@dubbat138 The vamps in American Vampire are a different take on the vampire idea.
Could you elaborate on it more? I am semi interested in the series,but for some reason thought it was "Anne Rice/Twilight" style vampires and I hate that style. My favorite style of vampires are the ones like in "Near Dark".
@dubbat138 Essentially, American Vampire deals with the "creation" of the American breed of vampire, spun out of the mythology of traditional Euro-Nosferatu types. If you want anymore info, try Google, I hate spoiling things under any circumstance.
@dubbat138 Essentially, American Vampire deals with the "creation" of the American breed of vampire, spun out of the mythology of traditional Euro-Nosferatu types. If you want anymore info, try Google, I hate spoiling things under any circumstance.
Thanks @JCB for the info. I will get the first trade from my library and try it out. Being a fan of both horror and comics I am always on the lookout for a well written and well drawn horror series.
I've managed this week to read Spider-Man: Perceptions, Trouble on the Horizon and Ends of the Earth; Mike Norton's Battlepug; Interiorae by Gabriella Giandella; White Knuckle from Markosia.
Best for me was S-M: Ends of the Earth, closely followed by Battlepug. Worst was S-M: Perceptions, make of that what you will.
Just finished rereading Green Arrow: Quiver by Kevin Smith, Phil Hester and Ande Parks; still as good as the first time I read it. Also the second volume of the Steve Ditko Omnibus from DC.
Just finished rereading Green Arrow: Quiver by Kevin Smith, Phil Hester and Ande Parks; still as good as the first time I read it. Also the second volume of the Steve Ditko Omnibus from DC.
Just finished rereading Green Arrow: Quiver by Kevin Smith, Phil Hester and Ande Parks; still as good as the first time I read it. Also the second volume of the Steve Ditko Omnibus from DC.
What all is in that second Ditko omnibus?
The second volume (I had somehow missed the first one) had the following work:
The Hawk And The Dove (their original Showcase appearance, plus the first two issue of their own book; he left after that and Gil Kane picked it up.) Man-Bat (from the first issue, featuring Ditko's only Batman work.) The Demon (a three-part story from Detective Comics.) Starman (the entire series from Adventure Comics.) The Legion Of Super-Heroes (several stories done over a period of a couple of years -- including Paul Levitz' first Legion story.)
plus a trio of one-off short stories: Black Lightning (for The Outsiders), The Spectre (for Legends Of The DC Universe 80-Page Giant) and The New Gods (for Tales Of The New Gods).
I believe the first volume has a bundle of other series and stories he drew, including the Stalker series, and maybe the Creeper (although the entire Beware The Creeper series has its own hardback collection).
Finally read Watchmen. Good read. The art is a bit dated but the story is nice and thought provoking.
The art is dated!?
There are occasional comments from fans that always puzzle me. This is one of them. Is there an expiration date of some sort on the artwork, that the artwork is not acceptable past a certain day and time? And it's always on the conditional: "Hey, this art is really good, except that it's dated!" Rather like a gallon of milk that suddenly went bad.
I'm more of the opinion that the art was quite good. Period.
I'm more of the opinion that the art was quite good. Period.
I'm of the opinion that the art has shaped modern comics since. :)
I'm re-reading Scalped from the beginning for funsies. Starting with Indian Country, moving forward till the 10th volume release. Probably my favorite run on comics ever.
There are occasional comments from fans that always puzzle me. This is one of them. Is there an expiration date of some sort on the artwork, that the artwork is not acceptable past a certain day and time? And it's always on the conditional: "Hey, this art is really good, except that it's dated!" Rather like a gallon of milk that suddenly went bad.
It is unquestionable to me that much artwork is evocative of its period in one way or another, i.e., "dated" in a neutral sense. And that someone would prefer the style of one period over another isn't too surprising to me.
Gibbons' art in Watchmen is very high-quality, and it is also within the wheelhouse of big-two house styles of the 80s (i.e, literally "dated"). In fact, I would argue that it is that family resemblance that gave it much of its impact at the time: the drawings looked like those of a regular superhero comic, so their actual content was that much more surprising.
There are occasional comments from fans that always puzzle me. This is one of them. Is there an expiration date of some sort on the artwork, that the artwork is not acceptable past a certain day and time? And it's always on the conditional: "Hey, this art is really good, except that it's dated!" Rather like a gallon of milk that suddenly went bad.
It is unquestionable to me that much artwork is evocative of its period in one way or another, i.e., "dated" in a neutral sense. And that someone would prefer the style of one period over another isn't too surprising to me.
Gibbons' art in Watchmen is very high-quality, and it is also within the wheelhouse of big-two house styles of the 80s (i.e, literally "dated"). In fact, I would argue that it is that family resemblance that gave it much of its impact at the time: the drawings looked like those of a regular superhero comic, so their actual content was that much more surprising.
I don't know how neutral a definition like 'dated' actually is. To my ears, it always sounds a bit condescending, and it almost always sounds limiting -- as in, "well this worked then, but it simply doesn't work now".
I understand that art does usually reflect the period it's done in, and some artistic tropes (like one circular panel per page, as done during the Golden Age) get left behind as a result of evolution within the artform... but, otherwise, a solid piece of work is the same no matter when it's executed. If Watchmen were released today, those Gibbons pages would be just as effective, and would be just as solid a work of storytelling. I just don't see anything 'dated' about them.
I don't know how neutral a definition like 'dated' actually is. To my ears, it always sounds a bit condescending, and it almost always sounds limiting -- as in, "well this worked then, but it simply doesn't work now".
I don't understand how you took that to be condescending. I am no historian of comics. Obviously, since I just read Watchmen for the first time. I just read it and it felt like an old comic book. That is all. I obviously offended you with my opinion of the art. We apparently have different taste in art.
I don't know how neutral a definition like 'dated' actually is. To my ears, it always sounds a bit condescending, and it almost always sounds limiting -- as in, "well this worked then, but it simply doesn't work now".
I don't understand how you took that to be condescending. I am no historian of comics. Obviously, since I just read Watchmen for the first time. I just read it and it felt like an old comic book. That is all. I obviously offended you with my opinion of the art. We apparently have different taste in art.
No, not offended. As I originally stated, I just find it a puzzling comment. And you're not the first I've heard this sort of thing from. It's something that apparently means one thing to some folks, and another thing to others (such as myself). I don't think it's so much a difference of taste as it is a difference of view.
I Kill Giants - Joe Kelly, J.M. Ken Niimura. Revolves a fifth grader girl whose imagination helps her escape the troubles of reality. Touching story, with a positive message, and uplifting ending. Clean b&w art.
Power of Shazam - by Jerry Ordway. Solid straightforward origin story of Captain Marvel. Black Adam portrayed as a purely evil villain, not the more complicated modern version. I really liked the painted style artwork.
Read Scarlet Spider HC vol1. Story was OK, but I really hope they don't just make Kaine a carbon copy of Peter (no clone joke intended), but keep his different personality. The art by Ryan Stegman, whose work I hadn't seen before, was pretty good. I got a Todd Nuack vibe from It which I liked, and the fill in art from Neil Edwards was good too. But the thing that made me shout with joy was the printing on the book itself, and the lack of dust jacket. I want more of this please Mr Publisher Men.
Empowered Vol. 7: It started off a bit rough, with a lot of jumps in time that were a little confusing at first, but it picked up steam about a third of the way through and had some really good moments. Not the best volume, all told, but still a pretty strong story.
Got through Atomic Robo vols 3 & 4 today. These are such fun books. There aren't many books that can make me laugh out loud. But this succeeds. Quality writing from Clevinger and great art from Wagener make these books highly recommended. Gotta pick up vols 5 & 6 now!!!
Finished up Chew volume 4 today. I am really loving this book. I have vol 5 but I think I am going to wait a week or two so I can prolong the fun a little bit.
Art by Alberto Muriel Written by Jonathan W.C. Mills
Set in an alternative future, Heavy Water is a world in which the Nazis won World War II. And now they rule most of the world. But a small resistance group is doing all they can to change history. They have figured out a way to travel back in time. So they Ben Hauklid is equipped with an old diary and then sent back to Norway in the year 1943. He knows he is the only chance the world has to be free again.
I have always enjoyed alternative history fiction. And this is a great example of it. The artwork by Alberto Muriel is great. And looks different than his artwork on The Blacksmith OGN. The reason for this might be that both OGNs have different colorist. Both books have good art. But I prefer the art on Heavy Water. This is one of the few Kickstart OGNs that didn’t feel like part one of a longer story. Once this OGN is over you know you have been told all of the story.
I "read" Blacksad in terms of my eyes feasted on a full 3 course meal & my mind was stunned that the quality of comics can go up so high. I had been down on the monthly same ol' same ol' blues but this perked me right up to see how good reading comics can be. I know what you thinking how can animals looking like humans work while telling a great story. The answer is not a revolutionary one, the writer/artist team do their best at convincing you that w/ your eyes seeing a grand performance of top notch art of the highest caliber and stories that have twists for an mature audience. Blacksad deserves not a 10 out 10 rating but a 1 million out of 10 rating. It passed the Essex County Trilogy damn that was really good challenge but several miles. So if you want to try something different but richer for it afterwards give Blacksad a chance.
No this sample page is not in English just look at the artwork & delight in it. Three stories are collected in English from Dark Horse in a HC collection of Blacksad.
I "read" Blacksad in terms of my eyes feasted on a full 3 course meal & my mind was stunned that the quality of comics can go up so high. I had been down on the monthly same ol' same ol' blues but this perked me right up to see how good reading comics can be. I know what you thinking how can animals looking like humans work while telling a great story. The answer is not a revolutionary one, the writer/artist team do their best at convincing you that w/ your eyes seeing a grand performance of top notch art of the highest caliber and stories that have twists for an mature audience. Blacksad deserves not a 10 out 10 rating but a 1 million out of 10 rating. It passed the Essex County Trilogy damn that was really good challenge but several miles. So if you want to try something different but richer for it afterwards give Blacksad a chance.
No this sample page is not in English just look at the artwork & delight in it. Three stories are collected in English from Dark Horse in a HC collection of Blacksad.
Matthew
Blacksad is an excellent series! There is a second volume as well from Dark Horse, Blacksad: A Silent Hell, which is the most recent book translated into English, and at least half of the book is full of production art and sketches. Well worth anything they want to charge for it!
If you enjoyed Blacksad, you might also want to consider taking a look at Grandville by Bryan Talbot (known for his work on series like One Bad Rat and Sandman); it's anthropomorphic/steampunk/noir about a police detective (badger) in an alternative 19th Century England ruled by the conqueror France. There are two volumes at present, with a third scheduled for a December release. The art style is different, far less realistic than that of Blacksad, but still of about equal quality.
JLA/Avengers - I just read the first chapter and wow! This takes me back. It felt like I was reading Crisis on Infinite Earths for the first time. The first chapter of JLA/A is that good. I may have to pick up the deluxe edition one of these days.
The Spirit Vol. 1 by Darwyn Cooke - I've read the first three stories. I've enjoyed them to varying degrees but Cooke's light touch and visual storytelling, plus Dave Stewart's colors, make this a real treat to read. I would get a deluxe edition of Cooke's run on this series if it existed.
I just read Bendis' Moon Knight run, and it was definitely entertaining. I don't think I've read anything by Bendis before. I wasn't expecting much for whatever reason. Too bad it ended as soon as it did.
I finished Pinocchio Vampire Slayer: Of Wood and Blood, Part 1 today. It wasn't as good as the first two volumes, which I really enjoyed. It wasn't bad, but the pacing seemed a bit off. There's only one more volume in the series, though, so I'll pick it up to see how things get resolved.
Comments
Could you elaborate on it more? I am semi interested in the series,but for some reason thought it was "Anne Rice/Twilight" style vampires and I hate that style. My favorite style of vampires are the ones like in "Near Dark".
Thanks @JCB for the info. I will get the first trade from my library and try it out. Being a fan of both horror and comics I am always on the lookout for a well written and well drawn horror series.
Best for me was S-M: Ends of the Earth, closely followed by Battlepug.
Worst was S-M: Perceptions, make of that what you will.
The Hawk And The Dove (their original Showcase appearance, plus the first two issue of their own book; he left after that and Gil Kane picked it up.)
Man-Bat (from the first issue, featuring Ditko's only Batman work.)
The Demon (a three-part story from Detective Comics.)
Starman (the entire series from Adventure Comics.)
The Legion Of Super-Heroes (several stories done over a period of a couple of years -- including Paul Levitz' first Legion story.)
plus a trio of one-off short stories: Black Lightning (for The Outsiders), The Spectre (for Legends Of The DC Universe 80-Page Giant) and The New Gods (for Tales Of The New Gods).
I believe the first volume has a bundle of other series and stories he drew, including the Stalker series, and maybe the Creeper (although the entire Beware The Creeper series has its own hardback collection).
There are occasional comments from fans that always puzzle me. This is one of them. Is there an expiration date of some sort on the artwork, that the artwork is not acceptable past a certain day and time? And it's always on the conditional: "Hey, this art is really good, except that it's dated!" Rather like a gallon of milk that suddenly went bad.
I'm more of the opinion that the art was quite good. Period.
I'm re-reading Scalped from the beginning for funsies. Starting with Indian Country, moving forward till the 10th volume release. Probably my favorite run on comics ever.
Gibbons' art in Watchmen is very high-quality, and it is also within the wheelhouse of big-two house styles of the 80s (i.e, literally "dated"). In fact, I would argue that it is that family resemblance that gave it much of its impact at the time: the drawings looked like those of a regular superhero comic, so their actual content was that much more surprising.
Gibbons' art in Watchmen is very high-quality, and it is also within the wheelhouse of big-two house styles of the 80s (i.e, literally "dated"). In fact, I would argue that it is that family resemblance that gave it much of its impact at the time: the drawings looked like those of a regular superhero comic, so their actual content was that much more surprising.
I don't know how neutral a definition like 'dated' actually is. To my ears, it always sounds a bit condescending, and it almost always sounds limiting -- as in, "well this worked then, but it simply doesn't work now".
I understand that art does usually reflect the period it's done in, and some artistic tropes (like one circular panel per page, as done during the Golden Age) get left behind as a result of evolution within the artform... but, otherwise, a solid piece of work is the same no matter when it's executed. If Watchmen were released today, those Gibbons pages would be just as effective, and would be just as solid a work of storytelling. I just don't see anything 'dated' about them.
The Complete Copybook Tales - fun, nostalgic look back at 1980s pop culture including comics; lots of fun
Power of Shazam - by Jerry Ordway. Solid straightforward origin story of Captain Marvel. Black Adam portrayed as a purely evil villain, not the more complicated modern version. I really liked the painted style artwork.
Art by Alberto Muriel
Written by Jonathan W.C. Mills
Set in an alternative future, Heavy Water is a world in which the Nazis won World War II. And now they rule most of the world. But a small resistance group is doing all they can to change history. They have figured out a way to travel back in time. So they Ben Hauklid is equipped with an old diary and then sent back to Norway in the year 1943. He knows he is the only chance the world has to be free again.
I have always enjoyed alternative history fiction. And this is a great example of it. The artwork by Alberto Muriel is great. And looks different than his artwork on The Blacksmith OGN. The reason for this might be that both OGNs have different colorist. Both books have good art. But I prefer the art on Heavy Water. This is one of the few Kickstart OGNs that didn’t feel like part one of a longer story. Once this OGN is over you know you have been told all of the story.
No this sample page is not in English just look at the artwork & delight in it. Three stories are collected in English from Dark Horse in a HC collection of Blacksad.
Matthew
If you enjoyed Blacksad, you might also want to consider taking a look at Grandville by Bryan Talbot (known for his work on series like One Bad Rat and Sandman); it's anthropomorphic/steampunk/noir about a police detective (badger) in an alternative 19th Century England ruled by the conqueror France. There are two volumes at present, with a third scheduled for a December release. The art style is different, far less realistic than that of Blacksad, but still of about equal quality.
The Spirit Vol. 1 by Darwyn Cooke - I've read the first three stories. I've enjoyed them to varying degrees but Cooke's light touch and visual storytelling, plus Dave Stewart's colors, make this a real treat to read. I would get a deluxe edition of Cooke's run on this series if it existed.