I've tried supporting Alterna Comics since they started publishing newsprint comics at a cost of $1.50 a book. The quality of the stories has been hit and miss. Trespasser being one of the better titles. I wanted to post about what I think is a great title they have been publishing, Doppelganger. Doppelganger is on issue two of a four issue limited series. I'm loving it. The premise without spoiling much is a down on his luck man comes home to find a doppelganger standing on his front porch, as the man's family sits in the house, telling him he is taking his place. The doppelganger tells him he only has 36 hours to live. Of course there is a little more to it but I don't want to spoil it! Jordan Heart is the writer and he does a great job of setting everything up. The characters are believable and likable. The art is done by Emmanuel Xerex Javier. His pencils go a long way in capturing the emotions in the characters. It only costs a $1.50, so I don't mind recommending it, it will not cost you much to try out the first issue. If you can find it at your LCS.
I've tried supporting Alterna Comics since they started publishing newsprint comics at a cost of $1.50 a book. The quality of the stories has been hit and miss. Trespasser being one of the better titles. I wanted to post about what I think is a great title they have been publishing, Doppelganger. Doppelganger is on issue two of a four issue limited series. I'm loving it. The premise without spoiling much is a down on his luck man comes home to find a doppelganger standing on his front porch, as the man's family sits in the house, telling him he is taking his place. The doppelganger tells him he only has 36 hours to live. Of course there is a little more to it but I don't want to spoil it! Jordan Heart is the writer and he does a great job of setting everything up. The characters are believable and likable. The art is done by Emmanuel Xerex Javier. His pencils go a long way in capturing the emotions in the characters. It only costs a $1.50, so I don't mind recommending it, it will not cost you much to try out the first issue. If you can find it at your LCS.
Dude, I am so happy to hear someone else singing the praises of an Alterna Comics book! I've also been reading and enjoying Doppelgänger.
I finished the final two issues of Ennis and Aria's War Stories, from Avatar.
While this volume of War Stories didn't have the caliber of artists that the Vertigo days could afford (it can take those Warner Brothers dollars to get David Lloyd, Dave Gibbons, and Gary Erskine, et all) but I think the writing was as good, maybe even better, than the old days. A lot of very grounded and human stories, and despite the setting, it was by far the least gory Avatar book on the stands. I like that the final story even ended up being, surprisingly, a well-crafted love story.
Finished catching up on Royal City last night, and it is a wonderful book. Probably now my favorite of Jeff’s works outside of Essex County. Not to compare it to one of the greatest works of literature, but he’s doing for small-town North America of the 1990s what Gabriel Garcia Márquez did for South America in the 1960s—just on a smaller scale. Think 100 Years of Solitude Lite (so more like 25 Years of Solitude :smile: ). It’s steeped in the indie music scene of that era, to the point that Jeff provides a Spotify playlist for each issue.
His art is relatively open for this story, and he uses a warmer, brighter palette than in the past, and it really works. His writing is pretty much what we’ve come to expect from him, though he seems to be putting a lot more of himself into this story. It’s a bit on the depressing side, but it also feels very true.
So I read the final (?) issues of Fu Jitsu and The Family Trade this weekend. Both were a lot of fun, and I want more of each, so all of you need to go out and by the trades when they come out so they’ll continue, okay? Thanks.
Read The Terrifics #1. I know this is a thread about comics we like, so I'll mention that I liked the four characters, they have good potential as a team, and I really liked the surprise at the end!
(I will not mention how much I dislike the Dark Multiverse setting, and how I thought this first story itself was just meh. Lol)
Read The Terrifics #1. I know this is a thread about comics we like, so I'll mention that I liked the four characters, they have good potential as a team, and I really liked the surprise at the end!
(I will not mention how much I dislike the Dark Multiverse setting, and how I thought this first story itself was just meh. Lol)
I would also add that I liked Ivan Reis, but the book was an overall "meh".
Think of Freaky Friday with a soccer mom and a hit man. Great dialogue! The characters are the stars of the book and I really enjoyed hearing them speak. The art ... I'm not sure how to speak about the art. It's consistent, so you don't have instances that take you out of the story. You also don't have moments that really shine. However, I was thinking of artists that I would have replaced Cat Staggs with and I couldn't come up with anyone.
Batman The Dark Prince Charming book 1 - Bruce has a paternity suit, Harley has a birthday, and the joker knows.
I recommend taking a peak if you get a chance, the story is a Batman story (nothing ground breaking), but the art sells the book. If you like European art you will dig this.
With the final issue of Hawkeye coming out tomorrow, I just got caught up. I’ve said this before, but man, what a fun series. I'm going to miss this almost as much as Silver Surfer.
Just read the first issue of Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino’s new series Gideon Falls. Jeff is putting his David Lynch influence on full display here—there’s a definite Twin Peaks vibe, though without that stylistic quirkiness... so far anyway. But if you like that sort of thing, you’ll probably like this.
I really liked Highest House #1. It’s my front-runner for best new series of 2018 so far. Not sure exactly where it's going yet, but the world-building so far is top-notch. I've been looking for a really good fantasy series since Fables ended, and this has the makings to be just what I was hoping for. The Unwritten creative team has done it again.
Not sure why I overlooked it in the solicitation, but this is a magazine-sized comic, and they really take advantage of that in the layouts. It’s a $4.95 book, but you get 32 pages, and more story on each page than you get in most comics. Highly recommended.
I really liked Highest House #1. It’s my front-runner for best new series of 2018 so far. Not sure exactly where it's going yet, but the world-building so far is top-notch. I've been looking for a really good fantasy series since Fables ended, and this has the makings to be just what I was hoping for. The Unwritten creative team has done it again.
Sold!
I am not sure how I missed this back during solicitations/pre-ordering, but that sounds great.
I really liked Highest House #1. It’s my front-runner for best new series of 2018 so far. Not sure exactly where it's going yet, but the world-building so far is top-notch. I've been looking for a really good fantasy series since Fables ended, and this has the makings to be just what I was hoping for. The Unwritten creative team has done it again.
Sold!
I am not sure how I missed this back during solicitations/pre-ordering, but that sounds great.
And just to be clear, this is not high fantasy, D&D adventure stuff. This seems to be more along the lines of Ursula K. LeGuin than Tolkein.
Doctor Star and the Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows #1. This is the new Jeff Lemire series set in the Black Hammer universe. An awesome homage to James Robinson's "Star Man" book. Two thumbs up.
Doctor Star and the Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows #1. This is the new Jeff Lemire series set in the Black Hammer universe. An awesome homage to James Robinson's "Star Man" book. Two thumbs up.
I'm getting it as it comes out, but I'm going to wait to read it once the series is done. Looking forward to it though.
I really liked Highest House #1. It’s my front-runner for best new series of 2018 so far. Not sure exactly where it's going yet, but the world-building so far is top-notch. I've been looking for a really good fantasy series since Fables ended, and this has the makings to be just what I was hoping for. The Unwritten creative team has done it again.
Sold!
I am not sure how I missed this back during solicitations/pre-ordering, but that sounds great.
And just to be clear, this is not high fantasy, D&D adventure stuff. This seems to be more along the lines of Ursula K. LeGuin than Tolkein.
Doctor Star and the Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows #1. This is the new Jeff Lemire series set in the Black Hammer universe. An awesome homage to James Robinson's "Star Man" book. Two thumbs up.
I loved that Doctor Star's name is Doctor James Robinson.
Doctor Star and the Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows #1. This is the new Jeff Lemire series set in the Black Hammer universe. An awesome homage to James Robinson's "Star Man" book. Two thumbs up.
I loved that Doctor Star's name is Doctor James Robinson.
And Doctor Robinson looks very much like James Robinson. At least I think so.
I also really like Highest House #1. A great setup and I am looking forward to where it goes. The art is well done and works well in a magazine size comic. I was as surprised as you were @nweathington when it came in magazine size! I dug out my old Previews to check how it was solicited. I know, it's sad I keep my old Previews. I'm a hoarder/collector at heart. It was not solicited as a magazine, it was also solicited with a $3.99 price. I don't know when that changed. I wish publishers would consider doing this with books that have artists with detailed pencils. For example Jerome Opena's Seven to Eternity. I believe they have solicited black and white large editions of his work, but I would love the regular monthly comic to be published magazine size. On the other hand, when Snyder and Lemire released A.D. After Death in magazine size I was not excited. I love Lemire as a writer but his artwork is not what I want to seen blown up to magazine size pages. I thought there was no need. Then again, maybe the pages of text was a concern of readability in a regular size comic.
I also really like Highest House #1. A great setup and I am looking forward to where it goes. The art is well done and works well in a magazine size comic. I was as surprised as you were @nweathington when it came in magazine size! I dug out my old Previews to check how it was solicited. I know, it's sad I keep my old Previews. I'm a hoarder/collector at heart. It was not solicited as a magazine, it was also solicited with a $3.99 price. I don't know when that changed. I wish publishers would consider doing this with books that have artists with detailed pencils. For example Jerome Opena's Seven to Eternity. I believe they have solicited black and white large editions of his work, but I would love the regular monthly comic to be published magazine size. On the other hand, when Snyder and Lemire released A.D. After Death in magazine size I was not excited. I love Lemire as a writer but his artwork is not what I want to seen blown up to magazine size pages. I thought there was no need. Then again, maybe the pages of text was a concern of readability in a regular size comic.
They must have decided on the format change very shortly after the book was solicited, because issue #2 was solicited at 8.5" x 11" and 4.95. (I keep my Previews too, for a few months anyway, until the items solicited come out. Then they get recycled.)
Yes, those text pages in A.D. would have been a problem in a standard-size format. I agree that the sequential art pages in A.D. didn’t need to run at that size, though not because Jeff’s art doesn’t look good at that size, but because there were rarely more than four or five panels on a page, and backgrounds were rather minimal, relying more on color than texture (for storytelling reasons, granted). Those pages were very open, and could have read just as easily at digest size. In other words, they didn’t really take advantage of the space as was the case in Highest House.
reading Bendis' last few on Defenders ,Jessica Jones and Invincible Iron man - he's going out on such a high note!!! like old school word balloon Bendis . I'm totally digging it .. The Defenders was such a great little 10 or so issue gem and Jessica Jones, well i don't wanna see anyone else write that character in a solo title for a long time. I hope they put her on the shelf when Bendis is done
reading Bendis' last few on Defenders ,Jessica Jones and Invincible Iron man - he's going out on such a high note!!! like old school word balloon Bendis . I'm totally digging it .. The Defenders was such a great little 10 or so issue gem and Jessica Jones, well i don't wanna see anyone else write that character in a solo title for a long time. I hope they put her on the shelf when Bendis is done
Jessica Jones is going to continue, but Bendis picked his succesor. All they’ve said is that the new writer is a woman. I'm hoping for Kelly Thompson, whose excellent Hawkeye series just ended. No idea who the new artist will be.
Comments
Jordan Heart is the writer and he does a great job of setting everything up. The characters are believable and likable. The art is done by Emmanuel Xerex Javier. His pencils go a long way in capturing the emotions in the characters. It only costs a $1.50, so I don't mind recommending it, it will not cost you much to try out the first issue. If you can find it at your LCS.
While this volume of War Stories didn't have the caliber of artists that the Vertigo days could afford (it can take those Warner Brothers dollars to get David Lloyd, Dave Gibbons, and Gary Erskine, et all) but I think the writing was as good, maybe even better, than the old days. A lot of very grounded and human stories, and despite the setting, it was by far the least gory Avatar book on the stands. I like that the final story even ended up being, surprisingly, a well-crafted love story.
His art is relatively open for this story, and he uses a warmer, brighter palette than in the past, and it really works. His writing is pretty much what we’ve come to expect from him, though he seems to be putting a lot more of himself into this story. It’s a bit on the depressing side, but it also feels very true.
Anyway, it's my pick for Best New Series of 2017.
(I will not mention how much I dislike the Dark Multiverse setting, and how I thought this first story itself was just meh. Lol)
Think of Freaky Friday with a soccer mom and a hit man. Great dialogue! The characters are the stars of the book and I really enjoyed hearing them speak. The art ... I'm not sure how to speak about the art. It's consistent, so you don't have instances that take you out of the story. You also don't have moments that really shine. However, I was thinking of artists that I would have replaced Cat Staggs with and I couldn't come up with anyone.
I recommend taking a peak if you get a chance, the story is a Batman story (nothing ground breaking), but the art sells the book. If you like European art you will dig this.
Not sure why I overlooked it in the solicitation, but this is a magazine-sized comic, and they really take advantage of that in the layouts. It’s a $4.95 book, but you get 32 pages, and more story on each page than you get in most comics. Highly recommended.
I am not sure how I missed this back during solicitations/pre-ordering, but that sounds great.
And Doctor Robinson looks very much like James Robinson. At least I think so.
I wish publishers would consider doing this with books that have artists with detailed pencils. For example Jerome Opena's Seven to Eternity. I believe they have solicited black and white large editions of his work, but I would love the regular monthly comic to be published magazine size.
On the other hand, when Snyder and Lemire released A.D. After Death in magazine size I was not excited. I love Lemire as a writer but his artwork is not what I want to seen blown up to magazine size pages. I thought there was no need. Then again, maybe the pages of text was a concern of readability in a regular size comic.
Yes, those text pages in A.D. would have been a problem in a standard-size format. I agree that the sequential art pages in A.D. didn’t need to run at that size, though not because Jeff’s art doesn’t look good at that size, but because there were rarely more than four or five panels on a page, and backgrounds were rather minimal, relying more on color than texture (for storytelling reasons, granted). Those pages were very open, and could have read just as easily at digest size. In other words, they didn’t really take advantage of the space as was the case in Highest House.