...thanks to most of Marvel's current output being a burning dumpster fire.
It's funny you mention that. As part of their All-New All-New All-Different 2018 line, Marvel will be including a new version of Charcoal in All-New All-New All-Different Thunderbolts named Charcoal, the Burning Dumpster Fire Man. Anticipated interest has already led to a solo series being greenlit, which has been scheduled for cancellation after six issues, five of which will be tie-ins to a summer event that will forever change the Marvel Universe until people forget about it.
But, seriously, Marvel doesn't still publish new books, right? I only ever see DC and Archie on the magazine racks. Unless... waitaminute... did they change their name to Aftershock?
Spencer and Locke #2. I thought #1 was darker then it needed to be. The revelation about the babysitter in #2 was over the top for my tastes. I usually try to ride a series through it's first arc, but I might just dump this.
Is anyone reading Monstress? I have all the issues, and enjoy thumbing through the pages. It's a beautiful thing to look at. I just don't seem to get around to reading the book.
I've been reading The Marvel Universe According to Hembeck... basically a trade collecting FF Roast, Hembeck Destroys the Marvel U, and Hembeck Sells the Marvel U, with lots of other stuff from Marvel Age, Spider-Ham, and his one issue of Spec. Spider-Man. Lots of good stuff.
I haven't had time to sit down with it yet. I'll probably save it for the July 4th beach trip, because I know I'll most likely end up wanting to read it straight through once I get started.
Am keeping up with the latest Marvel SW crossover, STAR WARS: THE SCREAMING CITADEL. Though I must say, it's mostly out of loyalty or habit. This story just isn't doing it for me. It doesn't read as a believable adventure for these characters, and it's not what I want to see from this fictional universe.
Jason Aaron and Kieron Gillen burst out of the gate writing such wonderful Star Wars books a couple of years ago, I couldn't wait for each of their new issues. But recently, their work has lost much of that fun and sense of import, in my opinion. Aaron nearly lost me in his STAR WARS title with a long, boring arc focusing on Yoda stranded on a planet with warring natives. And Gillen's DR. APHRA also feels uninspired to me; his 000 and Beetee droids were fun characters once, but now seem so gimmicky to me. I was really hoping THE SCREAMING CITADEL would help me embrace these writers and characters again - but now I'm just waiting for it to conclude.
I haven't had time to sit down with it yet. I'll probably save it for the July 4th beach trip, because I know I'll most likely end up wanting to read it straight through once I get started.
Yeah I read it through in one sitting. Funny that you'll be reading it at the beach considering the book's setting.
Anyone read Snyder and Lemire's AD: After Death? Got the three issues in my pile and it looks like it's gonna be a good read. Just haven't had time to read yet.
Anyone read Snyder and Lemire's AD: After Death? Got the three issues in my pile and it looks like it's gonna be a good read. Just haven't had time to read yet.
Just finished issue #1. That was all I got. It was good. I wish I got the other two.
Anyone read Snyder and Lemire's AD: After Death? Got the three issues in my pile and it looks like it's gonna be a good read. Just haven't had time to read yet.
I have them all, but I've only read #1 so far. So far it’s the best thing I’ve ever read by Snyder.
I think so, yeah. I mean, there are a lot of three- and four-panel pages, but there are a lot of pages, so it's not a quick read. There are a lot of text pages (with illustrations), and even the sequential art pages with little dialogue are designed in such a way that I find myself lingering on the images for a bit. I read the first issue at a very leisurely pace. And that’s why I haven't read the second and third issues yet; I know I'm going to want to take my time with them.
Just got my DCBS box and started with the Lazarus Sourcebook for Hock. As with the Carlysle Sourcebook, it's a meaty tome that adds much depth to the worldbuilding.
I would have loved to have heard a post Lazarus compare and contrast with DMZ between Jamie and Deemer. Pretty sure that Lazarus addresses everything that Jamie disliked in DMZ.
While I'm looking forward to the X+66 mini to fill the time to more Lazarus, still bummed to have to wait to see the main story advance.
Finished up The Flash by Mark Waid Book 1 a couple of weeks ago and finished up Book 2 last night. Some darn good comics there. I look forward to Book 3 that should be released in October (according to Amazon). I also breezed through Strange Fruit by Waid and J.G. Jones. I know there was a bit of a kerfuffle about race, but I think it was done well and a good book. It's just not these two releases, but with other books he's written I've read in the past few years, I think Waid may just be my favorite writer at the moment.
Edit: I also forgot I've read through some digital Fantastic Four collections by Waid and Mike Wieringo. Started that after I got halfway through Jonathan Hickman's FF run. These have been helping me get through a lot of the current release doldrums.
I caught up on Dr. Strange and finished Aaron and Bachalo’s 20-issue run. I hate to see them go. The “Last Days of Magic” storyline was pretty good, but the aftermath was where the real fun was to be had. I would have liked to see them carry that on a bit further.
I read issue #21 as well, since it came out before issue #20, and it didn’t do much for me, so it looks like I'll be dropping the book now.
I just finished "The Button" storyline from Batman #21 & 22 and The Flash 21 & 22 and I really enjoyed it. I could nitpick, but the art was great and the pacing was really nimble. Lot of fun from DC.
Starting next on the zero issue and first issue of the STNG Mirror Broken miniseries.
I caught up on Dr. Strange and finished Aaron and Bachalo’s 20-issue run. I hate to see them go. The “Last Days of Magic” storyline was pretty good, but the aftermath was where the real fun was to be had. I would have liked to see them carry that on a bit further.
I read issue #21 as well, since it came out before issue #20, and it didn’t do much for me, so it looks like I'll be dropping the book now.
If you want more modern Dr Strange, I'd recommend checking out Dr Strange and the Sorcerers Supreme in collection. Thompson and Rodriguez produced a much more consistent comic than Aaron and Bachalo. It just gets overlooked because it's the second Dr Strange title in a world that barely wants one Dr Strange title.
I caught up on Dr. Strange and finished Aaron and Bachalo’s 20-issue run. I hate to see them go. The “Last Days of Magic” storyline was pretty good, but the aftermath was where the real fun was to be had. I would have liked to see them carry that on a bit further.
I read issue #21 as well, since it came out before issue #20, and it didn’t do much for me, so it looks like I'll be dropping the book now.
If you want more modern Dr Strange, I'd recommend checking out Dr Strange and the Sorcerers Supreme in collection. Thompson and Rodriguez produced a much more consistent comic than Aaron and Bachalo. It just gets overlooked because it's the second Dr Strange title in a world that barely wants one Dr Strange title.
Thanks, I've heard a couple of people recommend it. I may look into it if I can find it cheap. I've got so many books to catch up on though...
I caught up on Dr. Strange and finished Aaron and Bachalo’s 20-issue run. I hate to see them go. The “Last Days of Magic” storyline was pretty good, but the aftermath was where the real fun was to be had. I would have liked to see them carry that on a bit further.
I read issue #21 as well, since it came out before issue #20, and it didn’t do much for me, so it looks like I'll be dropping the book now.
If you want more modern Dr Strange, I'd recommend checking out Dr Strange and the Sorcerers Supreme in collection. Thompson and Rodriguez produced a much more consistent comic than Aaron and Bachalo. It just gets overlooked because it's the second Dr Strange title in a world that barely wants one Dr Strange title.
Thanks, I've heard a couple of people recommend it. I may look into it if I can find it cheap. I've got so many books to catch up on though...
Luckily I picked this up for a ridiculous price as part of the recent Kindle sale. Looking forward to it. The Aaron Dr Strange has been one of my favourite recent series.
Read a really fun manga this past week that might appeal to some of you DnD players out there...
Delicious in Dungeon (Yen Press) Vol. 1 follows the exploits of your stereotypical band of dungeon-crawling adventurers who find themselves banished to the beginning of a particularly nasty dungeon with little to no provisions and a comrade to rescue. Food is a huge issue for any adventuring party, and this group has none and no time or money to head into town to get more. What can they do?!?
Why, charge into the dungeon and cook and eat any of the monsters they encounter and defeat, of course!
It's a comedy and is drawn as such (the poor female elf mage's horrified expressions at what they're forced to do are priceless) but man oh man I wish I'd thought about doing this back in my days of RPG'ing. It's absolutely brilliant.
About the only thing I'm not sure is how long they can keep the gag going, but I've pre-ordered volume 2 so they have me that far at least.
I've heard a lot of good things about the classic Brave and the Bold by Bob Haney & Jim Aparo, here and elsewhere. So, I finally decided to try them out and requested the "Legends of the Dark Knight: Jim Aparo, vol. 1" through the interlibrary loan department here at work (I actually work in the department, which makes it easy for me to do these requests, but adds to my to-read pile at home, not a bad problem to have).
It arrived a couple days ago. I've read the first three stories--issues 98, 100, and 101, I believe--and they're FANTASTIC! In the first story, Batman comes to the bedside of one of his best friends--he's friends with this socialite as BATMAN, arrives in full costume, speaks with the family and doctor as if it's not big thing, and, it should also be pointed out that he's the godfather of the son, AS BATMAN. This friend is on his deathbed, and dies while Batman is there and promises to look after the man's wife and son, no matter what. Soon, Batman is called out to the mansion (I think it's stated it is 100 miles from Gotham, though I may have that wrong) because it's being haunted by an eerie apparition that is believed to be the ghost of the dead man. This eventually leads to Batman having to deal with a coven of witches that worships the young boy (the mother is one of the witches), though when Batman spies them, he is accosted, knocked out, and led to believe he may have been seeing things. And then, while Batman recuperates with the boy in his room, the apparition returns, scares the boy away, and reveals itself as the Phantom Stranger. At that point, Batman is assured that he did see witches worshiping the boy, who was actually trying to kill him as he recuperated, and the two heroes join together stop the woman and the boy--after discovering there was a secret twin, who was all good, while the boy they knew about was all evil--who fall to their deaths when, as they try to run away, up the stairs, are startled by the moonlight glowing on the portrait of the dead husband/father. It's (pardon the pun) bats*%t crazy, and so much fun.
Whew, long-winded there. The next story was the 100th issue celebration, where Batman is shot in the chest, the bullet mere millimeters from his heart. He is told to remain immobile for three days, while they await the only specialist who can help save him. BUT, there's a huge shipment of heroin coming into Gotham within that time period. So, Batman recruits Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Green Lantern to help him, along with Robin, stop the drugs from coming into the city. It's just as insane (the heroes apparently hang out for days in Gotham, waiting for Batman to call them on the special walkie-talkies provided). Yes, they are successful. Yes, Batman is saved--though the drug king does impersonate the surgeon, but Batman, just going under the anesthesia, grabs his arms, notices the track marks, realizes it's the drug king, presses his bat-alarm, alerting Robin, who intrudes on the surgery and saves the day...at which point, they still need to get the surgeon to Gotham to save Batman, but they only have 3 hours until he will succumb to the bullet, but the surgeon couldn't get there in time because, as Jim Gordon says, it will take "six jet hours" to get there (love the term "jet hour"), but have no worry, Green Lantern can send a will-powered, green jet to whisk the surgeon to Gotham, and does. LOVED IT!
Obviously, these stories have the benefit of Jim Aparo's artwork--definitely one of my all-time favorite Batman artists, and a favorite artist, period--but I always worry about the writing in older comics. Will it be overwritten? Will it feel sluggish? Will I get tired of the dialogue and captions hammering home the themes while reiterating the plot? But Haney's writing felt brisk and lively, mainly due, I would say, to the crazy amount of stuff he smashed into these plots, while avoiding many of the tics that turn me off to some older comics. These are just plain, super-fun comics. And the ridiculousness of the actions and the plots only adds to that fun. Glad I finally tried these out.
I love me some Haney, as most everyone here should know by now. And Aparo was the first artist I knew by name and sought out. So of course Brave & the Bold was my favorite series as a kid.
I love me some Haney, as most everyone here should know by now. And Aparo was the first artist I knew by name and sought out. So of course Brave & the Bold was my favorite series as a kid.
Glad you finally joined the party.
Brave & the Bold Some of my favorite showcases I've ever looked at. Aparo drawing the DCU in black & white is incredible.
I love me some Haney, as most everyone here should know by now. And Aparo was the first artist I knew by name and sought out. So of course Brave & the Bold was my favorite series as a kid.
Glad you finally joined the party.
Brave & the Bold Some of my favorite showcases I've ever looked at. Aparo drawing the DCU in black & white is incredible.
I have all of Aparo's Phantom Stranger, Aquaman, and Spectre comics, and most of the B&tBs, but I got the Showcases just to see them in black-&-white.
Betty & Veronica #3. So, while Adam Hughes is a naturally funny guy and his books have some entertaining dialogue, one purchases an Adam Hughes book for the art. Unfortunately, the colors on this book are driving me crazy. They're muddying up the page and hiding Adam's gorgeous line work. It would be better if the book was inked with no color. This book is on the dump list.
Accell #1. It does what a first issue is supposed to do. The main players are introduced. The power-set is explained. Good first issue. However, it's very 90's Image-ish. I wasn't a fan of that era. I don't like that extremely exaggerated, almost expressionistic style of illustration. So, I'll probably stick it out through the first arc and then drop the book.
I've heard a lot of good things about the classic Brave and the Bold by Bob Haney & Jim Aparo, here and elsewhere. So, I finally decided to try them out and requested the "Legends of the Dark Knight: Jim Aparo, vol. 1" through the interlibrary loan department here at work (I actually work in the department, which makes it easy for me to do these requests, but adds to my to-read pile at home, not a bad problem to have).
-chris
This book is in the sale bin at my LCS. I think I own most of the issues, but MAN does it tempt me every time I visit.
Gurihiru's art in this week's Gwenpool is fantastic at conveying the fourth-wall destroying ideas in Christopher Hasting's script. It's kind of pitched somewhere between Byrne's She-Hulk and Grant Morrison's Animal Man in terms of what it's doing with the idea of a character becoming aware they are in a comic book.
Comments
But, seriously, Marvel doesn't still publish new books, right? I only ever see DC and Archie on the magazine racks. Unless... waitaminute... did they change their name to Aftershock?
Spencer and Locke #2. I thought #1 was darker then it needed to be. The revelation about the babysitter in #2 was over the top for my tastes. I usually try to ride a series through it's first arc, but I might just dump this.
Is anyone reading Monstress? I have all the issues, and enjoy thumbing through the pages. It's a beautiful thing to look at. I just don't seem to get around to reading the book.
I've been reading The Marvel Universe According to Hembeck... basically a trade collecting FF Roast, Hembeck Destroys the Marvel U, and Hembeck Sells the Marvel U, with lots of other stuff from Marvel Age, Spider-Ham, and his one issue of Spec. Spider-Man. Lots of good stuff.
Jason Aaron and Kieron Gillen burst out of the gate writing such wonderful Star Wars books a couple of years ago, I couldn't wait for each of their new issues. But recently, their work has lost much of that fun and sense of import, in my opinion. Aaron nearly lost me in his STAR WARS title with a long, boring arc focusing on Yoda stranded on a planet with warring natives. And Gillen's DR. APHRA also feels uninspired to me; his 000 and Beetee droids were fun characters once, but now seem so gimmicky to me. I was really hoping THE SCREAMING CITADEL would help me embrace these writers and characters again - but now I'm just waiting for it to conclude.
Guessing it's worth the $5.99 price point? Looks like we're getting quite a lot for the money.
Wrong thread
I would have loved to have heard a post Lazarus compare and contrast with DMZ between Jamie and Deemer. Pretty sure that Lazarus addresses everything that Jamie disliked in DMZ.
While I'm looking forward to the X+66 mini to fill the time to more Lazarus, still bummed to have to wait to see the main story advance.
Edit: I also forgot I've read through some digital Fantastic Four collections by Waid and Mike Wieringo. Started that after I got halfway through Jonathan Hickman's FF run. These have been helping me get through a lot of the current release doldrums.
I read issue #21 as well, since it came out before issue #20, and it didn’t do much for me, so it looks like I'll be dropping the book now.
Starting next on the zero issue and first issue of the STNG Mirror Broken miniseries.
Delicious in Dungeon (Yen Press) Vol. 1 follows the exploits of your stereotypical band of dungeon-crawling adventurers who find themselves banished to the beginning of a particularly nasty dungeon with little to no provisions and a comrade to rescue. Food is a huge issue for any adventuring party, and this group has none and no time or money to head into town to get more. What can they do?!?
Why, charge into the dungeon and cook and eat any of the monsters they encounter and defeat, of course!
It's a comedy and is drawn as such (the poor female elf mage's horrified expressions at what they're forced to do are priceless) but man oh man I wish I'd thought about doing this back in my days of RPG'ing. It's absolutely brilliant.
About the only thing I'm not sure is how long they can keep the gag going, but I've pre-ordered volume 2 so they have me that far at least.
My copy should be here next week; I'm looking forward to digging in.
It arrived a couple days ago. I've read the first three stories--issues 98, 100, and 101, I believe--and they're FANTASTIC! In the first story, Batman comes to the bedside of one of his best friends--he's friends with this socialite as BATMAN, arrives in full costume, speaks with the family and doctor as if it's not big thing, and, it should also be pointed out that he's the godfather of the son, AS BATMAN. This friend is on his deathbed, and dies while Batman is there and promises to look after the man's wife and son, no matter what. Soon, Batman is called out to the mansion (I think it's stated it is 100 miles from Gotham, though I may have that wrong) because it's being haunted by an eerie apparition that is believed to be the ghost of the dead man. This eventually leads to Batman having to deal with a coven of witches that worships the young boy (the mother is one of the witches), though when Batman spies them, he is accosted, knocked out, and led to believe he may have been seeing things. And then, while Batman recuperates with the boy in his room, the apparition returns, scares the boy away, and reveals itself as the Phantom Stranger. At that point, Batman is assured that he did see witches worshiping the boy, who was actually trying to kill him as he recuperated, and the two heroes join together stop the woman and the boy--after discovering there was a secret twin, who was all good, while the boy they knew about was all evil--who fall to their deaths when, as they try to run away, up the stairs, are startled by the moonlight glowing on the portrait of the dead husband/father. It's (pardon the pun) bats*%t crazy, and so much fun.
Whew, long-winded there. The next story was the 100th issue celebration, where Batman is shot in the chest, the bullet mere millimeters from his heart. He is told to remain immobile for three days, while they await the only specialist who can help save him. BUT, there's a huge shipment of heroin coming into Gotham within that time period. So, Batman recruits Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Green Lantern to help him, along with Robin, stop the drugs from coming into the city. It's just as insane (the heroes apparently hang out for days in Gotham, waiting for Batman to call them on the special walkie-talkies provided). Yes, they are successful. Yes, Batman is saved--though the drug king does impersonate the surgeon, but Batman, just going under the anesthesia, grabs his arms, notices the track marks, realizes it's the drug king, presses his bat-alarm, alerting Robin, who intrudes on the surgery and saves the day...at which point, they still need to get the surgeon to Gotham to save Batman, but they only have 3 hours until he will succumb to the bullet, but the surgeon couldn't get there in time because, as Jim Gordon says, it will take "six jet hours" to get there (love the term "jet hour"), but have no worry, Green Lantern can send a will-powered, green jet to whisk the surgeon to Gotham, and does. LOVED IT!
Obviously, these stories have the benefit of Jim Aparo's artwork--definitely one of my all-time favorite Batman artists, and a favorite artist, period--but I always worry about the writing in older comics. Will it be overwritten? Will it feel sluggish? Will I get tired of the dialogue and captions hammering home the themes while reiterating the plot? But Haney's writing felt brisk and lively, mainly due, I would say, to the crazy amount of stuff he smashed into these plots, while avoiding many of the tics that turn me off to some older comics. These are just plain, super-fun comics. And the ridiculousness of the actions and the plots only adds to that fun. Glad I finally tried these out.
-chris
Glad you finally joined the party.
Some of my favorite showcases I've ever looked at. Aparo drawing the DCU in black & white is incredible.
Accell #1. It does what a first issue is supposed to do. The main players are introduced. The power-set is explained. Good first issue. However, it's very 90's Image-ish. I wasn't a fan of that era. I don't like that extremely exaggerated, almost expressionistic style of illustration. So, I'll probably stick it out through the first arc and then drop the book.