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What comics did you read and like this week?

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    nweathingtonnweathington Posts: 6,741
    Brack said:

    If you can get past the awful title, Occupy Avengers is shaping up to be a modern Defenders mixed with Hard Traveling Heroes era Green Lantern/Green Arrow. The first two issues gave us Hawkeye and the new, time & universe displaced Red Wolf as the founding members of the team. The new arc introduces Tilda Johnson (the former Deadly Nightshade) and the Supreme Power version of Nighthawk into the mix.

    As my comparison hopefully conveyed it's a mix of torn from the headlines stories and oddball teammates who can barely get along. All with some of the best Carlos Pacheco art I've seen for a while.

    I read the first two issues, but it didn't do much for me. I like Walker's writing on Power Man & Iron Fist a lot, but this felt like a bad ’80s TV action show (which I got enough of in the ’80s). And while it probably is the best work Pacheco’s done in a while, it’s still a bit too stiff and dull for my taste. I wanted to like it given the creators, the characters involved, and the overall concept, but it didn't make my cut.
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    BrackBrack Posts: 868

    Brack said:

    If you can get past the awful title, Occupy Avengers is shaping up to be a modern Defenders mixed with Hard Traveling Heroes era Green Lantern/Green Arrow. The first two issues gave us Hawkeye and the new, time & universe displaced Red Wolf as the founding members of the team. The new arc introduces Tilda Johnson (the former Deadly Nightshade) and the Supreme Power version of Nighthawk into the mix.

    As my comparison hopefully conveyed it's a mix of torn from the headlines stories and oddball teammates who can barely get along. All with some of the best Carlos Pacheco art I've seen for a while.

    I read the first two issues, but it didn't do much for me. I like Walker's writing on Power Man & Iron Fist a lot, but this felt like a bad ’80s TV action show (which I got enough of in the ’80s). And while it probably is the best work Pacheco’s done in a while, it’s still a bit too stiff and dull for my taste. I wanted to like it given the creators, the characters involved, and the overall concept, but it didn't make my cut.
    I can see all that, if the 3rd issue was more of the same, I'd probably be with you. But it veers into Marvel weirdness with a mystery involving black market LMDs. And Nightshade and Nighthawk's presence shakes things up to the point where you can clearly see the shape the comic is going to take.
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    Mr_CosmicMr_Cosmic Posts: 3,200

    Mr_Cosmic said:

    Yeah, sometimes the MU feels like it's being written by a bunch of Bob Haneys...

    You say that like it's a bad thing. ;)
    Only in regards to continuity. I can't say the guy didn't have a great imagination.
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    nweathingtonnweathington Posts: 6,741
    Brack said:

    Brack said:

    If you can get past the awful title, Occupy Avengers is shaping up to be a modern Defenders mixed with Hard Traveling Heroes era Green Lantern/Green Arrow. The first two issues gave us Hawkeye and the new, time & universe displaced Red Wolf as the founding members of the team. The new arc introduces Tilda Johnson (the former Deadly Nightshade) and the Supreme Power version of Nighthawk into the mix.

    As my comparison hopefully conveyed it's a mix of torn from the headlines stories and oddball teammates who can barely get along. All with some of the best Carlos Pacheco art I've seen for a while.

    I read the first two issues, but it didn't do much for me. I like Walker's writing on Power Man & Iron Fist a lot, but this felt like a bad ’80s TV action show (which I got enough of in the ’80s). And while it probably is the best work Pacheco’s done in a while, it’s still a bit too stiff and dull for my taste. I wanted to like it given the creators, the characters involved, and the overall concept, but it didn't make my cut.
    I can see all that, if the 3rd issue was more of the same, I'd probably be with you. But it veers into Marvel weirdness with a mystery involving black market LMDs. And Nightshade and Nighthawk's presence shakes things up to the point where you can clearly see the shape the comic is going to take.
    Cool. Maybe I'll give it another issue or two then.
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    BionicDaveBionicDave Posts: 377
    edited January 2017
    Read a bunch of stuff lately, let's see what I remember lol (yes, this is 40.)

    ** SPOILERS **

    SUGAR & SPIKE vol.1, which I thought was... okay. Pants has praised it, but I didn't like it as much. Giffen's concept for the characters' update is great, definitely. But the scripts themselves felt a bit underwritten, especially the actual Sugar and Spike relationship, which bugged me. They bicker ALL the way through five or six issues. I was like "you're not siblings, you're not lovers, why tf are you dealing with each other if you don't have to?!" Decent artwork, though. I guess the final story - with the Legion of Superheroes - was the only one I really liked. Upon reaching the final page of the final issue, Giffen then shows us the specific classic comic books which inspired each of his original stories here, and my thought was "gee, I really would've enjoyed your strange story set-ups a lot more if you'd've told me ahead of time that they sprang from actual classic story set-ups, and showed their covers to me at the start. That context would've improved my reading experience."
    (Do I talk to myself a lot while reading comics?)
    (When I'm confused, yes.)

    POE DAMERON vol. 1, which was also just okay, imho. I'm finding that Charles Soule, whom otherwise is an awesome comic book scribe, just isn't doing it for me with his Star Wars titles (like LANDO, which I also found to be sort of meh). I do find it very interesting, however, that as of the end of the 1st issue of the 2nd arc, absolutely nothing has been stated about Poe Dameron's romantic life or orientation. As a gay Star Wars fan? - and as one who has an unrequited crush on Oscar Isaac? BionicDave notices these things. Again, as with SUGAR & SPIKE, the artwork really helped me out here. I mean it's Phil Noto, for God's sake. He is a national treasure. And boy does he draw Oscar Isaac's handsome face well...

    [Here's where I eat some crow. Because over the past few months I've been bitching about DC Rebirth not living up to its hype - especially its direction for Superman - and now I realize I was wrong. WRONG, I tell you!]

    SUPERMAN REBIRTH (or whatever) vol. 1, where Superdaddy, MommyLois (sorry, it's "Lo" now, to fool us into thinking Lois Lane wasn't named 78 years ago) and Superson re-introduce themselves to readers and soon find themselves battling Eradicator, of all characters - was great! First off? The artwork by brilliant Jorge Jimenez (and sometimes Patrick Gleason and Doug Mahnke) is pure joy for the eyes. But you know what? Peter Tomasi doesn't get enough credit for being a wonderful (and wonderfully dependable) writer. He's been at DC Comics since dinosaurs crawled the earth and he's even been writing for a long time too, but most people still think of him as simply an editor-who-writes. Nope. Tomasi is gold. This story arc sang to me, it felt old and new at the same time. And enough of "my" Superman was here to reassure me that 2017 won't be an entirely dreadful apocalypse of a year. HOWEVER. I am still enough of an old crotchety man that I still prefer my Superman to be younger and childless, so: as much fun as I am having with this Superdaddy living on this still-yucky New52 Earth? - I am classifying this entire title to be out-of-continuity. You heard me. As far as I am concerned, these lovely, terrific comic books are merely one long, open-ended Elseworld tale! :joy:

    NIGHTWING REBIRTH #1 & #2, where writer Tim Seeley plunges our big strong Dick back into superheroics after his spy-jinks, also feels, for me, amazingly old and new at the same time. Not only do we get Nightwing back? But Seeley seems intent on giving us tastes of Damian, Barbara, Bruce et al, too - which is part of what I've always loved about this character: his place in the Batman Family. Am also digging the art by Javi Fernandez. I will certainly continue buying this title!

    I am signing off now, because I've already written far too much and my baked cod with Asian vegetables is ready. Happy new year, Comic Geeks & Comic Geek Speak :smiley:
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    aquatroyaquatroy Posts: 552
    Jim Henson's Storytellers is a lovely little thing.
    Titan Comics, the Third Doctor is very solid. The detour through Jo Grant's mind in the previous issue through me off a bit, but the last issue gets us back on track.
    Mighty Thor is always good. However, Cockrum's designs for the Imperial Guard are looking a bit dated. I wonder if it isn't time for a new wardrobe?
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    mwhitt80 said:

    I finished the first arc of volume 1 of James Bond... I get that it is a comic book, but you don't stand up when a cinder block is thrown/crushed into your spine.

    :joy: :joy: :joy: I seriously laughed aloud when I read that! I just read Warren Ellis' JAMES BOND: VARGR, myself. Didn't really care for it. Actually, I don't think James Bond in general is a property which translates well into comic books; so much of the charm and subtlety is lost, as well as the grandeur of the exotic locales. Much of this comic felt forced, especially in regard to action scenes, which seemed required to pop up every two pages (though I was surprised by how gory many of the firefights were). Also, Bond's dialogue here didn't seem organic to the character as I've come to know and love him from the films and novels. Though I do admit, I'm not familiar with Bond games, like the super-popular GoldenEye... so perhaps this comic plays better to fans who've come to know the character via that medium.
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    RickMRickM Posts: 407
    My LCS just texted me that Kamandi Challenge #1 has arrived (I was expecting it next Wednesday). This is the first time I've had a titled pulled for me in years.
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    mwhitt80mwhitt80 Posts: 4,613

    mwhitt80 said:

    I finished the first arc of volume 1 of James Bond... I get that it is a comic book, but you don't stand up when a cinder block is thrown/crushed into your spine.

    :joy: :joy: :joy: I seriously laughed aloud when I read that! I just read Warren Ellis' JAMES BOND: VARGR, myself. Didn't really care for it. Actually, I don't think James Bond in general is a property which translates well into comic books; so much of the charm and subtlety is lost, as well as the grandeur of the exotic locales. Much of this comic felt forced, especially in regard to action scenes, which seemed required to pop up every two pages (though I was surprised by how gory many of the firefights were). Also, Bond's dialogue here didn't seem organic to the character as I've come to know and love him from the films and novels. Though I do admit, I'm not familiar with Bond games, like the super-popular GoldenEye... so perhaps this comic plays better to fans who've come to know the character via that medium.
    I grew up like most CGS people with the movies, but about 10 years ago I started listening to the audio books. I've probably listened to Fleming's bond stories 3 times, and they've become my favorite version of Bond.

    I say that because I feel like this comic has more in common with the books than anything else. The first arc however is straddling the movie world and the novel world, and moving a very good job of servicing either.
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    nweathingtonnweathington Posts: 6,741
    Jessica Jones #4... and, boom, prison explained... mostly. A very talking heads kind of issue (no suprise, really), but in the best possible ways.
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    I echo the support for Black Hammer. Great title. I picked up issue #1 the other day and will definitely go back for the rest.

    Has anyone been reading Black from Black Mask Comics? Fantastic series and it doesn't hurt that Jamal Igle is on the art chores. Premise? "In a world that already hates and fears them – what if only Black people had superpowers?" It's been extremely entertaining so far and I found it on the shelves and immediate bought the first three issues.
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    I HIGHLY recommend Eclipse and Hadrian's Wall. I have also enjoyed the IDW's Back to the Future titles.
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    David_DDavid_D Posts: 3,881
    edited January 2017
    Read Saga #42 last night, at the end of a long day. Was exhausted, but wanted to do something I enjoyed, figured that was worth staying up for, even though I should have been in bed already.

    I love Saga. It is the book I look forward to the most every month. But I forget sometimes that it is not a book to just reach for lightly, as an escape, you know what I mean?? If you have read that issue, I think you get what I'm saying.
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    stu89stu89 Posts: 9
    Loving Jessica Jones, The Last Days of Hawkman with Adam Strange is great and the Atom rebirth story had me wanting more right away!
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    David_D said:

    Read Saga #42 I love Saga. It is the book I look forward to the most every month. But I forget sometimes that it is not a book to just reach for lightly, as an escape, you know what I mean?? If you have read that issue, I think you get what I'm saying.

    SAGA is indeed one of my favorite titles, @David_D, but I haven't yet read the #37-42 story arc... which from you sounds like it packs quite an end wallop. You have whetted my appetite even more :)

    And @stu89 your comment has now put that ATOM: REBIRTH book on my list! The iFanboys also liked it, so done deal. Thanks.

    Well, I finally finished off Kieron Gillen's 25-issue DARTH VADER, which was pure bubbly awesomeness. To quote our friend Chris Eberle - "highest possible recommendation." (insert patented Chris sigh of ecstasy) This has been my favorite of Marvel's recent Star Wars titles. And I will be nominating the Vader/Cylo faceoff at the end of issue #23, I believe, as a possible Best Cliffhanger/Moment for the CGS Awards!
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    RickMRickM Posts: 407
    Kamandi Challenge #1 So last week was a false alarm (it was just a reprint of the hard-to-find issue #32). The series actually started this week and was very nice. I give it a B. Kinda hoping the series would be a continuation of the original run, but instead it was a re-imagining of the series, but still faithful to the original elements. The gimmick of this run is that they leave a cliffhanger at the end of each story, then hand it to a new creative team to figure out what to do next.
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    DARDAR Posts: 1,128
    I read the first trade of the Vision:Little Worse Than A Man.

    It's always nice to come across a piece of pop culture that lives up to its reputation
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    BrackBrack Posts: 868
    Avengers #4 felt like Mark Waid channelling his inner Alan Moore and letting Mike Del Mundo go nuts over a story mainly told in double page spreads. I never thought I'd read an Avengers comic that was reminiscent of Promethea and yet here we are. It's the best issue so far of an excellent series.

    Whereas Champions #5 felt like Mark Waid taking a pop, via Gwenpool, at both the "why must creators bring their politics into their writing" brigade AND comics creators who couch their political points in so much superhero metaphor it risks insulting the real-world issues they are dealing with. Because of the central conceit of Gwenpool, it works. Without her, I'm not sure it's possible.
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    @Brack I know politics has always been in comics, but how does everyone feel about that? I've been reading Spencer's Sam Wilson run and there is a ton of current politics written into his stories. I still read the title and have enjoyed reading about Sam trying to prove himself to a Cap. However, in this day and age, after getting bombarded day and night via social media and the 24hr news cycle, I just want to read a comic that allows me forget about the current state of the world. There have been times in Spencer's writing where I roll my eyes. I only roll my eyes because I have heard the same political agenda day and night.

    I don't really lean to one side or the other. I'm sure there are a ton of people out there who love read super hero stories that mimic (or resemble) the current political climate of today. However, there are days where I want to sit down, read, and not hear about it.
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    BrackBrack Posts: 868
    PSUrivie said:

    @Brack I know politics has always been in comics, but how does everyone feel about that? I've been reading Spencer's Sam Wilson run and there is a ton of current politics written into his stories. I still read the title and have enjoyed reading about Sam trying to prove himself to a Cap. However, in this day and age, after getting bombarded day and night via social media and the 24hr news cycle, I just want to read a comic that allows me forget about the current state of the world. There have been times in Spencer's writing where I roll my eyes. I only roll my eyes because I have heard the same political agenda day and night.

    I don't really lean to one side or the other. I'm sure there are a ton of people out there who love read super hero stories that mimic (or resemble) the current political climate of today. However, there are days where I want to sit down, read, and not hear about it.

    Gwenpool in that latest issue of Champions "If I wanted to navigate amoral shades of grey -- yuck -- I would have stayed on my own Earth".
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    luke52luke52 Posts: 1,392
    Saga #42. Wow... just... wow.
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    luke52 said:

    Saga #42. Wow... just... wow.

    I'm getting the Book versions of Saga, hardcover (the ones with three trades worth in one). So I'm going to be anxiously behind on Saga for the foreseeable future. (On the plus side, book two comes out in April so...yay!)
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    dubbat138dubbat138 Posts: 3,200
    Read the two newest issues of The Walking Dead this past week or so. Damn looks like a big change is starting to happen.

    Tradewise finished up Buddy does Seattle.Had gotten it for X-mas.Reprints all the Buddy Bradley stuff from Hate issues 1 thru 15. Worth at least checking out if you were a teen or early 20 year old in the early 90s.
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    luke52luke52 Posts: 1,392

    luke52 said:

    Saga #42. Wow... just... wow.

    I'm getting the Book versions of Saga, hardcover (the ones with three trades worth in one). So I'm going to be anxiously behind on Saga for the foreseeable future. (On the plus side, book two comes out in April so...yay!)
    Yeah just found out yesterday. Can't wait to get that on my shelf.
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    Mr_CosmicMr_Cosmic Posts: 3,200
    Ultimate Spider-Man....ok, yeah, I'm a little late on this one.

    I was one of those readers who shunned anything that was part of the Ultimate Universe. Now that it's pretty much over, it didn't turn out to replace the 616, and I have a MU subscription, I figured I'd give USM a shot.

    The first arc was actually pretty lousy. Jemas has writing credits with Bendis and it makes me wonder how much of the story was actually his because it just wasn't very good. If I had been buying the issues off the shelf back then I doubt I would have made it past the first few.

    The next arc brings in the Kingpin and stuff really starts to click. I'm about 50 issues in and it is still going strong. I'm not a huge fan of Bagley's art here but at least it is consistent. Some of the changes to the classic Spider-Man story are really fun while others are real head scratchers. Anyways, fun book and I'm happy to finally dive in.
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    BionicDaveBionicDave Posts: 377
    edited February 2017
    While suffering a nasty bout of procrastination this week (which isn't over, I fear) (cue tiny violin music) I sat down and binged all six issues plus Annual issue of Jeff Lemire's and Dean Ormston's BLACK HAMMER - which is such a fun read! Absolutely love how there's a little bit from many different comic book sub-genres all within this one ongoing story. There's superheroes, deconstructed superheroes, space heroes, aliens, horror comics, Golden Age, robots... and that's not a spoiler, that's all in the first pages of the first issue :lol: I've run hot and cold on Lemire but he's firing on all cylinders here; and Ormston's artwork (with Dave Stewart's beautiful colors) is such a feast for the eyes. Plus I read how he battled temporary paralysis, and had to struggle to draw again while cranking these out?? What a story-behind-the-story. Anyway, add my name to the list of those who've given this comic an enthusiastic thumb's up.
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    bralinatorbralinator Posts: 5,967

    While suffering a nasty bout of procrastination this week (which isn't over, I fear) (cue tiny violin music) I sat down and binged all six issues plus Annual issue of Jeff Lemire's and Dean Ormston's BLACK HAMMER - which is such a fun read! Absolutely love how there's a little bit from many different comic book sub-genres all within this one ongoing story. There's superheroes, deconstructed superheroes, space heroes, aliens, horror comics, Golden Age, robots... and that's not a spoiler, that's all in the first pages of the first issue :lol: I've run hot and cold on Lemire but he's firing on all cylinders here; and Ormston's artwork (with Dave Stewart's beautiful colors) is such a feast for the eyes. Plus I read how he battled temporary paralysis, and had to struggle to draw again while cranking these out?? What a story-behind-the-story. Anyway, add my name to the list of those who've given this comic an enthusiastic thumb's up.

    It's superb. So glad it wasn't cancelled back when Ormston got ill.
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    BionicDaveBionicDave Posts: 377
    edited February 2017
    My procrastination continues (cue more tiny violin music).

    Just binged through issues #1-5 of Max Landis' GREEN VALLEY. I think it's a fun read! Am definitely on board for continuing the title. But I did have some minor qualms: a) if you're about to start it, do yourself a favor and ignore the epilogue statements from the writer at the back of #1 and from the artist at the back of #2. I found them to be a little bit spoilery in an annoying way. Just go back and read them after you finish issue #3; and b) those first two issues easily could've/should've been compressed into one single issue - but the pacing of the story gets better from #3 onward.

    Also read JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA: REBIRTH #1... which did not live up to my expectations. I found the writing to be very by-the-numbers, an uninspired team set-up story which felt less like the majesty of the dawn of a new JLA and more like yet another Batman and the Outsiders reboot. Actually, what this new team really resembles is a Suicide Squad knockoff. I really liked THE ATOM: REBIRTH one-shot from last month, and I want to like this new version of The Ray, but I don't think it's enough to make me continue with this title.

    Also read Cullen Bunn's and Alex Sanchez's CLASSIC BATTLESTAR GALACTICA #1-5 from last year, because I love all BSG, and especially Classic BSG, and Richard Hatch just died, which kind of broke my heart. Having this around to read was a nice way to honor him until (hopefully) WonderCon and Comic-Con give him proper public honors. So I am really glad that Dynamite Comics is not afraid to keep going back to the Classic BSG well. As for this specific title, I'll be brief: great, fun story - and the art was... well, the art was not at all my cup of tea. But at least I could identify the different characters, so it did its main job, and color is always appreciated. I hear Bunn is a big Classic BSG fan and it totally shows in this story. I hope he gives us more :)
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    DARDAR Posts: 1,128
    I read the second volume of the Vision. Incredible stuff
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