what I remember is that he just ranked female superheroes for their T&A. Immature, maybe, but so what? Like every comic book reader in the world is so above and beyond masturbating to fictional characters.

I think the real problem is that most people assume that pop culture is there to "educate" the masses in civil behavior. It's not. It's there to expand your imagination and entertain you. Parents and teachers are there to educate children and what a pathetic job they do.

Sven

07-08-2014, 01:54 AM

The idea that you should check the calendar in order to avoid "insensitive" topics in comic books makes me want to puke.

The objection was that it was tacky. And did you notice how nothing came of that story? How she's still got a series and is as popular as ever?

Well, I can't find the blog post right now, it's obviously been taken down, but what I remember is that he just ranked female superheroes for their T&A. Immature, maybe, but so what? Like every comic book reader in the world is so above and beyond masturbating to fictional characters.

Again, I think the issue is one of tackiness. I know that I, personally, am not interested in seeing a multimillion dollar CG project wielded by one interested in keeping pop puerile. And again, may I point out that nothing came of this story either?

I think the real problem is that most people assume that pop culture is there to "educate" the masses in civil behavior. It's not. It's there to expand your imagination and entertain you. Parents and teachers are there to educate children and what a pathetic job they do.

I don't think anybody, even those objecting to the issue, would consider their copy of Captain America to be educational material. At this point, I'm not sure what your argument is, but you've definitely convinced me whose panties are in the biggest twist.

Irish

07-08-2014, 01:55 AM

The idea that you should check the calendar in order to avoid "insensitive" topics in comic books makes me want to puke.

The timing just made it extra tacky. That wasn't the real problem, though.

Well, I can't find the blog post right now, it's obviously been taken down, but what I remember is that he just ranked female superheroes for their T&A. Immature, maybe, but so what? Like every comic book reader in the world is so above and beyond masturbating to fictional characters.

Google "James Gunn controversy" if you're inclined. If it had just been schoolyard stuff, fine. That woulda been mildly embarrassing (and weirdly immature) coming from a guy who was over 40 at the time.

But the comments he made as "jokes" were pretty nasty. Slut shaming stuff. Homophobia. Just really lame. I'm not really into "censoring" anybody but I'm always surprised that these entitled, pasty white dudes think they can spout off with zero repercussions.

It's like hey, say what you want but then don't get hurt when people respond with "fuck off," ya know? I dunno if it's really about "political correctness" as much as just being an empathetic human being.

I think the real problem is that most people assume that pop culture is there to "educate" the masses in civil behavior. It's not. It's there to expand your imagination and entertain you. Parents and teachers are there to educate children and what a pathetic job they do.

I don't know if I could name anyone who really thinks that, outside PTAs and parent groups and family values religious people. I think the "nerds," the fans of this stuff, are sick of skewed gender representations, homophobic bullshit, and seeing the groups they were born into continually marginalized. I can't say I blame them.

Grouchy

07-08-2014, 04:48 AM

I think the "nerds," the fans of this stuff, are sick of skewed gender representations, homophobic bullshit, and seeing the groups they were born into continually marginalized. I can't say I blame them.
And that's awesome. I'm a born nerd. But that said, I spent all my childhood and teenage years reading and watching stuff that wasn't policed by the internet as it is today. It might have been mysoginistic, violent, perverse and sex-hating to laugh with glee as Jason Voorhees killed hot girls, but I think I came out of it fairly all right. Catholic school was far worse for education.

I think it's ridiculous that there are entire websites dedicated to do film or comic reviews based on if the material is respectful to women, gays or any minority group you can think of. What's worse, I think it's hypocritical. Sven, my argument is that Gary Oldman is right. Political correctness is inherently hypocrisy. Like getting upset about a nutjob like Lars Von Trier bullshitting about Hitler when most of Europe leans towards the far right. And the problem is a drunk arty filmmaker who likes to stir up controversy.

number8

07-08-2014, 04:50 AM

Art provokes reaction. An artist creates something puerile or insensitive, some people are gonna cheer it on, some people are gonna say piss off. As long as that open dialogue exists, I don't really see a problem. As if Marvel would ever fire Remender over a controversial story, when they didn't even seriously consider that with Brian Wood's multiple sexual assault allegations.

Irish

07-08-2014, 06:19 AM

I think it's ridiculous that there are entire websites dedicated to do film or comic reviews based on if the material is respectful to women, gays or any minority group you can think of.

It's a form of cultural criticism and entirely valid. Representation matters. It's 2014, FFS. Why are you playing at Archie Bunker?

I mean, you're advocating that minorities stop complaining and settle down and just enjoy the status quo? Because if it was good enough ~20 years ago, it's good enough now?

And Gary Oldman dude? Seriously? :lol: Who are you?

Art provokes reaction.

This is a cop out.

The knee jerk sexism, homophobia, and misogyny that exists in their "art" -- the kind of thing Grouchy's "PC police" regularly complain about" -- isn't intentional, and it doesn't exist to make any kind of statement. It's mostly a side effect of institutional bias, and it shits on people with limited to no voice. C'mon.

As far as the aforementioned incidents: Gunn and Wood weren't operating in an artistic context. They just behaved badly in public (albeit in a professional context).

number8

07-08-2014, 12:07 PM

Why should it matter to the public if it's intentional or not? The internet allows it to be scrutinized and called out on, and that's a good thing. If it's really an issue they were ignorant about, they can learn and try to be more conscious in their future work, or they can double down on being a dick (like when Remender told people who don't agree with Havok's stance on the word mutant to go drink hobo piss) and is branded as such: I really think part of why the Falcon sex scene is being falsely read as rape* by many is because Remender wrote it and he has that kind of rep.

In the case of Brian Wood, Marvel was never going to do anything about him, but the social media campaign against him allowed people to make the choice whether or not they're willing to continue supporting his work knowing that he's a creep.

* BTW, Grouchy, I don't think it's fair to say that people are prudish about sex because they were offended by what they thought was a rape scene. Two very different things. I don't think disliking some dude's attitude towards women has to do with sex either.

sevenarts

07-08-2014, 01:07 PM

This larger conversation has its merits, on both sides, but it's worth stressing again that the actual controversy here was pretty silly since anyone who managed to muster outrage over this scene had to ignore or dismiss information given *on the same page* in order to make their case. That obviously adds to the impression that there are a lot of people these days who just enjoy expressing outrage online. I for one never got the idea in Remender's run so far that Jet, since leaving Dimension Z, was supposed to be anything other than a young woman, so I've been pretty confused by the rage over this event. There also seem to be a lot of people who are trying to make this about race, as though Remender is showing Falcon as a sexually aggressive black stereotype, but this is also confusing. Is the implication that black men should never be shown having or enjoying sex?

sevenarts

07-08-2014, 06:06 PM

And just to divert this thread to potentially more interesting areas of discussion, has anyone here read Matt Wagner's Grendel? I'm reading it now and am incredibly impressed. It's up there with Cerebus from the same time period as far as comics that make really good, inventive use of text - Wagner plays with the text/image relationship in really fascinating, layered ways. Whenever I come across a creator like Wagner who does this, it really emphasizes what a narrow stretch of the formal/aesthetic potential of comics is actually explored by most other comic creators, even really good ones. Each arc of Grendel so far uses text in very different ways - with different styles lending very different moods and tones to the distinct stories and characters in each arc - but the writing is always extremely literary while still being fully grounded in comics' own language. I'm about 20 issues into the original Comico series and am totally enamored of this universe and Wagner's constantly shifting, developing writing. The fact that he's making this all work so organically while mostly not drawing the stories himself is even more impressive, in a way, and speaks to either the precision of Wagner's scripts or the incredible sympathy of his collaborators, or likely both.

ledfloyd

07-12-2014, 06:40 PM

Finally got a copy of Safe Area Gorazde. Joe Sacco is unbelievable.

Sven

07-13-2014, 11:50 PM

There really is no reason for Tim Bradstreet illustrations to exist.

Dead & Messed Up

07-15-2014, 12:19 AM

ledfloyd

07-15-2014, 12:22 AM

Oh, I made it about 20-25 issues into Transmet on my "must read or else!" mission. I just need to accept that Ellis is not for me.

Kid Eternity is one of the few Morrison books I haven't read. I should give it a shot. Animal Man though. So good.

Sven

07-17-2014, 01:02 AM

For all its rotating house illustrators and graphic content, I'm ready to call God is Dead a masterpiece. Definitely out-of-the-box, but totally singular and fascinating. Costa's got real creative chops. Makes me wanna read some of his Joe work. Avatar lands another one.

Skitch

07-17-2014, 02:29 AM

Finally got my "to read" pile organized. Curious on people's thoughts on Batman: Streets Of Gotham. I'm a dozen issues in and I really dig it.

EyesWideOpen

07-19-2014, 01:35 AM

Someone came yesterday and picked up my last 2 shortboxes so I am now comic book free. Thanks to all of you who bought comics off me over the last year or two.

Philip J. Fry

07-22-2014, 09:32 PM

https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/t1.0-9/10468094_826634504037403_17543 27593140002061_n.jpg
:cool::cool::cool:

megladon8

07-24-2014, 05:35 AM

In honor of Batman's 75th anniversary, IGN declared Jim Lee the best Batman artist of all time.

*barf*

Skitch

07-24-2014, 05:58 AM

I dont understand anything in that post. Its like, "In honor of pie, Walmart declares slightly over-baked crust the best of all time."

sevenarts

07-24-2014, 10:42 AM

Everyone else on their list is better than Lee.

Although they leave off my personal favorite, Marshall Rogers. Breyfogle would be #2.

Sven

07-26-2014, 05:21 AM

What think we of Ellis/Lotay's Supreme? Initial impressions are swoony. Just the right level of aloof, lovely art, even if the facial renderings nerf expressiveness.

dreamdead

07-26-2014, 06:48 PM

Those who've read Satellite Sam and East of West--are those two series worth continuing through their first volumes? I like how diverse Image's titles are and those two both have solid first volumes, but I want to ensure that the series doesn't become meandering, as I felt Fatale started to become...

Sven

07-31-2014, 12:57 AM

Sorry, dd. I can't speak to the second volume of either, as I, too, have yet to engage with them. Both are among my favorite current titles, I've just been unable to prioritize reading them. Wish all of Fraction's stuff was so loaded with nuance. His star is quickly fading, I think, but I'm holding out for more SS and Casanova.

On another note, I'm fairly certain that Valiant's Armor Hunters is the most successful crossover event I've read. Attribute it to a more modest scope, being only a few titles large, so there's little room for sprawl or contradiction. But simultaneously, each mini- so far, incl Unity and Manowar, has been brutally efficient and lovingly rendered. With no aspect phoning it in, and a writer pool that includes Venditti, Dysart, Kindt, and Harris (along with some of my favorite artists, Hairsine, Gill, esp. Braithwaite), I'll be surprised if this doesn't wind up the best comics event in years.

number8

07-31-2014, 01:14 AM

I want to ensure that the series doesn't become meandering, as I felt Fatale started to become...

Kinda funny that you would say that the week the final issue came out.

I think East of West is meandering a little narratively, although I still find it engaging because of its big ideas. SS, on the other hand, is just consistently firing on all cylinders every issue.

Skitch

07-31-2014, 01:50 AM

62 books for $15.50. I loooove raiding .25 cent bins! And most of it was on my checklist. I will definitely be stopping by that shop again. Interesting how some shops quarter bins are total garbage I would throw away before giving away, and other shops are a jackpot for me.

Todays pickups mostly consisted of Nightwing, Titans, The Outsiders, Red Robin, some Crow and Stray Bullets, and a few other indys I'm willing to risk a quarter. Great day.

Dead & Messed Up

08-04-2014, 08:25 AM

Guys, thanks again for the Grant Morrison rec's. Between Animal Man and Kid Eternity, the guy's become sort of a saint to me. Out of the two, I liked the former a bit more. Some clever and frequently funny twists on superhero stuff. I think about the coyote man a lot, and that suicidal robot overlord. Kid Eternity was good and obviously more in the vein of Arkham, but it took a while before I felt like I had a grip on the plot. I'm curious to re-read it somewhere down the line and see how it plays knowing what the hell is happening. The Fegredo artwork was glorious, obviously, and I dug the hyperdense referential story.

Taking a break on him now and reading the first volume of Transmetropolitan.

Thought the first issue of Transmet was entertaining and goofy, even if, mother of God, the satire was so broad.

But We3 was something else. Quitely's artwork was succulent, the animals' dialogue felt so precise and true. Some great stuff in there.

Now I'm trying to get through Moore's From Hell, which quickly feels like the Moby Dick of comics - at least from the three chapters I've finished. Excellent so far, but thank God for the TPB's endnotes that clarify the more esoteric story stuff (Jabuhlon? Bwuhahama?).

dreamdead

08-04-2014, 12:58 PM

ledfloyd

08-04-2014, 04:51 PM

So is 100 Rooms the first great Locas story? Because I think it might be.

sevenarts

08-04-2014, 05:09 PM

First volume of Image's Velvet was wonderful. Sophisticated art and love the adult take on noir (rather than the Frank Miller take). Hoping its second volume keeps up the quality--if so, I'm along for the ride.
Yeah, Velvet is fantastic. The second volume just started and if anything I feel like the first issue of the new arc upped the ante. It's such a clever twist on the genre, placing a character like Velvet at the center of the story when she'd usually be at the fringes. But I mean, it's Ed Brubaker, of course it's a great noir/spy thriller. If you've never read anything by him before and want more smart noir, check out Criminal, Sleeper (superhero noir!), and the just-finished, really brilliant Fatale (horror noir!).

So is 100 Rooms the first great Locas story? Because I think it might be.
Yeah that seems to be where Jaime really found his voice and everything started to come together in a big way. There are good stories earlier than that but that's the first one that really suggests that this is going to be an all-time classic work of art as opposed to just another fun indie book.

ledfloyd

08-04-2014, 05:33 PM

Yeah that seems to be where Jaime really found his voice and everything started to come together in a big way. There are good stories earlier than that but that's the first one that really suggests that this is going to be an all-time classic work of art as opposed to just another fun indie book.
I read "The Girl from HOPPERS" awhile back, and I've finally gone back and picked up "Maggie the Mechanic." Now they just need to hurry up with the "Perla La Loca" reprint. Or I could jump over to Palomar and see what things are like over there.

sevenarts

08-04-2014, 08:04 PM

I don't have those new collections (I love the big, old OOP ones, even if it cost me more to gather 'em all) but it looks like Perla la Loca contains Wigwam Bam, which is just awesome. One of the best things about Locas, which you'll realize as you get further in, is how well Jaime's storytelling works over the long term - he's basically made these characters feel like real people, growing and changing in surprising ways in something like real time as they age. It's a phenomenal accomplishment and really sets his work apart from almost anyone else in comics.

I've never been quite as big a fan of Gilbert as I am of Jaime, but of course considering that I'd call Jaime the best cartoonist ever, it's all relative. Palomar is very much worth reading, too, and has a very different feel and set of concerns from his brother's work.

Sven

08-07-2014, 01:29 AM

Dynamite's new issue of Captain Victory is cool, but too tardy, feeling less exciting by a wide margin given that Spurrier beat him to the plotpunch in X-Force. Surely Fox/Farinas/esp Rugg's pages sing, but alas, Casey's scripts are becoming rapidly staid. Even his good ones aren't ending all that well.

Also finally caught up with Satellite Sam, and it, too, is becoming more predictable in its use of its milieu. There doesn't seem to be a lot of investment in the mystery aspect of the narrative, it mostly seems like a vehicle by which Mike can pick up where his father left off, which is a trite bit of characterizing seeing that nothing is being explored or peered at. Just Mad Men-esque "hey, look at all this quaint-era sex"-ness, highlighted by token social concerns like race and homosexuality in unimaginative ways. Still dig the presentation, and can't deny that I am curious where it's going, but I can also see that it's moving into pretty boring territory.

sevenarts

08-07-2014, 01:45 AM

To be fair, the plot point you're talking about came from the original Kirby Captain Victory, so it's more like they're both taking from a common source - and Casey, unlike Spurrier, kinda couldn't avoid it considering his source material. Anyway, I can't fathom being unexcited by this issue. The beginning summarized the Kirby concepts a bit but it quickly went off in its own directions in the second half, and I can't wait to see where Casey goes with this. Fun, frenzied, beautifully drawn stuff, every bit as much of a blast as Catalyst Comix was. So Casey at his very best, basically.

I get what you're saying about Satellite Sam to some degree, but it continues to surprise/provoke me in moments like the "passing" exchange with the elevator operator. That was downright searing.

Sven

08-07-2014, 04:44 PM

To be fair, the plot point you're talking about came from the original Kirby Captain Victory, so it's more like they're both taking from a common source - and Casey, unlike Spurrier, kinda couldn't avoid it considering his source material.

I'm not saying drop the concept. Obviously it's part of Captain Victory. But Spurrier managed to take the element and make it a surprising and relevant thing, while Casey's use of it in the first issue is perfunctory. Of course, we'll see where it goes, but I have a feeling that this is gonna be an artistic showcase, not a narrative one.

I get what you're saying about Satellite Sam to some degree, but it continues to surprise/provoke me in moments like the "passing" exchange with the elevator operator. That was downright searing.

That's exactly the kind of exchange that feels like a wet noodle to me. How did that scene provoke you? It was such an obvious construction, stacked for maximum race points without actually offering any observation beyond the superficial.

sevenarts

08-07-2014, 06:00 PM

As much as I like Spurrier's X-Force, he's kinda just doing exactly what Kirby did with the clone/dying thing, playing it for maximum pathos and commentary on the nature of the self. It's great stuff, in both cases. I love the concept, and love what Spurrier's been doing with it, especially parallel to the even more interesting stuff he's been doing with Fantomex. The cliffhanger of the most recent X-Force issue was jaw-dropping. I like that Casey seems to be going somewhere else with it - I could be wrong but I got the sense he's going for more of an Orion-style Darkseid's son story, splitting the protagonist into "good" and "evil" versions to examine the two sides of his personality. Whatever, I certainly won't argue that like 70-80% of the appeal of this thing is going to be visual, but I had a great time with the first issue. Can't wait to see Fiffe's pages in the next one.

As for SS, I just thought that scene was really emotionally compelling. In just a few panels, Fraction & Chaykin managed to very economically and intensely communicate the mental anguish of this guy who's passing for white. It's contrived, sure, but such contrivances don't really bother me in this book in part because Chaykin's style is so broad and naturally suited to melodrama. If you think of the book as lurid melodrama, which I definitely do, that was a prime moment, just packed with juicy emotions. Yeah, I don't think Fraction necessarily has a lot of substance to say about this era (decidedly *unlike* Mad Men, incidentally) but the emotional storytelling and the sharp-edged dialogue remain top-notch.

number8

08-20-2014, 03:11 PM

Yale Stewart? FUCKING YALE STEWART? The guy who makes JL8 harasses women with his dick pics?

GOD FUCKING DAMN IT.

Dukefrukem

08-20-2014, 04:01 PM

There's only 3 comics I'm regularly reading, Walking Dead, Batman 52 and X-files, but I just picked up the first three volumes of Black and White Batman and I'm kinda of exited.

Please tell me I should be.

-Duke

Skitch

08-20-2014, 08:00 PM

Ezee E

08-21-2014, 03:55 AM

What's Walking Dead up to after Regan in #100 or so?

I'm waiting on the Django/Zorro release before I go back to the stores again and check out anything.

Gittes

08-21-2014, 06:27 AM

I own both B&W Batman series'. Possibly my favorite Bat books ever.

I was actually going to ask for a good Batman recommendation. It's been a very long time since I read a comic. I'm trying to figure out what's interesting and seemingly worthwhile. I was going to check out the trade paperbacks of The Court of Owls, but apparently the story kind of fizzles out in the end? It sounded intriguing. I know Grant Morrison has done some interesting stuff with Batman but, the last time I checked, that entails a huge commitment and the acquisition of a hefty amount of TPBs in order to absorb the entire story.

I'm also curious about Miles Morales, but I'm not sure if that series is held in high esteem (I flipped through a random issue at a comic book shop a while back and I liked the art and the dialogue). I guess I'm drawn to that series because the last time I was into comics in any substantial sense was when I was collecting the Ultimate Spider-Man series that launched back in 2000 (I stopped reading around the time that Carnage was introduced).

I've been meaning to check out Hawkeye and Saga for a while. I know those have definitely been well received. There's also a lot of topical chatter out there about Multiversity, but I'm not sure if it's the sort of thing that will more or less stand on its own or if it will cater to those who are more conversant with a wide array of DC characters and storylines.

Sven

08-21-2014, 08:11 AM

...if it will cater to those who are more conversant with a wide array of DC characters and storylines.

This. (see DC thread)

Also, Hawkeye and Saga are both overrated. Alternative suggestions: Simon Spurrier's X-Men Legacy, which is as funny, innovative, and insightful as anything in Fraction's book, with half the posing. And Jonathan Hickman's Manhattan Projects is every bit the hysterical, sprawling sci-fi strangeness as Saga (headier, yes).

Also, be mindful of my minority opinion in taking these recommendations into advisement.

Dukefrukem

08-21-2014, 12:34 PM

What's Walking Dead up to after Regan in #100 or so?

I'm trying to figure out if you're asking what is currently happening in the series or if you're asking something else.

In any case, we're at #130.

sevenarts

08-21-2014, 01:08 PM

If you liked the old Ultimate Spider-Man, the Miles Morales stuff is probably gonna be up your alley too. It's worth catching up on what you didn't read yet of USM in general: Bendis' whole run on this book, with either Peter or Miles, has been some of the most consistently fun, entertaining, accessible comics around. If you stopped with Carnage you missed some real good stuff. I'd suggest reading straight through from where you stopped to the current Miles series.

For Batman, I'd definitely stay away from Court of the Owls or any of the other current Scott Snyder stuff. Every arc he's done since the New 52 started has fizzled out - that is, if they didn't start lousy to begin with. Morrison's Batman is daunting, and scattered across a confusing array of collections, but well worth the commitment if you feel like tackling something wildly ambitious. If you just want random, non-recent Batman recs, some of the better Bat books I've read of late have been Matt Wagner's Faces, any of Peter Milligan's Detective Comics issues from the early 90s, and virtually the entirety of Alan Grant's 80s/90s stint as writer on various Bat books. Although, of those, only Faces has been collected as of now (a Milligan Bat collection is coming next year).

Hawkeye is brilliant and well worth the praise it gets, it's funny, formally inventive, and emotionally layered. Saga is quite enjoyable, I don't rate it as "best book" or anything like others but it's fun. Sven's not steering you wrong by pointing to X-Men Legacy or Manhattan Projects either, those are/were great books that don't get nearly enough attention. If you want a hefty completed run, you could also do worse than checking out Hickman's Fantastic Four/FF run (heady sci-fi epic mixed with a lot of family-themed heart) or Remender's Uncanny X-Force (frenzied, almost non-stop action that never quite obscures the complex character arcs Remender builds for this great cast).

Gittes

08-21-2014, 10:50 PM

Great. Thanks for the recommendations.

I like the premise of Manhattan Projects so I'll definitely keep that one in mind. It's too bad that Multiversity demands a more robust understanding of DC, as I wanted to check that one out. It seems like a lot of people are enjoying it. Of course, the fact that it's so decidedly esoteric is probably one of the primary reasons why it's being received well.

I will consider returning to USM. I still have the big Barnes and Noble hardcover that I bought many years ago, and I probably still have the TPBs and individual issues that I began collecting afterwards. Thanks for noting Faces, as well. I'll have to look into that one.

Ezee E

08-21-2014, 11:11 PM

I'm trying to figure out if you're asking what is currently happening in the series or if you're asking something else.

In any case, we're at #130.

What's currently happening?

Dukefrukem

08-22-2014, 06:38 PM

What's currently happening?

Rick grew a beard and build an Ash-Army-of-Darkness-arm.
They built an amazing farm/agricultural ecosystem in Alexandria.
They are constantly redirecting a giant zombie horde that roams aimlessly.

Dukefrukem

08-22-2014, 06:47 PM

Anyone reading?

http://d138hkes00e90m.cloudfront.net/release_images/velvet1a-cov.jpg

Dukefrukem

08-22-2014, 06:49 PM

Sven

08-23-2014, 09:12 AM

Armor Hunters continues to be the shimmering paragon of comic book crossovers. Every illustrator is a four-star stylist (save maybe Diego Bernard, who is still a thorough pro, and I gotta ask, has Hairsine ever been this amazing?), each title relevant yet modulated, each writer a bona fide thrillseeker and adventurous with pace, doing what it would take Marvel to do in twenty in ten (DC in fifty, but saying that is like punching a poor little girl).

As is now obvious, I love me some Valiant, but I'm not really up on A&A or Q&W. I have not been compelled by the first handful of issues of each, but I hear The Delinquents is not-to-be-missed. Any first-person feedback here?

Ezee E

08-24-2014, 08:38 PM

Sounds like Walking Dead is in a transition or something. Pretty weak.

Dukefrukem

08-24-2014, 10:49 PM

Sounds like Walking Dead is in a transition or something. Pretty weak.

Do you want my honest opinion on the calmness recently?

number8

08-25-2014, 01:14 AM

The zombies being able to talk could either be the gamechanger the comic needs to stop being so repetitive or completely fucking stupid.

Dukefrukem

08-25-2014, 01:46 AM

The zombies being able to talk could either be the gamechanger the comic needs to stop being so repetitive or completely fucking stupid.

I don't even think that was real. I'm guessing there was someone in the area at that time and the people were just confused.

What I'm referring to is...

They are setting up the death of Rick. Big time. He's essentially a gimp with a bum knee. They keep mentioning Carl and his girlfriend, so either they are setting up for Carl to take over and marry this girl... OR the woman "leader" who is new to Alexandria will be the new "leader" of the group. Which would fit, because they are desperately needing new female roles. You can tell she has good logic skills, because she wasn't fooled by Negan begging for them to release him. So, something is cooking in the kitchen.

Ezee E

08-25-2014, 05:08 AM

Would certainly make sense. I'm curious about the talking zombies.

Is it heading towards a Land of the Dead type of thing?

Has Kirkman said if there's an end in sight?

Dukefrukem

08-25-2014, 12:05 PM

Would certainly make sense. I'm curious about the talking zombies.
Is it heading towards a Land of the Dead type of thing?

You never see the zombies the people are referring to. I think it was just a gag.

D_Davis

08-28-2014, 05:04 PM

So I finally finished the Berserk Golden Age Saga a couple of weeks ago. Good lord....that thing gets freaking dark. Really takes the dark fantasy genre to a whole new level of depravity. It was entirely gripping and emotional, packed full of anger and angst, torment and violence. It was kind of exhausting to take in, but I couldn't put it down once those final dozen or so chapters kicked in to high gear.

Sven

09-12-2014, 11:16 PM

Just reached out to one of the great talents to gauge his interest/request permission to adapt one of his works into a screenplay. Cross your fingers for me. I already have 60+ pages done, but figured if I wanted to actually make it, better run it by him.

For my money (literally, because I bought comics), last weeks releases were some of the best issues. Ewing/Keown's aforementioned Hyperion issue, more MI13/X-Force hijinks, Ditko-doused Copra, resonant conclusion to Harbinger's Armor Hunters tie-in (w/terrific bug work by Gill), new Terminal Hero and Captain Victory issues positively indicate Dynamite's forceful push into prestige territory, and Ennis's Caliban continues to horrify. I also picked up the bound conclusion to Spurrier's Crossed ancillary.

Good comics.

number8

09-13-2014, 02:21 AM

I cannot decide if I liked God Hates Astronauts.

Sven

09-13-2014, 05:38 AM

The first couple of issues of the first series were amusing, but definitely wore out their welcome. Didn't continue with it. Can't imagine the new series being different.

Sven

09-13-2014, 09:06 PM

Oh, forgot about Annihilator. Completely. As in, had to run to the shop on my 30 minute lunchbreak to get it just now. Can't wait to read it... anybody engage yet?

Sven

09-14-2014, 01:55 AM

Astonishing. Tumor as sink hole as cosmic body of existential destruction. Irving's never been better.

number8

09-14-2014, 09:28 PM

Fuck. I forgot too.

Dukefrukem

09-15-2014, 01:08 PM

I'm making a profound effort to complete my Punisher collection.

from the Punisher, War Zone, War Journal, 2099 and Marvel Knights.

dreamdead

09-17-2014, 02:44 AM

Went to a speaking engagement by Charles Burns at an art museum in Tulsa tonight. Weird that he came here, weirder still that his basic walkthrough of early influences and how they've impacted his work led to such a fascinating discussion. Loved a story he told about his daughter going to college in Ohio and being assigned to read Black Hole for a class, and how she got a permission slip to read something else because she didn't want to read it and have to think about her father differently. Got Black Hole signed by him (Sarah's read it, but I haven't yet) and got some primers on other artists who he's enjoying right now, beyond the usual Ware and Clowes. I've done X'ed Out, but I'm content to wait until this current series gets wrapped up. It looks typically phenomenal visually.

Also did the first volume of Pretty Deadly. It's interesting--one of the few newer Image series where I struggled to internalize the art design. The general story is intriguing enough and approaches issues from a more female perspective, something I've long wanted Image comics to explore at a more fundamental level, but I struggled to grasp the action layout sequences more than I believe I should have had to--not all the panels clearly communicated the actual fighting, which seems counter-intuitive. We'll see with this one; I generally dug East of West and Velvet immediately, but this one's art leaves me a bit cold, though I like the aesthetics of it.

ledfloyd

09-18-2014, 01:49 AM

That's awesome. Black Hole is one of my favorite comics of the last 20 years or so. What other artists did he tell you to check out?

dreamdead

09-19-2014, 01:13 AM

That's awesome. Black Hole is one of my favorite comics of the last 20 years or so. What other artists did he tell you to check out?

Beyond the usual Ware, Clowes, and Sacco, Burns noted Carol Tyler, Gabrielle Bell, and Gary Panter. Also, the moderator mentioned Kings in Disguise (which I'd never heard of) as a phenomenal piece.

Bell's stories look really interesting. I'm gonna check one of those out soon. Probably Voyeurs.

Grouchy

09-23-2014, 07:54 PM

Today I found the rather depressing news that Marvel decided to stop hiring Manara because of the bitching. I don't think it's tragic, Manara will continue to be a great artist and he doesn't really need Marvel, but it's the principle of it that's annoying.

Anyway, I found this guy's video that pretty much says everything I could possibly say on the subject:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB6TiRJNI-Q&feature=share

number8

09-23-2014, 08:15 PM

I stand by my original post, in that the cover is fuck ugly and immensely stupid, but all the blame falls on Marvel rather than Manara for the ludicrous pairing and even more so the complete obliviousness in releasing it. I'm even more dumbfounded that they're cancelling planned variants for Avengers and Thor, but they're still releasing the problematic Spider-Woman cover. It's like half-assing something but not knowing which half to ass.

I'm with the Outhouser on this:

I'm glad that Marvel has figured out that they were doing something wrong, but I remain unconvinced they actually know what that something was. Milo Manara is a veteran artist who deserves to get work. Marvel just needs to understand where his work would be appropriate, and where it clashes with their self-professed desire to make their comics more inclusive and less exploitive.

"Whew, people reacted really badly to this cover that runs counter to the mission statement we promised them. I guess this legendary artist doesn't know how to draw!"

number8

09-23-2014, 08:17 PM

Maddox is such a cunt.

Grouchy

09-23-2014, 08:50 PM

Explain to me how the cover is fuck ugly. It's better than 80% of superhero cover art.

Also, OK, he's a cunt to you, I don't know who he is. But I agree with every one of his points in that video. I also don't see any problem with the cover and a lot of problems with the criticism it raised.

Skitch

09-24-2014, 02:20 AM

I'm not really taking a side on this one. I agreed with some of this Maddox guy's points, but I also agree the cover is fuck ugly. All her parts, from head to rear, are all out of proportion like a warped sketch that was penciled drunkenly on a paper placemat.

Grouchy

09-24-2014, 03:16 AM

All her parts, from head to rear, are all out of proportion like a warped sketch that was penciled drunkenly on a paper placemat.Have you ever studied anatomy for art or drawing? I have. Where do you come up with this absurdity?

Skitch

09-24-2014, 12:07 PM

Have you ever studied anatomy for art or drawing? I have. Where do you come up with this absurdity?

I'm just an idiot, sir. It looks ugly to me. I guess if I studied more I'd see the beauty.

Dukefrukem

09-24-2014, 12:32 PM

Maddox is such a cunt.

Love him. I can't believe I'm just learning that he has a youtube account now.

Dukefrukem

09-24-2014, 12:36 PM

Have you ever studied anatomy for art or drawing? I have. Where do you come up with this absurdity?

It's been done. (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/11067480/Spider-Woman-in-3D-is-terrifying-and-impossible.html)

Skitch

09-24-2014, 01:36 PM

Whats the story on this Maddox fellow? Ive never heard of him until now.

Grouchy

09-24-2014, 01:41 PM

It's been done. (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/11067480/Spider-Woman-in-3D-is-terrifying-and-impossible.html)Yeah, and I realized it wasn't right the minute I saw that. Here's a correct 3D rendering without malicious intent:http://tintachinaceluloide.files.word press.com/2014/08/spider-woman-referencia-anatomia-digital.jpg?w=560&h=488Skitch, I didn't mean to sound like an asshole. I guess it just stuns me how easy it is to badmouth a master's work on the internet. I'll wake up tomorrow and say Neil Gaiman can't write his way out of a paper bag and I guess I don't even need to justify myself.

Skitch

09-24-2014, 01:53 PM

Its cool, and I didnt blast all the guy's work, this particular piece just doesnt gel with me. Master or not, doesnt mean any artist is incapable of dropping a turd here and there. Nobody is perfect.

Dukefrukem

09-24-2014, 01:56 PM

Whats the story on this Maddox fellow? Ive never heard of him until now.

Google: The best page in the universe.

He basically was the only good thing on the internet back in 1998. And hilariously never changed his website design.

Read through the 2004-2007 era- esp his take on the iPhone. Hilarious.

Skitch

09-24-2014, 01:57 PM

I think the render Duke posted was extra harsh, and Grouchys extra forgiving. Im hung up on the waistline. Its so tight and sharp it looks inhuman. Theres no room for kidneys lol

Skitch

09-24-2014, 01:59 PM

Google: The greatest website in the universe.

I was looking for personal opinions, but tell me more about this "Google"....

Dukefrukem

09-24-2014, 02:01 PM

I think the render Duke posted was extra harsh, and Grouchys extra forgiving. Im hung up on the waistline. Its so tight and sharp it looks inhuman. Theres no room for kidneys lol

You can tell Grouchys's version is wrong- look at the leg gap. It's not even close to what was drawn.

Grouchy

09-24-2014, 02:40 PM

You can tell Grouchys's version is wrong- look at the leg gap. It's not even close to what was drawn.It's exactly the same as what was drawn. There's no difference in the leg gap. The only difference is that Manara didn't draw her right foot. The rendering you posted that came from some blog is obviously wrong - there's no reason to draw the neck from that angle so that's not a problem, and the eyes are just a cheap trick to make it look more uncanny valley. The leg joints are also badly done on purpose.

Grouchy

09-24-2014, 02:50 PM

Also, great art is not always about perfect anatomy. I think this concept pretty much explains itself, but here are some comic book panels to illustrate my point:http://comicartcommunity.com/gallery/data/media/202/DC_Comics_1990_Holiday_Card_by _Kyle_Baker.jpgKyle Bakerhttp://www.graphicnovelreporter.com/sites/default/files/WESI_WE_Library_Comics.jpgWill Eisnerhttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XfRnKd_acCs/T00pyI-NbGI/AAAAAAAACBs/Lfw3yW-kdfc/s1600/img413.jpg

Grouchy

09-24-2014, 02:52 PM

Ok, that post came out wrong and I can't edit for some reason. The pic that doesn't show up is Kyle Baker's, the last one is Norm Breyfogle's.

Dukefrukem

09-24-2014, 03:47 PM

It's exactly the same as what was drawn. There's no difference in the leg gap.

I guess if 6-8 inches is no difference than you're right.

Grouchy

09-24-2014, 03:57 PM

I guess if 6-8 inches is no difference than you're right.Dude, you got to calculate the proportion. The original cover art, the reproduction in there and the 3D thingy don't all have the same size.

sevenarts

09-24-2014, 05:26 PM

Yeah there's no difference between Breyfogle distorting perspective on a shot of Batman kicking a guy and Manara contorting female anatomy to maximize the sexualized posture and display her assets in the most extreme way. OK. The issue is not Manara being a bad artist, because he's certainly not, he's fantastic at what he does. But what he does is porn comics with outlandishly beautiful, unrelentingly sexualized women, which is great if that's what you're looking for and not so great if you're looking at a Big Two superhero property that purports to be part of a push to appeal to and incorporate more women into their line. Is this really so hard to understand? Acting like those who dislike the cover are bitching that comics always have to have realistic anatomy or that cartoony exaggeration is bad is disingenuous in the extreme. I'd argue that kicking off a new female-focused superhero title, as part of a general line move towards more female heroines in the spotlight, is the wrong place for a Manara cover that's just to appeal to the same old horny adolescent mentality that's dominated comics for, well, ever.

EyesWideOpen

09-24-2014, 06:37 PM

I don't care about proper anatomy. That cover is horrendous.

Grouchy

09-24-2014, 07:38 PM

Ezee E

09-24-2014, 09:05 PM

There's much worse covers out there.

Skitch

09-24-2014, 09:23 PM

I'm not a stickler for accurate anatomy, but she looks like she would be more at home in the Aeon Flux universe. Just my humble opinion.

Dukefrukem

09-25-2014, 01:01 PM

I'm not a stickler for accurate anatomy, but she looks like she would be more at home in the Aeon Flux universe. Just my humble opinion.

I thought this was Eric's opinion. ;)

number8

09-25-2014, 04:12 PM

LOL:

So I approached Marvel representatives with the question and discovered that, no, this wasn’t the case at all. That Milo Manara’s schedule was heavily filled working on his Le Caravage graphic novel about the life of Italian artist Caravaggio. And he was unable to meet Marvel deadlines as well.

But I learned that Marvel had told him not to rush. Knowing how important the project is to him, that they were happy to wait.

Manara’s already-begun covers for Thor and Axis will now appear as Manara variant covers for later issues of those series, to be followed by a long list of planned covers from Manara featuring a number of Marvel characters, male and female.

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2014/09/24/no-everyone-this-is-not-comicgate-milo-manara-is-still-creating-covers-for-marvel/

Grouchy

09-25-2014, 06:01 PM

Well, good to hear.

Sven

09-30-2014, 11:26 PM

I thought Ennis's first few Hellblazer arcs were pretty weak, but I'm happy I stuck with it. The last twenty or so issues are some of his best work. Even if it's exactly the same as Preacher. Best dialogue writer in comics? Always catches me off-guard how resonant his relationship building scenes are, as well as his discourses in geopolitics. And his pub stories.

Anyway, excited to get to Jenkins/Philips.

Dukefrukem

10-01-2014, 12:02 PM

What is the consensus here with Batman fighting other heros from different universes?

Batman vs Spawn?
Batman vs Iron Man?
Batman vs Deadpool.

Batman would win those battles right?

ledfloyd

10-01-2014, 11:09 PM

What about Batman vs Popeye?

Sven

10-06-2014, 02:37 AM

I'm fond of the supergenius Batman that would not enter a situation without a plan. My bet is always on Batman.

I got a free copy of the first volume of Miracleman, which I wasn't planning on reading until it was all commercially available but I went ahead and read it anyway. I cannot speak highly enough about Leach and Davis's artwork, which really does a majority of the story lifting. The Original Writer's prose is (as usual) dense, funny, and often unexpected, but it all reads so far as a broad set-up for future dramas. Took a while for Morrison's revisionist-revisionist approach in his Action Comics run to hit its stride, so my fingers are not even crossed. It's a good read and I'm sure it will get great.

D_Davis

10-06-2014, 07:29 PM

Love him. I can't believe I'm just learning that he has a youtube account now.

I like his Youtube stuff better than his written stuff.

quido8_5

10-08-2014, 02:54 AM

What is the consensus here with Batman fighting other heros from different universes?

Batman vs Spawn?
Batman vs Iron Man?
Batman vs Deadpool.

Batman would win those battles right?

Spawn
Batman
Batman

Green Lantern?

Dukefrukem

10-08-2014, 12:12 PM

Spawn
Batman
Batman

Green Lantern?

Spawn over Batman eh? How?

Dukefrukem

10-10-2014, 04:32 PM

So I dug up my collection from the back of the closet- haven't seen this stuff in over a decade. I decided I want to complete my Punisher collection so cataloged everything and below was the result.

The Punisher - 102 Issues
Missing Issues: 6, 14, 15, 17-23, 28, 29, 33, 35, 40, 42, 44-46, 50, 51, 54-56, 59, 60, 70, 71, 77, 81-83, 85, 87, 89, 92, 93. 96-101, 103, 104

War Journal - 80 Issues
Missing Issues: 1-49, 52 53 55-58 61-65

War Zone 41 Issues
Missing Issues: 40

2001 Knights - 37 Issues
Missing Issues: 1-3, 13, 16, 17, 19, 20, 27, 28, 30, 32, 35, 37,

2000 Knights Mini-Series- 12 Issues- COMPLETE

Purgatory - 4 Issues- COMPLETE

2099 - 34 Issues
Missing Issues: 29, 34

Kinda cool how I kept up with these as a kid. Now the hunt begins.

Dukefrukem

10-10-2014, 04:32 PM

So I dug up my collection from the back of the closet- haven't seen this stuff in over a decade. I decided I want to complete my Punisher collection so cataloged everything and below was the result.

The Punisher - 104 Issues
Missing Issues: 6, 14, 15, 17-23, 28, 29, 33, 35, 40, 42, 44-46, 50, 51, 54-56, 59, 60, 70, 71, 77, 81-83, 85, 87, 89, 92, 93. 96-101, 103, 104

War Journal - 80 Issues
Missing Issues: 1-49, 52 53 55-58 61-65

War Zone 41 Issues
Missing Issues: 40

2001 Knights - 37 Issues
Missing Issues: 1-3, 13, 16, 17, 19, 20, 27, 28, 30, 32, 35, 37,

2000 Knights Mini-Series- 12 Issues- COMPLETE

Purgatory - 4 Issues- COMPLETE

2099 - 34 Issues
Missing Issues: 29, 34

Kinda cool how I kept up with these as a kid. Now the hunt begins.

Sven

10-10-2014, 05:16 PM

Punisher 2099 is the best. Are you gonna try and collect any of the other Punisher series? PunisherMAX? The Rucka run?

Dukefrukem

10-10-2014, 05:24 PM

Punisher 2099 is the best. Are you gonna try and collect any of the other Punisher series? PunisherMAX? The Rucka run?

The art of 2099 is so good. My favorite cover might be Issue #25 (http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090216151711/marveldatabase/images/7/7e/Comic-punisher2099-25.jpg). The pile of bullets kills me.

As for collecting other stuff... Yes. Why not? As a kid, I always remember having such a limited income and scope. Most of these were purchased by riding my bike to the comicbook store. Everything else was acquired through comicbook conventions that I begged my parents to take me to.

I especially want anything Garth Ennis. Punisher was my favorite as a kid, so I'm even considering this (http://www.sideshowtoy.com/whats-new/the-punisher-sixth-scale-figure/).

I buy my comics digital now. I don't have the space or time, but there is something nolastigic about Punisher that gets me excited. I also bought the Walking Dead "Something to FEAR" series as well. So my collection is not 100% digital.

number8

10-10-2014, 06:02 PM

My favorite page from 2099.

http://36.media.tumblr.com/e89773e07ba1680bf4393d6b060244 13/tumblr_n6z1sjiQos1rg365do1_500 .jpg

Dukefrukem

10-10-2014, 06:11 PM

Issue 15? :-D

Sven

10-10-2014, 07:00 PM

Ezee E

10-10-2014, 10:37 PM

2099 series were basically the beginning of my foray into comics. I remember being so impressed by the Spider-Man costume design that I had to get those issues.

sevenarts

10-11-2014, 03:13 PM

What gets me about the Punisher is the whole fascistic fantasy of it. Dude's clearly a deranged psychotic, but he's most often the good guy, someone whose use of permanent tactics we nearly approve. Violent enforcer of the status quo. Rarely loses. It's a dangerous daydream, and the best Punisher writers are the ones that skirt that line.

Yeah, he needs a writer who understands that Frank isn't necessarily a good guy. The reason the Rucka series was so good, maybe even the best use of the character ever, was because Rucka gave us so many other actual protagonists to root for, so that Frank was no longer at the center of the book, in the unambiguous hero position. It was great stuff and it still irks me that Marvel cut it short.

Dukefrukem

10-12-2014, 08:39 PM

Punisher 2099 is the best. Are you gonna try and collect any of the other Punisher series? PunisherMAX? The Rucka run?

Picked up 12 issues of MunisherMAX this weekend- unfortunately they weren't the first 12 in the series. Still huntin'.

Sven

10-13-2014, 06:41 AM

Picked up 12 issues of MunisherMAX this weekend- unfortunately they weren't the first 12 in the series. Still huntin'.

If you don't care about mint condition or quarter bin stickers, I can look to see if any of my Punisher issues fit your bill and I will offer them to you for a pittance + shipping...

Dukefrukem

10-13-2014, 01:39 PM

Sure Sven!

Dukefrukem

10-14-2014, 01:04 PM

The zombies being able to talk could either be the gamechanger the comic needs to stop being so repetitive or completely fucking stupid.

Well I guess I should have seen that coming.

Sven

10-15-2014, 10:54 PM

Promise I'll look at my issues tonite, Duke. I've been a busy bee.

Anybody read either of Warren Ellis's books? I just finished Gun Machine. I was delighted that it reads exactly like a Warren Ellis book, sans pictures. I have Simon Spurrier's Contract in my possession, which is next.

Sven

10-16-2014, 01:42 AM

Alright, Duke. Here's the Punisher issues I have that sync up with your list:

Punisher War Journal: 8, 12-14, 16-21, 23, 37, 43

I also have the four issues of Space Punisher, which is pretty awesome.

Assuming you want the 15 War Journal issues, I will give them to you for shipping + $1.00. If you want Space Punisher, shipping + $5.

I'm also thinking about getting rid of the entire Rucka run, which I'd probably charge you a little more for. Let me know what you think.

Sven

10-16-2014, 01:47 AM

I forgot to mention that I would also not be sad parting with my five issues of Untold Tales of the Punisher MAX.

Take it all in and let me know what you'd like quoted.

Sven

10-16-2014, 01:58 AM

Alright, shoot, last post on the subject, anything else I will PM the Dukester, but it looks like I have a few more issue for you to consider:

The five issue Punisher Nightmare mini, which was surprisingly good.
The Punisher G-Force bound one-shot.
The Punisher/Wolverine: Damaging Evidence 3-issue series.

...aaaand I think that's it.

Dukefrukem

10-16-2014, 02:17 AM

Sven you might as well quote me on the entire Punisher package since I'm kind of obsessed right now. Better to catch me now.

number8

10-22-2014, 08:12 PM

So, not surprisingly, Criminal is moving to Image.

Skitch

11-04-2014, 11:23 PM

"Skyward" creator and "G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero" artist Jeremy Dale passed away Monday at the age of 34, after a hospitalization.

:(

Sven

11-06-2014, 03:01 AM

Tooth and Claw is a great read, but I can't get over how annoying it is to see fantasy worlds cast with animals. At this point, it is only distracting. Would've been worth subscribing to otherwise...

TGM

11-06-2014, 03:29 AM

I can't get over how annoying it is to see fantasy worlds cast with animals.

:(

Skitch

11-06-2014, 11:43 AM

:(

:D

Sven

11-08-2014, 01:23 AM

TGM, your contributions to anthropomorphism are other-tiered entirely. Freakin' love NinjaKat, never doubt it.

Sven

11-08-2014, 01:35 AM

Read all of the Vertigo Crime imprint, with the exception of the Road to Perdition sequel. Let me give you a pithy summation:

Filthy Rich* - Tight Azzarello script that doesn't reimagine the noir formula too much, bolstered by incredible Santos art.
Dark Entries - Anomalous because it's a Constantine story... a decent one, though would've preferred it to be in Hellblazer.
The Chill - Love the bold Italian artwork, but the story is like Milligan-lite...
The Bronx Kill* - ...whereas this story is Milligan-doused. Romberger's art is uncanny and the meta-text is creepy as hell.
Area 10* - Neat story about trepanning, clarified by Samnee's inventive block-shading.
The Executor - Pretty conventional.
Fogtown - Daring in its unconventional wielding of sex, but pretty predictable otherwise.
A Sickness in the Family* - Messed. Up. Gloriously so. Resonant and depressing like a murder-suicide.
Rat Catcher - As with all things Diggle, it is an impressively plotted thriller and little else.
Noche Roja - Sadly limp, missing the opportunity to delve into serious America-Mexico relations.
99 Days* - Horrifying, as anything Rwanda-related is going to be.
Cowboys - Needlessly convoluted narrative that weakens from the potential character work on display.

All in all, a pretty good line. The five with stars are the ones I'd recommend.

TGM

11-08-2014, 07:04 PM

TGM, your contributions to anthropomorphism are other-tiered entirely. Freakin' love NinjaKat, never doubt it.

:D

slqrick

11-13-2014, 06:31 PM

Jesus, Stray Bullets Killers #8. Another goddamn masterfully written arc.

sevenarts

11-13-2014, 06:45 PM

Yeah, Stray Bullets is just the best book. That was a hell of an arc and I can't wait until it starts up again, especially given what Lapham's announced about the next arc's topic.

Actually, anyone else inclined to rank the best current ongoings? Been a while...

1. Stray Bullets
2. Zero
3. Avengers/New Avengers
4. The Manhattan Projects
5. Velvet
6. East of West
7. Ms. Marvel
8. X-Force
9. Saga
10. The Wicked + The Divine

Honorable mentions: The Fade Out, Batman and Robin, Sex Criminals, Satellite Sam, Rachel Rising, Mind Mgmt, etc.

number8

11-13-2014, 08:07 PM

Ha, I thought I was the only reading Zero.

sevenarts

11-13-2014, 08:20 PM

It's an exclusive club but it's a brilliant book. I'm sometimes spoiled because most of my comic talk comes from here and another message board I post at, and I forget that outside of these small enclaves basically nobody is reading these great books and everyone loves Snyder's Batman or Geoff Johns' whatever. I don't think Zero does very well in sales, that's for sure.

Anyway, Zero is great and is the book that really showed me what Kot could do. The second issue is still one of the most visceral reading experiences I can remember having in comics, and he's continually come up with new ways to surprise me with each new issue. I love the way he treats each issue as its own thing, complete with a new artist each time, and yet it all builds and builds, connecting back to earlier issues in all sorts of unpredictable ways.

slqrick

11-13-2014, 10:01 PM

Zero is awesome. I think Mind MGMT deserves a slot in the top 10, Kindt's more commercial stuff has been eh but he's been crushing it on that book since day one.

dreamdead

11-14-2014, 01:15 AM

Y'all made me go to Amazon and order the first volume of Zero. Look at how much power you wield. Use it for good.

number8

11-16-2014, 03:11 PM

Speaking of books I'm currently really enjoying but I don't think anyone else in the world is reading: Ghosted.

Acapelli

11-20-2014, 04:58 AM

i refuse to read zero because fuck a ales kot

Sven

11-20-2014, 04:25 PM

Actually, anyone else inclined to rank the best current ongoings? Been a while...

I'll join you, though some of my favorites are not "ongoing" or are otherwise ending soon:

God is Dead
Unity
Low
Supreme: Blue Rose
Transformers v. GI Joe
Crossed
Harbinger
New/Avengers
X-Force
Annihilator

Terminal Hero just concluded its first act, or I'd've placed it.

TGM

12-03-2014, 02:52 PM

So a new chapter of the Velcro: The Ninja Kat comic has been is posted and is available to read online. Check it out! :) http://www.velcrotheninjakat.com/2014/12/velcro-comic-chapter-9.html

Sven

12-04-2014, 04:39 PM

So a new chapter of the Velcro: The Ninja Kat comic has been is posted and is available to read online. Check it out! :) http://www.velcrotheninjakat.com/2014/12/velcro-comic-chapter-9.html

Uh-oh. Things are looking dire.

D_Davis

12-08-2014, 03:44 PM

So Comixology removed the ability to buy comics from their app. I guess they didn't like Apple getting a cut of the profits. I promptly deleted Comixology from my iPad. I guess they don't like getting money from me.

Is there a better cross-publisher comic app, or should I just stick with buying stuff on the specific Vertigo/DC/Marvel apps?

number8

12-08-2014, 04:41 PM

Plenty of readers, but for digital comics store, Comixology has the Marvel/DC market cornered. So no. Stick with the publisher apps for now.

Comics+ has a lot of non-Marvel and DC/Vertigo books.

D_Davis

12-08-2014, 04:45 PM

Cool, thanks.

What's the best for Manga?

number8

12-08-2014, 04:54 PM

Er... Comixology. I actually don't know if any other apps have books from Viz and Udon, which are the two biggest licensers in the US.

I know Kodansha straight up bypassed comics apps and just sells them as regular eBooks on iBooks and the Kindle store, etc.

Dukefrukem

12-12-2014, 02:44 PM

number8

12-12-2014, 03:30 PM

Yeah, it's only on iOS because Amazon wants to spite Apple. The removal happened earlier this year when Amazon bought them. They also removed the ability to pay through Google Payments on the Android version.

Giant tech companies are a petty bunch.

number8

12-12-2014, 03:34 PM

The highly anticipated Bitch Planet did not disappoint. Did anyone else get it?

Irish

12-15-2014, 03:09 PM

Not sure if this was discussed, but I was wondering what everyone thought of the recent controversy with Batgirl #37. (Would especially like to get a response from Sven & number8).

I read a description of the comic's plot & saw a few panels from it and .... I didn't understand the complaint at all. But I'd like to.

number8

12-15-2014, 03:16 PM

I was surprised by that reaction because it didn't register to me while reading it that the villain is an evil crossdresser. I read the story as a really good rebuttal to the selfie controversy of the first issue, as a story of women taking back the way they are presented in images instead of the way women are presented in the media by men (that's why the villain has to be a male artist), with selfies being a small way to do that and fuck all the dudes who put it down as narcissism. A bit ironic that it ended up creating a new controversy. Yeah, I didn't anticipate that reaction at all.

I do think that the creative team's apology letter is one of the best I've seen constructed. It reads like they really get the beef. I also love that Cameron Stewart responded to all his brown nosers telling him that he shouldn't have apologized with a terse "if you don't think it was necessary, it wasn't for you."

Irish

12-15-2014, 03:39 PM

I didn't pick up on the transphobic angle either. That's the part I didn't understand-- but apparently evil men pretending to be women is some nasty old trope.

I agree about the apology letter. That was insanely well written and extremely thoughtful. I do worry, though, that creators might start to pre-emptively censor themselves. It seems like these two guys fell into a hole that they didn't have much of a chance of seeing beforehand. I'm not sure how to ameliorate that.

number8

12-15-2014, 03:50 PM

I think after The Crying Game, a lot of transwomen are really sick of the whole "has a penis all along" plot twist because it feeds that idea of transwomen preying on straight men. I don't think anyone is saying that trans people can never be villains or amoral, because that would just limit their representation. The main issue seems to be the presentation of Batgirl's shock at the revelation being similar to that "oh no penis" trope. But again, I don't think it reads that way in the issue because the plot of her being framed by him diffuses it and turns the reveal into something else entirely.

sevenarts

12-15-2014, 03:56 PM

I did my top 25 comics of the year for another board (http://forums.hipinion.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=80250), might as well post the list (minus blurbs/images) here too.

1. Stray Bullets: Killers (David Lapham)
2. Zero (Ales Kot & various artists)
3. The Multiversity (Grant Morrison & various artists)
4. Lose #6 (Michael DeForge)
5. Copra #13-18 (Michel Fiffe)

6. Avengers/New Avengers (Jonathan Hickman & various artists)
7. East of West (Jonathan Hickman & Nick Dragotta)
8. Ms. Marvel (G. Willow Wilson & Adrian Alphona)
9. X-Force (Simon Spurrier & Rock-he Kim)
10. Wonder Woman (Brian Azzarello & Cliff Chiang)

11. Doctors (Dash Shaw)
12. The Manhattan Projects (Jonathan Hickman & Nick Pitarra)
13. Moon Knight #1-6 (Warren Ellis & Declan Shalvey)
14. Velvet (Ed Brubaker & Steve Epting)
15. Secret Avengers (Ales Kot & Michael Walsh)

16. She-Hulk (Charles Soule & Javier Pulido)
17. Annihilator (Grant Morrison & Frazer Irving)
18. The Wicked + The Divine (Kieron Gillen & Jamie McKelvie)
19. Nemo: The Roses of Berlin (Alan Moore & Kevin O'Neill)
20. Batman and Robin (Peter Tomasi & Patrick Gleason)

21. Luv Sucker #1-2 (Charles Forsman)
22. Hawkeye (Matt Fraction, David Aja & Annie Wu)
23. Ritual #3: Vile Decay (Malachi Ward)
24. Mind Mgmt (Matt Kindt)
25. Grendel vs. The Shadow (Matt Wagner)

Irish

12-15-2014, 04:15 PM

ledfloyd

12-15-2014, 04:34 PM

No love for The Fade Out?

I'm so behind on comics. This last semester was brutal. I'm going to try to catch up on some stuff over break.

sevenarts

12-15-2014, 05:09 PM

I like The Fade Out a lot so far. It just feels a little early to be ranking it, it still feels like it's in setup mode. It's been a very good year for comics, there's probably a dozen or more series/books that I really enjoyed and still didn't make the top 25 cut.

number8

12-15-2014, 05:41 PM

The last issue was their best one so far. I like that it's not going to focus on just the screenwriter character.

Grouchy

12-16-2014, 10:02 PM

I do worry, though, that creators might start to pre-emptively censor themselves.
I've been saying that for quite some time. I understand that the internet allows every fan to be an online critic, and that's neither here not there, just is. I also think all kinds of intelligent criticism are worthy.

But to have a writer apologize for writing fiction they way they like it before you can go on reading his stuff like he's your husband or something is just icky to me.

number8

12-16-2014, 10:22 PM

I mean, I think even sensitive fans would just rather get stories that aren't hateful than even the best apology letters. Ultimately, it's not like it means much at all. The reason why I praise theirs is because, unlike most apology letters where it reads like "Sorry if this thing we did offended a bunch of people but please don't because it's supposed to be bla bla bla," theirs read like they actually want to hold themselves to higher standards and felt they dropped the ball for the fans they want to communicate their stories to. It's well and good to say that an artist's autonomy is what matters and people can take it or leave it, but if you're creating a mainstream product and the audience that you intend to get are giving you the opposite reaction, then I think it's fair to acknowledge the criticism and try to address it. Which is why I like Stewart's "it's not for you" follow-up.

Melville

12-17-2014, 04:02 PM

I'm signed up for a couple months of Marvel Unlimited. So far I've read the first four of Ellis's Moon Knight issues. Next up are Hickman's Avengers/New Avengers, Hawkeye, and Secret Avengers. Anything else I should prioritize? I haven't read much of anything from Marvel in the last decade except the first arc of Thor: God of Thunder.

sevenarts

12-17-2014, 06:47 PM

ledfloyd

12-18-2014, 03:51 AM

I'll second Hickman FF, Remender Uncanny X-Force, and Waid Daredevil.

D_Davis

12-18-2014, 06:40 PM

Did anyone pick up the new Don Rosa Scrooge and Donald collection?

Does it contain the entire Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck in it?

number8

12-18-2014, 07:08 PM

D_Davis

12-18-2014, 07:18 PM

Not yet. That new Library collection is reprinting every single Rosa story chronologically. It's going to be 10 volumes total. Only 2 have come out. I'm guessing Life and Times will be in the next one.

Sweet! Their reprinting everything? That is so cool.

That stuff has been OOP and way too expensive for far too long.

Melville

12-18-2014, 07:43 PM

Those are good choices. Make sure you read Infinity as part of Avengers/New Avengers. Other essential recent Marvel stuff:

Hickman's Fantastic Four/FF
Remender's Uncanny X-Force

(those 2 are 2 of the best superhero runs of the past decade)

Rucka's Punisher
Gillen/McKelvie Young Avengers
Spurrier's X-Men Legacy
Spurrier's X-Force
Waid's Daredevil
Ms. Marvel

I'll second Hickman FF, Remender Uncanny X-Force, and Waid Daredevil.
Thanks. I'll check out all of those. A lighthearted Daredevil story sounds like gravity running upside down.

Melville

12-25-2014, 03:22 PM

I've been on a comics binge over the holidays.

Zero, Vol 1 - 8.5/10. A level above everything else I read. Feels like it's developing a compelling exploration of rage, dehumanization, and state-sponsored violence. The different artists are all quality, and they work surprisingly well together to create a sense of a larger tapestry, an interlocking set of completely distinct yet related events. I also love the use of text pages at the end of each story, which with the different artists, make everything feel more alive, tense with artistic possibility.

Hard Boiled - 8. I love the hyper-detailed, hyper-violent art, and the all-out satire is good stuff. Miller's mid-80s through early 90s writing was awesome, whether he was doing gritty or gonzo. Too bad he went off the rails, though his awful later work is a pretty natural extension of the earlier stuff. 8

Lose #6 - 8. Brilliant, pitch-black humor. Quirky in a natural, amusing way (rather than a forced, grating one).

Deadly Class, Vol 1 - 7.5. Maybe tries too hard to be hip and edgy, but the story's compelling, the characterization is solid, and the art is great.

Parker: the Hunter - 6. I love the old-school-cartooning artwork, but the B&W, hard-edged, exaggerated noir stylings compare unfavorably to the similarly styled early Sin City, with the sociopathy coming off as one-note, the noir story feeling a bit tired, and the layouts lacking Miller's smooth storytelling.

Southern Bastards, Vol 1 - 6. Entertaining, nice artwork, but somewhat overwrought for such a down-and-dirty story.

Moon Knight #1-4 - 6. Solid, simple stories, but I've already forgotten them.

Hickman's Avengers/New Avengers/Infinity - Anywhere from 3 to 7. At first I liked the unusual narrative style: ridiculously cosmic events piling atop each other, with virtually no care for character development or traditional story progression. But eventually I grew tired of the randomness, the wild plot inconsistencies, the characters introduced as vitally important and then discarded without explanation for issues at a time, and the increasingly rushed-looking artwork. I only got to the end of Infinity, though, so I don't know how well the story comes together later on. I'll probably read the rest of Hickman's run next year.

Thor: God of Thunder, Vol 2 - 4. The first volume was great: very epic and mythical, both in storyline and in the painterly art. But this second volume didn't live up to that mythical feeling. The villain's backstory and the story's conclusion were underwhelming, as were the stabs at philosophizing, and the art seemed a bit rushed (besides the very poor fill-in artist).

Batman: Night of the Owls - 4. Gorgeous, rich and atmospheric colors, often reminding me of Lynn Varley's palette. And I liked the ragged Batman in the labyrinth. But I generally don't like Capullo's slick yet mushy style, and the writing was weak, with vacuous twists leading to a conclusion comprising page after page of interminably dull dialogue.

Sex Criminals #1 - 3. Groan-inducing premise and winking, cute storytelling.

Saga #1 - 2.5. I can't stand Vaughan's writing. Everything in it reeks of attempted cleverness and lame irreverence. The dialogue reminds me of Whedon in that way.

Melville

12-25-2014, 03:34 PM

Forgot about these:

Prophet #21 - Crazy sci-fi. I'll be reading more of this series.
Azzarello's Wonder Woman #1-4 - I like the mix of modern-day and myth, and the artwork is nicely reminiscent of ancient pottery. I stopped when I ran into the bad fill-in artist in issues 5-6, but I'll be continuing with this series too.
Miracleman: A Dream of Flying - Good stuff. More heavy on old-school-comics narration than anything else I've read by Moore. It works both as a traditional superhero comic and a deconstruction of it. The switch in artist from Leach to Davis is unfortunate, since Leach's more dense, realist work gives the story a more distinct character. And the coloring is often ugly as hell, full of the cheap, garish gradients of most 90s computer-colored comics.
Rucka's Punisher - I read a few issues, but it didn't make an impression. I'll read a few more.

EyesWideOpen

12-25-2014, 04:19 PM

I've been on a comics binge over the holidays.

Saga #1 - 2.5. I can't stand Vaughan's writing. Everything in it reeks of attempted cleverness and lame irreverence. The dialogue reminds me of Whedon in that way.

Sounds like you shouldn't even have bothered reading this you were going to hate it no matter what.

Melville

12-25-2014, 05:11 PM

Sounds like you shouldn't even have bothered reading this you were going to hate it no matter what.
You seem to be inferring a long history of me hating Vaughan. My only prior experience with him was a single issue of Y: The Last Man, which I had almost no memory of. I saw Saga pop up on a lot of "best comics of..." lists, so I figured it was worth the £0.69 and 15 minutes it would take to see if I might like it. I didn't know I'd hate it before reading it.

sevenarts

12-25-2014, 07:01 PM

Those are some good comics, Melville. Glad to see some love for Zero and Lose, Zero's one of the best ongoings out there and Lose is a delight every year, consistently fun and weird and surprising in the best ways. Lose #5 especially blew my socks off last year but #6 was very cool too, probably DeForge's funniest comic yet.

I think you're a bit off on Hickman's Avengers, it may not have much in the way of character development but in terms of high-concept action and wild sci-fi plotting, it's close to unmatched.

If you're reading the new Miracleman reprints, you're right, the coloring is awful. It's not the original colors: much of this material was originally black-and-white, then had colors applied when it was first serialized in comic book form. Those colors are rough and raw but much, much better than the current computer-colored ugliness.

Definitely give Rucka's Punisher more of a shot; it's a great run and its greatness really emerges the more of it you read. It was sadly abbreviated by Marvel's idiocy though.

Melville

12-25-2014, 08:20 PM

I think you're a bit off on Hickman's Avengers, it may not have much in the way of character development but in terms of high-concept action and wild sci-fi plotting, it's close to unmatched.
Well, I do appreciate the wild sci-fi plotting enough to continue with the series. The use of colliding universes is ridiculously epic. But especially in the Infinity crossover, it often became irrelevant which characters were present or what they were doing, and things like Starbrand alternately being all-powerful one moment and then playing no role in the rest of the storyline just seemed sloppy. And the art was frequently lackluster (though it's striking, if kind of static, in the early issues of Avengers).

If you're reading the new Miracleman reprints, you're right, the coloring is awful. It's not the original colors: much of this material was originally black-and-white, then had colors applied when it was first serialized in comic book form. Those colors are rough and raw but much, much better than the current computer-colored ugliness.
Yeah, these new reprints are the first opportunity I've had to read it without spending a fortune. I get the impression from reviews that many people (including Leach) prefer the new coloring, but from what I've seen, I much prefer the more understated colorization from the 80s (the second colored version, not the first, which admittedly looked pretty terrible as well).

Definitely give Rucka's Punisher more of a shot; it's a great run and its greatness really emerges the more of it you read. It was sadly abbreviated by Marvel's idiocy though.
Marvel's horribly buggy online reader is the main reason I haven't read more of it.

Grouchy

12-26-2014, 03:35 PM

Saga #1 - 2.5. I can't stand Vaughan's writing. Everything in it reeks of attempted cleverness and lame irreverence. The dialogue reminds me of Whedon in that way.
I kind of agree with you. I love the world of Saga but the dialogue brings me down everytime. It's like someone visibly working his ass off to make every single line clever/witty or whatever the hell he's after.

Also, all characters sound exactly the same.

Melville

12-27-2014, 12:35 PM

The end of my binge before I get back to work:

Stray Bullets: Killers - 8.5. I may have to re-read the earlier arcs (my last read-through, a few years back, left me more mixed on them than when they first came out), but at the moment this strikes me as the highlight of the series so far. By returning to a more average-everyday world, it can explore some realistic, nuanced relationships and the effects of violence on them in a more interesting way. Virginia's struggles with herself are especially compelling. And the conclusion is among the most intense scenes I've read in a comic. (I also read the previously uncollected issues of the original run, which I hadn't read before. They were good too, but Killers seemed a step up.)

Here - 8/10. I picked this up on the basis of a review by Chris Ware in the Guardian. A mesmerizing analysis of time and place.

Supreme: Blue Rose - 8. I only read the first issue, but the colors are so damned beautiful. Reminiscent of some of Year One's palette, but with the dreamlike look of an old double-exposed photo, which greatly enhances the surreal writing.

Prophet - 8.5. Finished off the Remission collection. I love the reckless and wild sci-fi/sword-and-sorcery mix. It never stops with the crazy, never bothers to explain anything. The rough and rugged art is perfect, though the Moebius-inspired art that appears in one issue is also great.

Definitely give Rucka's Punisher more of a shot; it's a great run and its greatness really emerges the more of it you read. It was sadly abbreviated by Marvel's idiocy though.
I read through the rest of the run, and you're right: it's good stuff. I like the minimalist writing, there's some terrific pacing and use of intercutting in the suspense/action scenes, and it builds a surprising amount of pathos by the end. The treatment of the Punisher himself is also interesting: not the sociopathic, hardcore killer of some earlier treatments, here he actually empathizes and respects people, but as he describes himself, he operates as a dead man, absolutely stoic, detached, precise in his mission—his precision in everything he does is emphasized repeatedly. With that characterization of him, the story does well to keep him as a ghostlike figure much of the time and instead focus on how he impacts others, and how he contrasts with Alves, the vengeful, grief-stricken partner he takes on. Her arc is the real centerpiece of the story, and #16 felt to me like the ideal end to it. (For that reason, I didn't read the follow-up War Zone series. Also because its premise and artwork didn't interest me.)

Melville

12-29-2014, 01:02 PM

The end of my binge before I get back to work:
Not quite. Over the weekend I read

-issues 1-6 of Rucka's Wolverine. Interesting troll-like take on the character, but I grew tired of it pretty quick

- Remender's Uncanny X-Force. Liked it. Nice mix of grimness and free-wheeling sci-fi. Nice art by Opena, solid yet dynamic. Not as nice art by some of the other artists, both in craftsmanship and awkward layouts.

- Jason's Why are You Doing This? Builds slyly yet simply to a gut-punch ending, but the premise is a too-pithy gimmick, and the whole thing lacks the spare, precise emotional impact of Jason's best work

- Daredevil: Love and War. Very lacklustre compared to the amazing craziness of Elektra: Assassin

- first half of Bendis & Maleev's Daredevil run. I really like the visual contrast between Bendis's word balloons and Maleev's dark, scratchy, static images. They work as disjunct levels of storytelling and simultaneously interplay beautifully on the page.

I figure of a sudden I'm going to make this my year of reading buckets of comics. I'm throwing together a reading list on here for my own reference:

To read more of/continue reading
Prophet
Deadly Class
Criminal
Azzarello's Wonder Woman
Hickman's Avengers/New Avengers/Secret Wars
Miracleman
Ant Colony
Spurrier's X-Force
Secret Avengers
Velvet
Fade Out
Planetary
The Manhattan Projects
Duncan the Wonder Dog
Alias

To read/start reading
Kurtzman's war comics
EC horror comics
The Arrival
X'ed Out/The Hive/Sugar Skull
Diary of a Teenage Girl
Nao of Brown
Alec: The Years Have Pants
Cages
Pluto
The Push Man and Other Stories
Travel
Stigmata (Mattotti)
Dogs and Water and/or Big Questions
Gyo
GoGo Monster
How to Be Everywhere
The Blot
Finder
Safe Area Gorazde
Curses/Ganges
Casanova
The Monkey King
Planetes
Skyscrapers of the Midwest
Scalped
Mind Mgmt
Copra
Multiversity
Morrison's Batman
The Invisibles
Steranko's Nick Fury
Palomar Book 1: Heartbreak Soup
Locas Book 1: Maggie the Mechanic
Saga of the Swamp Thing
Lazarus
Black Science
Enigma
Beautiful Darkness
Nijigahara Holograph
The Wrenchies
Through the Woods

I welcome suggestions if you've got them.

D_Davis

12-29-2014, 05:06 PM

Saga #1 - 2.5. I can't stand Vaughan's writing. Everything in it reeks of attempted cleverness and lame irreverence. The dialogue reminds me of Whedon in that way.

Yep. Dude is totally amateur. I don't get the praise for his work at all.

Melville

12-29-2014, 09:18 PM

Yep. Dude is totally amateur. I don't get the praise for his work at all.
Have you read the Graham-Roy Prophet series? Crazy, very pulpy sci-fi. Seems up your alley.

D_Davis

12-30-2014, 03:52 AM

Have you read the Graham-Roy Prophet series? Crazy, very pulpy sci-fi. Seems up your alley.
If that's the relaunch series then yes, and I love it.

Melville

12-30-2014, 02:00 PM

If that's the relaunch series then yes, and I love it.
Yeah, it's one of the best things I've read on my binge.

D_Davis

12-30-2014, 03:19 PM

Yeah, it's one of the best things I've read on my binge.

The art is incredible. Reminds of me of Moebius at his best, probably because of the similar color use.

sevenarts

12-30-2014, 07:32 PM

Prophet's great. It's coming back soon with the Earth War miniseries to wrap up the Graham/Roy/etc run.

Melville you've been reading tons of great stuff and have tons more on your to-read list. I really need to get Here soon, the original short story is one of my favorites, just a jaw-dropping formalist work, and I'm pretty excited to see the expanded version.

sevenarts

12-30-2014, 07:34 PM

Oh yeah and Melville if you like Graham, I see you have Multiple Warheads on your list but don't neglect King City, it's another really good one by Graham. I LOVE his art, and his writing - though a lot more whimsical and punny in these books than in Prophet - is always pretty fun.

D_Davis

12-30-2014, 07:42 PM

Got the first 2 volumes of the Don Rosa library coming this week. Really looking forward to reading through these.

Melville

01-01-2015, 01:30 PM

Melville you've been reading tons of great stuff and have tons more on your to-read list.
Lots of great recommendation from you. I got a good chunk of the to-read list from your best-of-the-2000s list.

I really need to get Here soon, the original short story is one of my favorites, just a jaw-dropping formalist work, and I'm pretty excited to see the expanded version.
I read the original online only after finishing the expanded version. I might slightly prefer it for its more visceral formal punch, though the expansion infuses time with more emotion. Did you read the original in Raw? I've always wanted to get some issues of Raw, but they're too damned expensive.

D_Davis

01-06-2015, 09:50 PM

Got the first two volumes of the Don Rosa Library today.

Really nice books - big, heavy, hardbacks with thick paper. Really looking forward to reading through all of these. Can't for for more.

D_Davis

01-09-2015, 09:59 PM

I would pay good money to never see this pose again.

http://i.guim.co.uk/static/w-620/h--/q-95/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2015/1/9/1420806582419/581749cf-6869-4a04-9296-5436f768f978-670x1020.jpeg

number8

01-09-2015, 10:04 PM

It's an intentional parody in this case.

D_Davis

01-09-2015, 10:26 PM

The line between parody and cliche is thing, especially with the three-point landing.

Dead & Messed Up

01-09-2015, 11:22 PM

From Hell was good.

I wanna read it again.

That's all.

Ivan Drago

01-10-2015, 03:51 AM

Aaaaaand Marvel doesn't have the movie rights to Deadpool either, so they're killing him off too. (http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/01/09/marvel-reveals-deadpool-will-die-in-april-2015)

ledfloyd

01-15-2015, 02:48 AM

Wigwam Bam... wow. Still not on the Love and Rockets is the best ever bandwagon, but it's damn good.

Sven

01-18-2015, 02:06 AM

Scott Snyder continues to underwhelm with The Wake. Seriously, anybody read this wind up with anything positive to say about it? Limp structure, poorly devised set-pieces, and a resolution that reeked of specious New Agery. Murphy's long shots still pack a wallop, but dude has got to be hired for less info-dump sequences, Mr. Snyder. I'm scared about his new series with Millar. Thinking about it, all his stuff drawn for others has been comparatively weak. More Punk Rock Jesus please.

Lessee, what else... oh yeah. Mike Carey's Lucifer was read over the last few weeks. In nearly every way a superior yarn to Sandman, if mostly because it's clear that Carey writes for his artists while Gaiman writes for the story. Also, the over-arching thrust of the series, the philosophies at its core, resonates through nearly every issue. It's all of a piece, and I've never read such a unified long-form dark fantasy cartoon book.

ledfloyd

01-18-2015, 05:27 PM

Picking up Ms. Marvel. Should I read DeConnick's Captain Marvel too?

Ezee E

01-18-2015, 08:15 PM

Hmm, maybe I'll give the Star Wars run a try.

sevenarts

01-18-2015, 09:57 PM

Picking up Ms. Marvel. Should I read DeConnick's Captain Marvel too?

It's OK but nowhere near the quality of Ms. Marvel, and totally unrelated in terms of story/characters. DeConnick's previous run on this title had an absolutely amazing first 6-issue arc, with art on some issues by Emma Rios, and she hasn't topped that in anything she's done with the character since.

dreamdead

01-19-2015, 02:13 PM

I'll echo sevenarts. I picked up the first volumes of both Ms and Captain Marvel. Only Ms is interesting enough on a narrative level to actually warrant continued interest in the series--I like Wilson's writing, and the art has a fun energy to it. Captain Marvel is the kind of thing that you grab from a good library and read and forget immediately.

ledfloyd

01-19-2015, 03:02 PM

Ms. Marvel seems pretty promising. I enjoyed G. Willow Wilson's Air, and I really liked Alphona's art on Runaways, so it's nice seeing them doing something worthy of their talents. Both have been a bit MIA for awhile.

Sven

01-22-2015, 04:01 PM

Couple more good recent reads: BPRD. The Plague of Frogs HCs. I'm two volumes in and it's terrific. I didn't realize, given the sporadic quality of the earlier issues and my hesitation with Mignola-conflict (read: spirits and hard punching), how excellent this story would be. Arcudi really brings a needed touch of humanity, as well as a more finely-tuned plot and sense of humor. It can't be grim demon statues all the time. And Guy Davis is pretty much the best monster illustrator around.

And speaking of Guy Davis, I read this interesting Vertigo book that he pencilled with Phil Hester on inks, giving Davis's trademark squiggles rigid form and block shading. Written by the great William Messner-Loebs, the book The Brave Old World imagines Y2K time travelers restarting technology from the year 1900. As a lens for us to observe the century's technological escalation in the face of social and scientific ignorance, it is an uncanny read. Beautifully drawn, and genuinely unpredictable. Highly recommended.

Also, anybody reading The Valiant? It's one of the best-looking books on the racks right now, but with 50% of it done, it still just feels like a trailer. The concept suggests sprawl, but it's almost a chamber piece. It moves like gangbusters, but I was hoping for something with more heft. Still, looking forward to the new Valiant line-up (even Lemire's Bloodshot, sure).

number8

02-10-2015, 06:22 PM

Oh, damn:

http://io9.com/finally-a-real-netflix-for-comic-books-is-here-1684916526

Not as comprehensive as Marvel Unlimited for their Marvel offering, but you get Valiant, Top Shelf, IDW, Archie, Boom and Dynamite, which are great. Plus ebooks and audiobooks. That's fucking amazing for $9 a month.

Sven

02-12-2015, 01:46 AM

All of my comics today were amazing. All tens:

Captain Victory 5 - for the C.Willumsen, represent
Transformers v GI Joe 5 - a masterpiece of our time
Rai 7 - move over everyone
X-Force 15 - Spurrier how you so juice?
Divinity 1 - blew me to space and back... yeah
War Stories 5 - Ennis's peak is still cresting cloud cover

...and the continuation of Jenkins/Philips on Hellblazer, trade 10. Haven't hit it yet, but why would I even entertain doubts?

D_Davis

02-12-2015, 04:43 PM

Skitch

02-22-2015, 11:47 PM

This is awesome.

http://i.imgur.com/MRVyn3v.jpg

Sven

03-01-2015, 09:32 PM

Just read a couple of Milligan books that have been inexplicably unread, sitting on my shelf for years.

His Elektra run was interesting. Definitely scaling his ambitions for an ongoing, I was a little put-off by the overt address of conventional femininity, but then Milligan has never been one to kowtow to PCisms. Deodato's artwork seems redefining for the time, but he's never been one of my favorites. Some good stuff, but not essential.

The Further Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix, however, is an unmissable Sinister/Apocalypse yarn, with terrific artwork from JP Leon. Intensely melodramatic, but in a fine, operatic way. I love the overt monologuing and the layered narrative voice. Tragic, but the nature of the time loop gives the emotional severity a proper context. With this and his run on X-Men, I'm thinking that Milligan is the best writer for Apocalypse that I've come across.

ledfloyd

03-02-2015, 01:32 AM

Rereading Gotham Central. This is so damned good.

number8

03-02-2015, 02:02 PM

I've been burning through the Scribd comics library, and it is, I would say, a very good collection indeed. I'm somewhat surprised that all the best-selling Top Shelf graphic novels are there. If you guys have been wanting to get into those, the service is a bargain. I've always thought about getting a digital copy of From Hell that I can make bookmarks and notes on easily, for when I finally do what I've wanted to do for years which is treating it like a textbook than just a novel (I bought the annotated companion book last year for this purpose, but the thought of having to lug a copy of From Hell around was dispiriting). I guess now I have one on this service.

Page navigation on Scribd's Kindle Fire app is absolute garbage, though. I've had to keep the iOS app open on my iPhone next to me in case the Kindle app goes on the fritz, which it does often, and use that to scroll to the page I was at and rely on the syncing to get the Kindle to go there. I hope they fix that shit. Otherwise I might buy a used iPad just to use this app.

Sven

03-05-2015, 06:56 AM

It's pretty ridiculous how much better Valiant is than DC and Marvel (as far as publishers with clear shared universe dynamics go). Perhaps it's just the more modest scope, number of titles-wise. But with Dysart, Milligan, and Kindt in your corner, as well as Robert Gill, Doug Braithwaite, and Trevor Hairsine as artists on retainer, it's no wonder the ratio of quality to output is so high. Harbinger was just a prelude for Imperium; Dysart has hit such a brilliant stride with it. His plotting continues to surprise, as well as retain its severe political consciousness. The fantasia of Divinity's first chapter has been haunting, and remains one of the best single issues I've read in a while. Gill and Milligan share a degree of dreamy realism, which works perfectly with Valiant's inexplicable characters like Shadowman and the Eternal Warrior. And Unity is the most satisfying action comic out there (together Kindt and Cafu define crisp).

The outliers are Venditti and Van Lente, both of whom can deliver formula pretty well, but lack voice. And I'm concerned about Lemire's Bloodshot. Those mall scenes in The Valiant were a mighty hindrance to the book's draw. I just really don't click with that guy's writing. Suayan's art with undoubtedly be worth it, though.

number8

03-05-2015, 02:53 PM

Hey are you reading The Names?

Sven

03-06-2015, 01:50 AM

I am indeed. I'll probably get the trade when it's collected, because it's blowing my mind. Definitely A-tier Milligan, as was Terminal Hero, for that matter. After his low-key new-52 stuff, the man is proving he's still got fire in him, though his Hellblazer never dipped. I just LOVE Leandro Fernandez's work, and coupled with that coloring...

The fantasy angle, too, remains aloof, which is nice. All the weird violence, layered with direct address of oppressive financial structures and odd sexual beats... it's too perfect.

D_Davis

03-06-2015, 01:43 PM

Bartkira. Akira redrawn with Simpsons characters.

http://www.bartkira.com

number8

03-09-2015, 11:47 AM

Sven is gonna have so much mixed feelings about this.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/09/movies/dc-and-marvel-beware-valiant-is-to-make-films.html?fb_ref=Default&_r=0

Sven

03-10-2015, 02:14 AM

Sven is gonna have so much mixed feelings about this.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/09/movies/dc-and-marvel-beware-valiant-is-to-make-films.html?fb_ref=Default&_r=0

Sigh. Why does everything have to make me cynical about everything? [/such an old man]

Sven

03-10-2015, 02:16 AM

In defense of the idea, though, I think its comical properties are probably pretty rife for adaptation. Q&A & A&A are fine concepts for buddy cinema, I think. Modest effects budgets, tight dialogue, the right casting... they could actually be alright. I am definitely not looking forward to the CG-orgy that XO would have to be, or the lameification of teen issues in Harbinger...

Skitch

03-10-2015, 11:00 AM

I hope Valiant goes the animated route.

Sven

03-10-2015, 04:29 PM

I had a great idea for an Eternal Warrior film last night, actually. I may try to flesh it out a bit.

dreamdead

03-18-2015, 01:58 PM

Not much of note happens in Gabrielle Bell's non-fictional comics The Voyeur, which recounts various travails that she experiences as a struggling and growingly accepted comics creator, but after quickly reading through Michael Cho's The Shoplifter that very quotidian nature in Bell's work remains a highlight.

Cho's work has a nice visual unifying structure in the red coloring, and there's a tenderness to a lot of the story's arc, but it feels so prescripted and automatic, assuming the mundane aspects that number8 feels taints Adrian Tomine's Shortcomings. It's just so typically indie comics, with the ordained ambiguous ending that reads anywhere between hopeful and pessimistic.

In contrast, Bell's work, while initially equally mundane, benefits from a grounded specificity, and her various psychological concerns feel anchored to her and not just generated from an indie plot generator. Cho's writing, while interesting, has too many faux-profound discussions and just leaves the text limp.

sevenarts

03-18-2015, 08:04 PM

Man that generic "indie comic" autobio style is just the worst. Frankly, a lot of the time Bell's work strikes me as fitting into that template, too, but I'll always give her the benefit of the doubt because of that Kramers Ergot strip where she imagines that she's turned into a chair. That one was a subtle stunner.

sevenarts

03-18-2015, 08:09 PM

Actually, just found that one in its entirety online: https://scribblophile.wordpress.com/2011/01/23/cecil-and-jordan-in-new-york-a-comic-strip-by-gabrielle-bell/

That's a comic that's always hit me very hard and has stuck with me, though I've never quite found the same impact in any of her other work.

Sven

03-19-2015, 04:46 AM

I feel silly being so giddy that Divinity was revealed to be a Valiant U v. Utopian villain story. I thought it was just gonna be a cool, heady fantasy mini, but knowing that Abram may be folded into, or at least reverberate through, future stories is a fabulous prospect. Seeing Gilad was especially exciting since earlier today I was working on the aforementioned EW movie idea.

number8

03-20-2015, 06:48 PM

I just got around to finally reading Greg Rucka and Darick Robertson's 2003 run on Wolverine (thanks again, Scribd) and it's such an interesting little 19 issue run because it's uncharacteristically low-key for Wolverine. Not just the fact that it's "grounded" in that it's removed from the rest of the Marvel universe and no one wears their costumes throughout it, but also that it feels like a comic working within the confines of a 1990s TV budget. No supervillains, no big action scenes, there's barely even any action scenes as the tone is so airport book, with lots of verbal confrontations in bars and bedrooms and a reliance on incorporating historical/technical details. It would even actually cut away from the action; it'd show Logan confronting a group of bad guys, he roars, pops his claws, jumps forward, and the next page is some other scene. It's the type of book that really shouldn't sound appealing at all, but it's such a weirdly unique take on the character (Logan is very contemplative and brooding and not boisterous at all in it, constantly weighed down by the fear that he's more animal than man) that I breezed through it.

Mark Millar took over with #20 and of course immediately put him back in the yellow suit and tossed him in the mix with ninjas and SHIELD.