The 2016 Reading Thread - August
Torchsong
Posts: 2,794
Okay, I'm back from San Diego and picked up a couple backbreakers (not good since I have a bad back in my old age) but we'll see if I can get 'em read before month's end!
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
August Lists: http://thecomicforums.vanillaforums.com/discussion/3780/the-2016-reading-thread-july#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
August Lists: http://thecomicforums.vanillaforums.com/discussion/3780/the-2016-reading-thread-july#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 Winner: (TIE) Steve Lichman Vol. 1 for being so weirdly fun/Non Non Byori for giving me a nice escape from the horrors of this world. :)
August Books:
Captain America: Red Glare HC (Marvel) - Really cool thing here is the inclusion of the first book in the series that Marvel editorial felt would be too offensive for their readers. They were probably right. Both versions are in the collection.
Darth Vader TPB 1 (Marvel) - Absolutely one the most fun reads I've had in a long time. Gillen gets the SW universe and what makes it tick.
The Uniques (Love/Withers) - Great independent take on super-teens taking over from the older generation.
Nichijou Vol. 3 (Vertical)
Injustice: Gods Among Us Year 4 Vol. 1 (DC)
Darth Vader TPB Vol. 2 (Marvel)
Darth Vader: Vader Down TPB (Marvel)
Harley Quinn Vol. 5 HC (DC)
Darth Vader TPB Vol. 3 (Marvel)
DC Super Hero Girls TPB Vol. 1: Finals Crisis (DC)
Nisekoi Vol. 15
Daring New Adventures of Supergirl Vol. 1 TPB (DC) - I have every issue of this run, but wanted the trade and it's fun to revisit some of these titles I loved reading in my younger years. That said...this book has both aged well and not-so-well. It's great to see how the funnybooks used to be before they got all ultraviolent and rooted in angst or whatever you want to call it, but lord Kupperberg's dialogue for Kara makes her sound like she's from Jersey (or Joisey!). Can't beat that great Infantino artwork, though.
Vampirella Archives Vol. 3 (Dynamite) - FUCK YES! I got through another one...what...12 more to go?!? ARRRGH (But they're all great reads!)
Servant x Service Vol. 1 & 2 - Great manga about a group of civil service workers, office romances, and overall humor.
Die Kitty Die! (Kickstarter) - a crowdsourced trade from Dan Parent (who's done a lot of work on Archie books). Imagine Archie if they could actually go ahead and throw the down and dirty stuff in there and make dirty jokes and stuff. Yes, it was funny as all get out.
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.
August Winner: Dark Knight: A True Batman Story OGN - This reminded me a lot of Steven Seagle's It's a Bird... It was tragic, yet hopeful. It sucks that Dini had to live through this and probably still has to deal with it, but I'm sure getting this out was very cathartic for him. The art was also beautiful and changes for different parts of the story.
August List:
Single Issues/Digital:
Star Wars #21 - What the heck, man!?! Everyone knows Stormtroopers aren't that good a shot. Totally took me out of the story. ;)
Spidey #8
Spider-Man 2099 #12
Spider-Man #6
Spider-Gwen #10
Silver Surfer #5
Poe Dameron #4
Han Solo #2
Extraordinary X-Men #12
Darth Vader #23
Daredevil #9
Civil War II #4
The Amazing Spider-Man #15
The Autumnlands: Tooth & Claw #1 - 8 (digital)
Batgirl #1
Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #1
Birthright #17
Faith (Ongoing) #1
Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps Rebirth #1
Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #1
Hellblazer Rebirth #1
Justice League Rebirth #1
Justice League #1
New Super Man #1
Nightwing Rebirth #1
Nightwing #1
Paper Girls #7
Ragnarok #9
Red Hood and the Outlaws Rebirth #1
Rom #1
Collected HC/TPB/Digital
The Lost Boy (digital) - Got this on a Scholastic sale. Art was beautifully done in black and white brushed inks. The story was engaging as well and appropriate for middle school age kids and older.
Indeh: A Story of the Apache Wars - I enjoyed Gred Ruth's work so much in The Lost Boy that I sought out other work he had done. I came across this book, written by Ethan Hawke. This was supposed to be a book detailing Geronimo's rise, told from his point of view. Geronimo came across as a revenge seeking bully. I get it. The "white eyes" did just as heinous acts to the Apache and all Native Americans, but I don't feel like that was shown. Maybe in the beginning as the impetus of Geronimo's revenge, but there wasn't the weight behind it there should have been for me to care. Regardless of my gripes, this was a great book with beautiful art. Makes me want to watch Geronimo (1993 - Wes Studi, Gene Hackman, and Jason Patric) again.
Huck - I loved this.
Plutona - I loved this too. Crap. Four good books in a row. I'm due for a stinker now. sigh...
Dark Knight: A True Batman Story OGN - This reminded me a lot of Steven Seagle's It's a Bird... It was tragic, yet hopeful. It sucks that Dini had to live through this and probably still has to deal with it, but I'm sure getting this out was very cathartic for him. The art was also beautiful and changes for different parts of the story.
February Winner: Unity #14
March Winner: Sex Criminals #14
April Winner Ghostbusters Deviation
May Winner: Saga #36
June Winner: Sugar and Spike
July Winner: DC Universe Rebirth #1
August books...
Harbinger vol.6 tpb
Black Hammer #1 - 2
Doctor Strange #8-10
X-O Manowar #48
Ghostbusters International vol.1 tpb - bloody love this series
Swamp Thing vol.3 tpb (Millar run)
Lake of Fire #1
DC's Legend of Tomorrow #5 - Sugar and Spice continues to awesome.
SuperPro KO vol 1
SPKO vol. 2
WackRacers #2 - not getting any better.
Rick and Morty #14-17 - I love this comic. (Digital)
Rick and Morty: Lil Poopy Superstar #1 - not as good as the regular series, but it is only issue one. (Digital)
Wolverine: Japanese Most Wanted #1-13 (digital)
Wolverine (1982) 1-4 - I've read this a
few times in the past, but If Frank Miller did a book called Ninjas, about ninjas doing ninja stuff, who wouldn't buy it? He pretty much owns the awesome ninja corner.
The Goon #7-18
Flintstones # 2 - I am enjoying this comic. For the most part I've really liked the growing up of these cartoons. Wacky Racers is bad, but the Scooby-Doo Apocalypse and Flintstones are solid/enjoyable reads, and Future Quest is really good.
Hellboy in Mexico - In 1956 Hellboy went to Mexico for a mission. He met up with 3 monster fighting luchadores and stayed lost for 5 months. This is a collection of those stories.
Scooby-Doo Apocalypse #2-3
Batman Europa #1-4 - The art was nice, knowing that there is a Joker cult in Europe was fun, the story was ok. The big Bad was different and seemed left devilfish until you remember that he isn't a lunk-headed bruiser.
The Fix #4
The Black Panther #2-3
Aug List:
DC Showcase: Aquaman vol 2 - not as bad as vol 1 but still awful.
DC Solo HC - great
Darth Vader vol 1 - great
The stories are terrible. Mera being introduced did help though. The stories in vol 2 were at least not as repetitive as in volume 1 which consisted of 4 parts:
1. Aquaman & Aqualad went after bad guy.
2. They get stuck on dry land.
3. Right before an hour is up, they somehow get back to water
4. Aquaman uses telepathy and a sea animal captures the bad guy.
It was probably 300+ pages into the first vol before Aquaman even threw a punch. In pro wrestling terms, I marked out when it happened.
Topo Salvation Squad 4Life!
Y: The Last Man vols 2 & 3
Batman Chronicles vol 1