The 2016 Reading Thread - July
Torchsong
Posts: 2,794
July! The month of SDCC! The prequel to August when things get really stupid hot where I live!
The "rules" are simple: Keep a post/log of everything you read and list it on here. At the end of each month pick a "winner" (ie. the book you enjoyed the most for that month) and post it in the next month's thread. Refer to the 2015 or 2014 versions creeping around here for a solid example. I tend to focus on trades, but if you want to log your single issues, go for it. Don't start a new post each time you want to add something - simply edit your existing post. I tend to bold the issues/books that really stood out each month.
New This Year: Just to mix things up...the list seems to focus on quantity, so let's add quality into the mix. If you read a book that really knocked your socks off - put a sentence or two out from it that clues the rest of us in that this might be a book worth checking out. You don't have to do it for every book, and it's probably a good idea just to keep it to a sentence or two, but I think this'll add some fun to it and maybe generate a discussion or three.
January Lists: http://thecomicforums.vanillaforums.com/discussion/3679/the-2016-reading-thread-january#latest
February Lists: http://thecomicforums.vanillaforums.com/discussion/3699/the-2016-reading-thread-february#latest
March Lists: http://thecomicforums.vanillaforums.com/discussion/3712/the-2016-reading-thread-march#latest
April Lists: http://thecomicforums.vanillaforums.com/discussion/3729/the-2016-reading-thread-april#latest
May Lists: http://thecomicforums.vanillaforums.com/discussion/3739/the-2016-reading-thread-may#latest
June Lists: http://thecomicforums.vanillaforums.com/discussion/3765/the-2016-reading-thread-june#latest
The "rules" are simple: Keep a post/log of everything you read and list it on here. At the end of each month pick a "winner" (ie. the book you enjoyed the most for that month) and post it in the next month's thread. Refer to the 2015 or 2014 versions creeping around here for a solid example. I tend to focus on trades, but if you want to log your single issues, go for it. Don't start a new post each time you want to add something - simply edit your existing post. I tend to bold the issues/books that really stood out each month.
New This Year: Just to mix things up...the list seems to focus on quantity, so let's add quality into the mix. If you read a book that really knocked your socks off - put a sentence or two out from it that clues the rest of us in that this might be a book worth checking out. You don't have to do it for every book, and it's probably a good idea just to keep it to a sentence or two, but I think this'll add some fun to it and maybe generate a discussion or three.
January Lists: http://thecomicforums.vanillaforums.com/discussion/3679/the-2016-reading-thread-january#latest
February Lists: http://thecomicforums.vanillaforums.com/discussion/3699/the-2016-reading-thread-february#latest
March Lists: http://thecomicforums.vanillaforums.com/discussion/3712/the-2016-reading-thread-march#latest
April Lists: http://thecomicforums.vanillaforums.com/discussion/3729/the-2016-reading-thread-april#latest
May Lists: http://thecomicforums.vanillaforums.com/discussion/3739/the-2016-reading-thread-may#latest
June Lists: http://thecomicforums.vanillaforums.com/discussion/3765/the-2016-reading-thread-june#latest
Comments
February Winner: Blast Furnace: Recreational Thief! (Indie)
March Winner: Multiversity: Collected HC (DC)
April Winner: Nisekoi Vol. 14 (Viz)
May Winner: I Hate Fairyland Vol. 1 (Image)
June Winner: Green Arrow Vol. 5: Black Arrow (DC)
July Books:
Steve Lichman (Kickstarter) - if you see this book anywhere do yourself a favor and pick it up. SO worth it if you grew up in the 80s playing DnD.
Yotsuba Vol. 13 (Yen) - This series has caught up to its Japanese publication run, which means it's about a year or so between releases. That's good (for my wallet) but bad (because it's SUCH a consistently great series).
A Silent Voice Vol. 7 (Kodansha) - I know I've been singing the praises of this anti-bullying story since vol. 1. This is the final volume and it sticks the landing well. Often a manga tends to want to tie up everything and give the reader a happy ending, and this one's no different. What's cool about that it the ending doesn't necessarily feel forced into happiness, and there's just enough left open to the reader to interpret as to how things are going to go after the final page is complete...
The Ancient Magus' Bride Vol. 5 (Seven Seas) - I've really been enjoying this story. It's kind of a spiritual successor to things like Labyrinth and the Dark Crystal with a lot of fantastical creatures and magic and all that good stuff. I don't get too much of that anymore in my funnybooks, which is a shame.
Monster Musume: Life with Monster Girls Vol. 2 (Seven Seas) - Every now and then a manga creator will allow others to "play in the sandbox" and create short stories involving their characters. Once they get enough good ones, they'll collect them and publish them, giving some unknown artists a bit of time in the limelight and a publishing credit. God we could learn a lot from those guys...
Space Dandy Vol. 1 (Yen Press)
Pandora in the Crimson Shell:Ghost Urn Vol. 5
Non Non Biyori Vol. 1 (Seven Seas) - My new favorite book. See my thoughts on it in the What Did You Read and Like This Week? thread.
Tokyo ESP Vol. 4 (Vertical) - This series just keeps getting better and better. It's gotten a bit heavier on the fanservice than before, but there's a reason for it, so I'm okay with it.
Ms Marvel Vol 5: Super Famous (Marvel)
Non Non Biyori Vol. 2 (Seven Seas)
Master Keaton Vol. 7 (Viz)
Non Non Biyori Vol. 3 (Seven Seas)
Non Non Biyori Vol. 4 (Seven Seas)
Tokyo ESP Vol. 5 (Vertical)
Sex Criminals Vol. 3 (Image) - This book just gets better and better and Matt Fraction reminds me with each new read that I'm not pushing the envelope far enough with my scripting.
Legends (DC) - Never read this when it first came out about 30 years ago. Wow, did I ever miss out. And oddly it's kind of relevant to our current political climate.
January Winner: American Vampire vol. 7
February Winner: Unity #14
March Winner: Sex Criminals #14
April Winner Ghostbusters Deviation
May Winner: Saga #36
June Winner: Sugar and Spike
July books...
Justice League #50 - 52 - really strong finish to the Darkseid War arc. Really enjoyed this series. Have 51 & 52 to read still, but will drop after that. Did not enjoy the Hitch series so won't continue with Rebirth Justice League.
DC Universe Rebirth #1
Paper Girls #6 - 7
Bloodshot Reborn #13 - 15
4001AD #2
4001AD Bloodshot #1
Rai #14
Swamp Thing #6
Wrath of the Eternal Warrior #8 - 9
Ninjak #16 - 17
X-O Manowar Annual #1
X-O Manowar #47
Green Arrow Rebirth #1
Batman Rebirth #1
Batman #1-2
Detective Comics #934-935
Wonder Woman #1
Harbinger vol. 5 tpb
Legends of tomorrow #4
The Invincible Iron Man vol.1 tpb
Hellblazer Rebirth #1
Flintstones #1
Scooby-Doo Apocalypse #1
DK3 #5 - I think I might be the only person reading this, but man it has been good. Superman is really super in this book. It's far less cynical than the other two books.
February Winner: Strange Fruit #1-2 - Has Mark Waid every written a stinker? (CGS Best Writer of 2015!)
March Winner: Spider-Man #1 - Miles Morales is back! YEAH!
April Winner: Peanut - This was a library book. Good story about a teen girl who switches schools and pretends she has a peanut allergy. I believe it was published several years ago.
May Winner: DC Universe: Rebirth #1 digital - DC is fun again!
June Winner: The Twilight Children TPB - I wasn't planning on reading so much Darwyn Cooke books this month, but this one was a fun little Twilight-Zone-y story. A little too adult for me to put it in my class room library which is what I was hoping for; nevertheless, the art was beautiful and the story was fun.
July Winner: DC Rebirth Bundle! - Only a couple of stinkers out of the bunch here, but overall I really enjoyed reading each book. Many of them I was interested in what was going to happen in the upcoming issues. Too bad I didn't order them. I'm not going to pay twice monthly for these. I'll likely check out the trades when I hear what's good and what doesn't stick.
July List:
Single Issues/Digital:
Superman (New52) #32 - 47 (digital) - WTF did I just read? Seriously. What the $@?%# kind of Supes story was that? Bought the issues in a sale for the JRJR art, but Lordy, that was not how I like my Superman. Real disappointment.
The Amazing Spider-Man #13 - 14
Batman (New52) #41 - 47 (digital)
Civil War II #1-2
Daredevil #8
Darth Vader #21-22
Doctor Strange #9
Extraordinary X-Men #11
Han Solo #1
Poe Dameron #3
Spider-Gwen #9
Spider-Man #5
Spider-Man 2099 #11
Spidey #7
Webwarriors (Timely Comics) #1
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (Timely Comics) #1 - These two Timely Comics books were fun. 3 comic packaged into one big book for $3. I hope Marvel does more of these. Much better tool for getting people invested into a new comic. I actually want to read more of these, but I'll likely wait for the trade.
Hawkeye #12 - 22, Annual #1 (digital)
Star Wars #18 - 20
Justice League #40 - 47
Birthright #16
Paper Girls #6
The Vision #1 - 6 digital - Totally creepy and totally worth it. I ordered the trade for this and it'll be coming next week. I can't wait for vol. 2
Southern Basterds #14 digital
Rebels #9 - 10 digital
(DC Rebirth Titles ROUND 1!)
Action Comics #957 - 958
Aquaman #1
Aquaman Rebirth #1
Batman #1
Batman Rebirth #1
Detective Comics #934 - 935
Flash #1
Flash Rebirth #1
Green Arrow #1
Green Arrow Rebirth #1
Green Lanterns #1
Green Lanterns Rebirth #1
Star Wars #18 - 20
Superman #1
Superman Rebirth #1
Titans Rebirth #1
Wonder Woman #1
Wonder Woman Rebirth #1
Collected HC/TPB/Digital
Sonny goes all out in making this look and feel like an authentic biography, and combined with his extensive historical research, it makes for an impressive package—the design is top-notch. The fiction helps the reader digest the history, and makes for a rather poignant story on its own. I highly recommend the book.
Not being much of a horror fan, and having other horror titles on my list that I like much more than Sabrina, I'm going to drop this one.
July List:
JLA: Zatanna's Search
E.C. Segar Popeye vol 2
The Wonder Woman Chronicles vol 2
Two volumes in, and I am still not loving the Segar Popeye. The character of Popeye is still largely unlike able but I do see a slight change in his direction to humanize him more. The Sunday strips are mostly awful but the introduction of Wimpy towards the end of this volume was like striking gold. Supposedly, vol 3 is when this hits its stride so I am hopeful. Not sure when I will get to that volume though.