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Post by pinkfloydsound17 on Aug 31, 2017 23:15:16 GMT -5
I want to read some modern stuff. If you could pick one run of comics from the last 5 years to read, what would you suggest? I am mostly interested in something containing a superhero, be it from Marvel or DC or even some new hero I am unaware of.
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,353
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Post by shaxper on Sept 1, 2017 1:39:27 GMT -5
I'm not reading much these days, but Valiant's offerings are consistently high caliber. I read a lot of Harbinger and X-O Manowar and really enjoyed it.
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Post by Spike-X on Sept 1, 2017 3:05:35 GMT -5
The Vision.
She-Hulk (Charles Soule run).
Daredevil (Mark Waid, Chris Samnee et. al.).
Superior Foes of Spider-Man.
Superior Spider-Man.
Silver Surfer (Dan Slott & Mike Allred).
FF (Matt Fraction & Mike Allred).
Astro City is always great.
Hawkeye (Fraction/Aja).
Moon Knight (Ellis/Shalvey).
Black Hammer.
No superheroes but great comics:
Saga
Black Science
Injection
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Post by berkley on Sept 1, 2017 3:39:55 GMT -5
Moon Knight (Ellis/Shalvey). This is the only recent superhero thing I can recall right now that I've really liked, but I haven't tried a whole lot of stuff. The artwork from Shalvey is really good and Ellis's view of the character seems to be very close to mine, so everything about it worked for me. I wish it had gone on for more than just 6 issues. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 1, 2017 11:29:56 GMT -5
DC: Rebirth - Superman, Aquaman, Nightwing. New 52 - Action, Aquaman by Johns, Batman (I know some hated it).
Marvel: Daredevil by Waid. Dr Strange by Aaron. Thor by Aaron.
Archie: all the New Riverdale titles.
Valiant: XO Manowar. Rai. Ninjak.
I also liked the recent Capt Canuck series from Chapterhouse. Capt Midnight from Dark Horse.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Sept 1, 2017 11:58:12 GMT -5
I don't read very many long-underwear books any more. But the current Forager series from DC has been crazy fun.
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Post by Reptisaurus! on Sept 1, 2017 15:37:29 GMT -5
Moon Knight (Ellis/Shalvey). This is the only recent superhero thing I can recall right now that I've really liked, but I haven't tried a whole lot of stuff. The artwork from Shalvey is really good and Ellis's view of the character seems to be very close to mine, so everything about it worked for me. I wish it had gone on for more than just 6 issues. Yeah, that was good. I liked Karnak a lot, too. |
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Post by berkley on Sept 1, 2017 17:53:15 GMT -5
This is the only recent superhero thing I can recall right now that I've really liked, but I haven't tried a whole lot of stuff. The artwork from Shalvey is really good and Ellis's view of the character seems to be very close to mine, so everything about it worked for me. I wish it had gone on for more than just 6 issues. Yeah, that was good. I liked Karnak a lot, too. Karnak was OK but wasn't really geared to my tastes. It was marred for me by being tied to the current editorial policy of writing the Inhumans as replacements for the MU Mutants and a few other things, for example this idea that Karnak didn't undergo the Terrigen Mists. None of that adds anything useful to the character for me and some of it actually detracts: for example, I would be more interested in seeing Karnak interacting with the other Inhumans than with SHIELD agents, etc. And the basic series premise of these new mutants popping up all over the place in regular human, American families doesn't attract me at all. Similarly with Forager, I lost interest as soon as I realised it was inspired more by Starlin's Cosmic Odyssey than by the Kirby stories. I'm not so much of an Allred fan that I'd read it just because they were the creators, so it was only the New Gods connection that got my attention in the first place. Since it doesn't succeed (in my view) as a New Gods series, I'm not interested. |
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Post by Reptisaurus! on Sept 1, 2017 18:02:45 GMT -5
Oh. Huh. I don't remember (or care) about any of that.
Honestly, I thought that even the Lee/Kirby Inhumans were never that interesting - Good Kirby designs but Lee was always better writing New York based characters (or characters he shared some common experience with) so the Inhumans were some of his weakest characters.
(Kirby did write and draw the Inhumans for a couple issues of Amazing Adventures which could have been good - but that was long, looooonnnng after he stopped giving a shit about his Marvel work.)
So, basically, I think the Inhumans have always been flawed in concept and execution, and the best possible Inhumans book is one without a lot of Inhumans in it, 'cause none of them are interesting as anything more than a visual.
So that is why Ellis' Karnack is my favorite Inhumans related comic ever.
Second favorite is probably the early 2000s series which had none of the royal family (Hoooray!) and was a bunch of younger inhumans trying to adapt to living among normal humans.
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Post by berkley on Sept 1, 2017 20:51:09 GMT -5
Yes, if you don't care for or haven't read any previous version then any such considerations would be irrelevant of course. I understand a lot of readers feel this is how you should look at everything, whether you knew an earlier version or not, but it doesn't work that way with me, apart from a few exceptions. If I'm reading a new Sherlock Holmes story, I expect it to get certain things right - most obviously the character of Holmes - even if it's a re-invention in other respects.
I partially agree about Stan's writing - maybe that's why Kirby made Black Bolt silent: to prevent Stan from giving him his usual bombastic dialogue! OTOH, I do enjoy the over-the-top-ness of it all when I'm in the mood, the melodramatic titles - "Shall Earth Endure?!!!" - and the pompous speechifying. But I wouldn't have wanted Stan to script the New Gods or the Eternals, partly for the reasons you mention and partly because I don't think he would have been able to grasp the underlying ideas that the dialogue should (and did, with Kirby) express.
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Post by Reptisaurus! on Sept 1, 2017 21:04:18 GMT -5
Yes, if you don't care for or haven't read any previous version then any such considerations would be irrelevant of course. I understand a lot of readers feel this is how you should look at everything, whether you knew an earlier version or not, but it doesn't work that way with me, apart from a few exceptions. If I'm reading a new Sherlock Holmes story, I expect it to get certain things right - most obviously the character of Holmes - even if it's a re-invention in other respects. I partially agree about Stan's writing - maybe that's why Kirby made Black Bolt silent: to prevent Stan from giving him his usual bombastic dialogue! OTOH, I do enjoy the over-the-top-ness of it all when I'm in the mood, the melodramatic titles - "Shall Earth Endure?!!!" - and the pompous speechifying. But I wouldn't have wanted Stan to script the New Gods or the Eternals, partly for the reasons you mention and partly because I don't think he would have been able to grasp the underlying ideas that the dialogue should (and did, with Kirby) express. And, of course, there are those of us who have read at least 80% of previous versions and never really felt the Inhumans worked - I think I've read ALL the Inhumans solo stuff up until the 2010s. (Edit: Nope! Looks like there was a graphic novel in the '80s and a run in Marvel Comics Presents. I missed both of those.) So reinvention was welcome in this case. (Although I still weirdly like the characters.) I thought Ellis made Karnak philosophically interesting in a way that he had never been before, and gave depth and (very, very dark) humor to a kind of a dry character that was built around an interesting gimmick. This completely worked for me. I think both the New Gods and Eternals were better realized over-all - more clearly defined personalities that were designed to provide interesting contrast to each other. The Inhumans were maybe a dry run for some of Kirby's later, better-though-out concepts. It was probably no coincidence that the strongest member of the cast was silent! (Weirdly, I liked Medusa as a member of the Frightful Four, but her personality was changed completely - and she became more of a generic Stan Lee love interest - as soon as the other Inhumans made the scene.) |
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Post by hondobrode on Sept 1, 2017 21:15:04 GMT -5
What I've loved in the last 5 years Honestly, the entire Valiant line. All of it. I'm a little behind lately, but I have read the entire line and really love all of it, but here's 5 Valiants IMO in random order that don't get as much attention as say X-O Manowar or Harbinger.  Bloodshot is a former soldier with powers of regeneration, technomancy and meta-morphing made possible through nanites injected into his blood. After escaping from his masters at Project Rising Spirit, Bloodshot seeks to discover his true identity and other purpose besides killing.  A parapsychologist in the Valiant Universe who investigates unexplained phenomena around the world.  Toyo Harada is head of the Harbinger Foundation and the most powerful telekinetic in the world. He has vast mental powers including telepathy, telekinesis and mind-control. Harada wants to make the world a better place - as long as it's under his control!  Ivar Anni-Padda is one of the eternal brothers: Ivar (the Timewalker), Gilad (the Eternal Warrior), and Aram (Armstrong). They all are immortal.  The man known as Colin King, codenamed Ninjak, is one of the United Kingdom's best intelligence operatives and one of the world's deadliest men. Due to deep personal tragedies and childhood trauma, Colin's mysterious past and personal life is a well guarded secret only known by a select few. The people that read Valiant, love it. I've followed Valiant since it's first incarnation. I loved it then, still loved it under Acclaim, and love it now more than ever. Honestly, this is the single best superhero line being published IMO. I also love that they rotate the characters and titles but keep it manageable to 8 titles. I'm not the only person that has said this, but the creators here really feel like this is their baby, even though it's corporate. It feels like they really pour themselves into making these the best stories and characters available. They're the underdogs against The Big Two with a half century head start on them, but, these are damn good. If you read them and didn't like them I'd be very, very surprised. |
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Post by berkley on Sept 1, 2017 21:54:14 GMT -5
Yes, if you don't care for or haven't read any previous version then any such considerations would be irrelevant of course. I understand a lot of readers feel this is how you should look at everything, whether you knew an earlier version or not, but it doesn't work that way with me, apart from a few exceptions. If I'm reading a new Sherlock Holmes story, I expect it to get certain things right - most obviously the character of Holmes - even if it's a re-invention in other respects. I partially agree about Stan's writing - maybe that's why Kirby made Black Bolt silent: to prevent Stan from giving him his usual bombastic dialogue! OTOH, I do enjoy the over-the-top-ness of it all when I'm in the mood, the melodramatic titles - "Shall Earth Endure?!!!" - and the pompous speechifying. But I wouldn't have wanted Stan to script the New Gods or the Eternals, partly for the reasons you mention and partly because I don't think he would have been able to grasp the underlying ideas that the dialogue should (and did, with Kirby) express. And, of course, there are those of us who have read at least 80% of previous versions and never really felt the Inhumans worked - I think I've read ALL the Inhumans solo stuff up until the 2010s. (Edit: Nope! Looks like there was a graphic novel in the '80s and a run in Marvel Comics Presents. I missed both of those.) So reinvention was welcome in this case. (Although I still weirdly like the characters.) I thought Ellis made Karnak philosophically interesting in a way that he had never been before, and gave depth and (very, very dark) humor to a kind of a dry character that was built around an interesting gimmick. This completely worked for me. I think both the New Gods and Eternals were better realized over-all - more clearly defined personalities that were designed to provide interesting contrast to each other. The Inhumans were maybe a dry run for some of Kirby's later, better-though-out concepts. It was probably no coincidence that the strongest member of the cast was silent! (Weirdly, I liked Medusa as a member of the Frightful Four, but her personality was changed completely - and she became more of a generic Stan Lee love interest - as soon as the other Inhumans made the scene.) Agree about Ellis working in some pretty fascinating philosophical ideas that suited Karnak as a character. That was the best part of the series for me. And yes, we never really got to see Kirby's Inhumans - or his Galactus or Surfer or "Him" - because it was always filtered through Stan's interpretation. They work more as potential than as fully-realised characters - actually I would say this is the case with a lot of comics characters. I did enjoy Medusa's "femme fatale" persona with the Frightful Four, where Kirby gave her a kind of voluptuous physique and would have her sort of lazing around watching the stupid males get all worked up and start fights over her, and also Johnny falling under her spell too. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 1, 2017 23:24:44 GMT -5
Super-hero(-ish) runs from the last 5 years that I would recommend... Black Beetle: Now Way Out by Fracisco Francavilla from Dark Horse (4 issue mini collected in tpb)  Black Hammer from Dark Horse, ongoing by Jeff Lemire and Dean Ormstrom...  The Tower Chronicles: Geisthawk by Matt Wagner and Simon Bisley from Legendary Comics (series of 4 72 page OGN retailing for $7.99 each about a supernatural bounty-hunter)  The Shade 12 issue maxi-series from DC by James Robinson and a rotating cast of artists telling the adventures of the immortal villain/anti-hero the Shade, part of the early new 52 titles  Zatanna & Black Canary Bloodspell OGN by Paul Dini and Joe Quinones  The Valiant by Jeff Lemire, Matt Kindy and Paolo Rivera, 4 issue mini form Valiant, colelcted in trade  Green Arrow by Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino (#17-34, also collected in deluxe HC) from DC, part of the new52...  Hawkeye by Matt Fraction, David Aja and others Marvel  Ms.Marvel by G.Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona  there's a start... -M |
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Post by berkley on Sept 2, 2017 0:07:55 GMT -5
That Dr. Mirage sounds like the kind of concept I like, must have a look sometime.
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