What comics are you all reading? What do you think?

[Corporal Blues]

CB - Old Man Logan is hugely over-rated to me, the art is amazing and some of the ideas good but the ending is epic meh.

So, I read Old Man Logan last night while I was killing time at a Barnes and Noble....I was NOT a fan. It was just a series of one-upping the last "cool" thing that had happened in the book. One moment Hawkeye was driving the spidey-mobile off a cliff, then some dude was getting beheaded by a shotgun (which was swung like a baseball bat), then Logan was getting chased by dinosaurs, then there was a huge t-rex/Venom....and on and on until the very crappy ending. Maybe if I was a 14 year old boy it would be like, the sweetest comic book evr, but no. I'm so glad I didn't shell out $30 for this one.

Kater, you were totally right about this one!

 

[Roland 85]

I envy you reading the next volume (8) for the first time, it's bug nuts insane.

Yep, review of that one is up on my blog. To be honest, I liked it more than the previous ones, but it also made me realize why I don't like the series in general. Still, happy to be rid of THAT whiny b*tch

 

[Loerwyn]

****Dwagginz- Skull Kickers seems like it would be up your alley.

Totally didn't notice this, whoops! Who publishes it, C. Blues?

 

[Corporal Blues]

Dwagginz- It is published by Image comics. It was a HOT release, so it may be hard to track down, but it is worth checking out. Fantasy, action, adventure, and some decent humor mixed in as well.

 

[Loerwyn]

It's possible it'll come out in trade, I guess. I'll keep my eyes out for it C. Blues, thanks

 

[kater]

Yep, review of that one is up on my blog. To be honest, I liked it more than the previous ones, but it also made me realize why I don't like the series in general. Still, happy to be rid of THAT whiny b*tch

I see your point and it's a fair one. The trouble lies with comics economics imo, when you get a creator-owned success the creator has to milk it for all it's worth. The money isn't great in comics, unless they work for the big Two and even then they don't own their work they just get a better page rate, so creators with their own work make their money off trade collections, almost never off the singles.

The bigger your portfolio of collected editions the more money you make outside of whatever your current work is, plus comics pays months after an issue goes to the stores so a creator has to plan his/her bills and expenditure months in advance. Meaning when you get a monster hit like TWD with all the merchandise and now a TV show associated, you keep running with it. It doesn't make for good finite storytelling but if you look at the industry, almost everyone's goal is to be involved with a successful ongoing. Consider though that for all it's hype TWD only sells about 30,000 singles a month, which is great for an indie but poor figures for a Big Two title. It's just such a fine line I don't think the formula will ever change, sadly.

 

[Loerwyn]

kater, do you think comic sales slump because people just hold out for the trades?

For me, as an example, getting comics is a pain. It's £2-3 an issue, costs me £4 bus fare each visit (Probably a smaller figure for my dad's petrol consumption if I get a lift from him, but then it's £5+ in parking). Or if I get them online, it's going to be a similar price per issue, but then you have postage on top of that. It's a lot of hassle when I can just get the trade for £9-10 later in the year.

But then wouldn't that have a knock-on effect where trades aren't released (Or reissued) because of low sales?

 

[kater]

kater, do you think comic sales slump because people just hold out for the trades?

For me, as an example, getting comics is a pain. It's £2-3 an issue, costs me £4 bus fare each visit (Probably a smaller figure for my dad's petrol consumption if I get a lift from him, but then it's £5+ in parking). Or if I get them online, it's going to be a similar price per issue, but then you have postage on top of that. It's a lot of hassle when I can just get the trade for £9-10 later in the year.

But then wouldn't that have a knock-on effect where trades aren't released (Or reissued) because of low sales?

Mate this is a HUGE conversation that I could write essays on but don't want to I don't think trade waiting is a significant issue it's more to do with how the singles market is run. In basic terms the distribution model for comics as it stands is utter rubbish, the Direct Market is handled by a single company because of the industry collapse in the 80's. Resultingly they control the parameters for how 99% of comics interact with the market and society. The system is based on a value for pre-orders that dictates whether a comic will be distributed. If you don't hit a certain pre-order value, which went up significantly last year to a point where the variety of comics arguably contracted because niche works aren't able to make that value, then you don't make it into the majority of comics stores.

Add in higher prices, though they are dropping back down soon apparently, the global economy coming out of a recession and comics not appearing on newsstands/venues other than comics stores for the most part, what you then have is an insular market with impossible controls and very little buyer incentive. It's been decreasing for years and only really the advent of comic book movies has kept it going in it's current state. Digital hasn't made the kind of dent people thought, we still like physical objects so print isn't being greatly undermined it's just market conditions aren't allowing the medium to grow. Google comics direct market or look at a comic forum and there's bound to be a discussion of it in there, Warren Ellis has hammered the topic at length and there are a bunch of smart industry commentators who explain far better than I ever will

 

[fluffy bunny]

I've been out of the comic thing for a few yrs so I picked up a number of random trades. Could you point me in the direction of a few of the decent ones from the last few yrs?

Anyway read:

Priest's second Black Panther trade (Enemy of the State). The artist changed from the first one and I didn't feel this one suited the story quite as well. The problem was that it was just more of the same stuff that you got in 'The Client' without adding much. There's only so many flashback style episodes you can take and to have exactly the same storytelling style issue after issue didn't appeal

Supreme Power vol 1 hardcover - this was a reread as I threw it to the side a few years ago when I first got it. Very readable non-kid friendly take on Marvel's interpretation of the DC universe.

Batwoman: Elegy- I had no idea what was happening in the first issue but the art carried me through. The Rucka's story and characterization kicked in with some nice crossovers with Gotham Central's continuity. I'd like to see more from this character at some point in the future

Invincible Iron Man Omnibus (issues 1-19). Preferred this to Brubaker's Cap America trade (1-25). Unlike a number of other iron man stories, this one suits the style set by the movie and isn't crippled by Marvel's crossover events. Above average but nothing spectacular.

Unwritten vol 1- This was an awesome read. I've always liked the Vertigo line's ability to tell some imaginative stories (Sandman, Lucifer, Fables, Hellblazer in particular). It's very literary (though less than the league of extraordinary gentlemen) and sports another intriguing concept. Carey's dialogue shines and the plotting is such that a lot happens in the space of a single issue. Definitley one I'll be keeping an eye on

 

[Loerwyn]

*snip*

It's Diamond, right? But thanks for that, it's really appreciated. When I get a spare few hours, I'll look it up.

I'm going to order the Dungeons & Dragons: Forgotten Realms trade that's coming out soon. It's about £13 and 200 pages, which isn't bad at all IMHO.

But really? I'm close to giving up on at least the Big Two. Yeah, I like Deadpool, but it just feels like I have to read everything to get the full picture, and that's a lot of money to put into it all. I might just stick with Hellboy for now

 

[kater]

It's Diamond, right? But thanks for that, it's really appreciated. When I get a spare few hours, I'll look it up.

But really? I'm close to giving up on at least the Big Two. Yeah, I like Deadpool, but it just feels like I have to read everything to get the full picture, and that's a lot of money to put into it all. I might just stick with Hellboy for now

Yeah Diamond Industry's fault for being stupid enough to believe it would be their saviour and also for getting into the mess in the first place. C'est la vie. I'll dig up some links for you when I get a chance, I'm sure I've got a tonne of articles around here somewhere.

I think the Big Two do some very good stuff within their respective universes but it is so often weighed down by past works and the limitations on creators as a result of those past works, it's very hard for a new reader or someone who wants to dip in and out of the storylines to do so without being utterly befuddled. DC seems to have gone very insular and inbred lately and I'm pretty much done with their side of things, though I do still get a lot of Vertigo titles (American Vampire, The Unwritten, Unknown Soldier (R.I.P soon sadly), Northlanders, DMZ, Scalped and Fables at last count).

Marvel is a lot better I feel because of the talent pool they have, Brubaker, Ellis, Fraction, Hickman, Bendis, Diggle, Aaron, Abnett and Lanning, the under-rated Duane Swierzynski and many others I haven't mentioned. Although I am disenchanted with the fact they're cutting right back on the cosmic titles as I think Nova and particularly Guardians of the Galaxy have been exceptional over the last two years. Plus they've had two excellent mini-events in the Annihilation Events and currently with the Thanos Imperative. So it'll be a pity to see them go, especially given how many titles they currently put out that aren't anywhere near as good.

Overall there's a lot more dross than gems but that's true of any medium and will always depend on a person's tastes. I think it has been a lot worse in the past so I'm just enjoying the fact there is some choice at the moment

 

[fluffy bunny]

Overall there's a lot more dross than gems but that's true of any medium and will always depend on a person's tastes. I think it has been a lot worse in the past so I'm just enjoying the fact there is some choice at the moment

Compared to 10 yrs ago, there seems to be a greater number of big writers and artists in the industry (or at the very least they've been tasked to more books).

I do agree with Kater's point about the DC books being very continuity heavy - I'm still figuring out where to start with all those green lantern titles (DC does silver age style better than Marvel IMHO, Johns in particular)

 

[Roland 85]

Aaaaand, Volume 9. I actually liked this one, for a change. Very cool character studies.

 

[kater]

Compared to 10 yrs ago, there seems to be a greater number of big writers and artists in the industry (or at the very least they've been tasked to more books).

I'm not quite sure what you mean by 'Big' writers but I think Marvel particularly have gone out of their way to recruit fringe and indie (starting to hate that phrase) writing talent while it's fresh, rather than waiting for them to become successful and/or dependable. Hickman and Fraction for me are two of the best examples, from The Nightly News and Casanova to Secret Warriors, FF4, SHIELD, Iron Fist, Uncanny X-Men and Thor in only a few years is ability rewarded. Not that those guys not making their own work is a good thing, it absolutely isn't but if you wanted guys to write top Big Two titles it would be them amongst the others listed.

Aaaaand, Volume 9. I actually liked this one, for a change. Very cool character studies.

The phone is a really strong moment in the book, it's part WTF and just plain obvious he's gone through too much. Won't say anymore about the rest of the review for fear of spoiling it.

 

[Roland 85]

It's moments like these that could make the series great. Instead he just goes for schematic character killings and pretentious didactic dialogues...

 

[Corporal Blues]

Hoo-wee, easily winning the election for most creepy and disturbing comic of the year is Neonomicon #2. This comic will not give you the warm fuzzies.
Moore ratchets up the intensity, the weird, and the discomfort as what appears to be a fairly typical, yet twinged with Lovecraftian mythos, police investigation leads to a scene (that shall remain unnamed) that was absolutely shocking, and terrifying. Very little is left to the imagination. My nightmares wont stop!

 

[Corporal Blues]

I've been out of the comic thing for a few yrs so I picked up a number of random trades. Could you point me in the direction of a few of the decent ones from the last few yrs?

Anyway read:



Batwoman: Elegy- I had no idea what was happening in the first issue but the art carried me through. The Rucka's story and characterization kicked in with some nice crossovers with Gotham Central's continuity. I'd like to see more from this character at some point in the future

I've got some Rucka sitting on my shelf, but I've never read anything by him. Looking forward to it though as some of his stuff looks pretty good.

Unwritten vol 1- This was an awesome read. I've always liked the Vertigo line's ability to tell some imaginative stories (Sandman, Lucifer, Fables, Hellblazer in particular). It's very literary (though less than the league of extraordinary gentlemen) and sports another intriguing concept. Carey's dialogue shines and the plotting is such that a lot happens in the space of a single issue. Definitley one I'll be keeping an eye on

I wasn't a fan of The Unwritten, you can see my review in the Comics section here at SFF World, but there's been a couple issues here and there that I've picked up that are just fantastic, so maybe I'll give it another shot later on down the road.

 

[kater]

Hoo-wee, easily winning the election for most creepy and disturbing comic of the year is Neonomicon #2. This comic will not give you the warm fuzzies.
Moore ratchets up the intensity, the weird, and the discomfort as what appears to be a fairly typical, yet twinged with Lovecraftian mythos, police investigation leads to a scene (that shall remain unnamed) that was absolutely shocking, and terrifying. Very little is left to the imagination. My nightmares wont stop!

See some comic stores refused to sell it. I didn't enjoy it all that much but I love how he always finds a way to do things differently.

I've got some Rucka sitting on my shelf, but I've never read anything by him. Looking forward to it though as some of his stuff looks pretty good.

V.good writer imo, does good crime stories.

 

[Corporal Blues]

Kater-

Yeah, that was a tough one to enjoy. Wasn't expecting that. I've been so busy lately that I hadn't heard all the censorship stuff about it, then I read it and read about some of the reactions to it. I'm scared to see what is next.


What works by Rucka would you recommend? I have both Whiteouts on my shelf and that's about it. His current ongoing Stumptown looks pretty cool.

 

[algernoninc]

finished Knights of the Old Republic. I liked the writing, sometimes the penciller seemed off [all angular faces] but overall it was good to my newbie eyes. I sort of wonder what would happen to the characters next - i like that in a story. I understand the video games follow in the same setting, but I'm kind of cooled off on PC gaming due to lack of time.
I decided to try next in my star Wars foray the Tales of the Jedi story arc. I found a lot of references / spoilers to events from this period in Knights of the Old Republic, so I would like to close the gap before I try something else.
Now I've started Transmetropolitan - good although I'm not exactly thrilled by the foul language. It has great artwork and some big city social issues that interest me so I will continue.
For fun I've tried some Sergio Aragones.

being relatively new to comics I'm searching the best of thread here and the Eisner awards to pick up ideas. so far I've added to my wishlist:
- Kingdom Come
- Maus
- Y: the Last Man