The Comic Book Discussion Thread

[megladon8]

So like, why aren't we all talking about how amazing Nightworld is?

[Melville]

Seeing The Maxx on scribd made me suddenly nostalgic for letters pages. I grew up on Kieth's comic, and its letters pages sometimes seemed more essential than the comic itself. They usually went on for about five pages, and they contained everything from deeply personal letters to zany humor to discussions that made the comics' story seem like something organic growing through interaction with its readers. There was a great sense of community and some interesting metatextual things going on in there. What were some other great letters pages? Do any current comics still have letters pages worth reading, or has internet fandom made them irrelevant?

[number8]

Plenty of Marvel and Image comics have letters pages. Only DC has done away with them entirely. Some of the best ones are the ones that barely has to do with the content. The Sex Criminals letters pages is mostly Fraction and Zdarsky giving people sexual health advice and it's amazing and hilarious. Southern Bastards' letters pages are people sending in biscuits and other southern food recipes.

[Melville]

The Sex Criminals letters pages is mostly Fraction and Zdarsky giving people sexual health advice and it's amazing and hilarious. Southern Bastards' letters pages are people sending in biscuits and other southern food recipes.

Nice. After years of reading only GNs and collections, I've gotten back into single issues lately. But mostly from Marvel, and the letters pages always look pretty short and lifeless.

[D_Davis]

Seeing The Maxx on scribd made me suddenly nostalgic for letters pages. I grew up on Kieth's comic, and its letters pages sometimes seemed more essential than the comic itself. They usually went on for about five pages, and they contained everything from deeply personal letters to zany humor to discussions that made the comics' story seem like something organic growing through interaction with its readers. There was a great sense of community and some interesting metatextual things going on in there. What were some other great letters pages? Do any current comics still have letters pages worth reading, or has internet fandom made them irrelevant?

Groo always had an amazing letters page.

I think it was Mark Evanier who handled the letters page - great sense of humor.

[megladon8]

Have started with Fall of Cthulhu and it's very intriguing.

[megladon8]

D_Davis, you absolutely must read this.

[number8]

Here's a thing that's been generating a lot of discussion in the industry today:

http://www.comicsbeat.com/does-anyon...mics-any-more/

The sample size is pretty small, but they've reached out to a hundred more retailers and will update the chart accordingly.

[D_Davis]

D_Davis, you absolutely must read this.

Is it a trade?

[D_Davis]

Here's a thing that's been generating a lot of discussion in the industry today:

http://www.comicsbeat.com/does-anyon...mics-any-more/

The sample size is pretty small, but they've reached out to a hundred more retailers and will update the chart accordingly.

Is "other" foil embossed covers?

[megladon8]

Yes I got the omnibus which is all 6 or 7 trades collected it one volume, and it was only like 15 bucks.

[ledfloyd]

I'll be honest. I don't think I've ever bought a comic solely because of the artist. If an artist I like is on a title I want to read (usually because of the writer), it's a bonus. But I'm not going to read something just because someone I like is drawing it.

[megladon8]

Marvel is releasing an omnibus of Fraction & Aja's Hawkeye.

Does anyone know if it is going to include all issues right to the recently published final issue?

If so I will definitely pick it up.

[number8]

Yeah, it's the complete run.

[megladon8]

Received all three volumes of Garth Ennis' Battlefields today.

Will read those when I finish Fall of Cthulhu.

[D_Davis]

I'll be honest. I don't think I've ever bought a comic solely because of the artist. If an artist I like is on a title I want to read (usually because of the writer), it's a bonus. But I'm not going to read something just because someone I like is drawing it.

Conversely, I've never purchased a comic book that I didn't like the art in.

For me, art is the most important thing in a comic book.

[EyesWideOpen]

I stopped reading comics so take my opinion for what it's worth but I was always a story first reader. That was what I was there for. I appreciated great art and had favorite artists but I would take a great story/bad art book any day over a bad story/great art book.

[megladon8]

Why did you stop EWO?

[EyesWideOpen]

Why did you stop EWO?

I think I mentioned it back when I sold off my collection but no big reason it was just taking up a lot of time and money and I decided to focus on other hobbies instead. I go through phases where I stop doing something like now it's movies. I've only watched one movie in the last 12 months (Inside Out) and that was because my wife wanted me to go with her. I previously was watching 200+ movies a year. For the last year I've been playing way more videogames and we've been getting in to more tv shows. That added up to the normal stuff I do all the time (work, I play basketball 10 hours a week, marriage stuff, watching NBA games) there just isn't enough time in the day.

[ledfloyd]

I stopped reading comics so take my opinion for what it's worth but I was always a story first reader. That was what I was there for. I appreciated great art and had favorite artists but I would take a great story/bad art book any day over a bad story/great art book.

Yeah, exactly.

[Sven]

Doug Mahnke, Frazer Irving, Greg Tocchini, and Igor Kordey. I've bought books solely because they drew them. Most often to little regret, though Mahnke's run with Schultz, et al, on Superman is pretty lame apart from the art. Not sure if Lee/Kirby-era Kirby books count...

[sevenarts]

Ideally you have both good writing and good art, even better is when they're not just independently good but really work together and communicate with one another, and the real ideal is a single writer/artist creator doing everything.

But if I have to choose I'd much rather a book with strong writing/ideas and so-so art than vice versa. After all, you're meant to read these things, not just look at the pictures.

[sevenarts]

Lee/Kirby is a solid exception where the books are great despite writing that can most charitably be called an acquired taste.

[number8]

The art was the only reason I kept buying Prophet long after I stopped being interested in the story. I enjoy the writing on Black Widow and Silver Surfer, but if they had anyone other than Noto and Allred drawing them, I probably would not still be reading them.

[megladon8]

Kirby's writing is great and I loved it from day one, so I have to say I disagree with that one.