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Post by String on Sept 7, 2021 20:08:29 GMT -5
badwolf
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Post by String on Sept 2, 2021 16:23:44 GMT -5
No idea about Bruce Wayne, but Alfred is dead at the moment... he apparently was quite rich in his own right, and left all his money to Dick Grayson (which is a major plot point in Nightwing right now... which you should be reading, it's amazing). The other Batman stuff I read is not main universe stuff, so no idea about the other stuff. Now that I think about it, I've never read any solo Nightwing title (I think because I've become a Tim Drake fan over these years). But yeah, I keep hearing good things about Taylor's run. With this event upcoming, I may end up reading it anyway but I'll check it out, thanks.
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Post by String on Sept 2, 2021 16:18:45 GMT -5
I flipped ahead to see if the next few issues are as full of TEXT MONSTERS as the last few. #286 is as bad as the last few issues, but #287 only has a couple of these terrifying text pages and #288 doesn’t have any. So I might try to read up to #288 today. I don’t call them TEXT MONSTERS merely because it’s a lot of text. The type is very small. It looks like footnote text. And the columns are way too wide for the text being so small. As I go from the end of one line to the beginning of the next line, I often have trouble finding where I’m supposed to go next. It makes it hard to follow the train of thought. Such as it is. And it gives me a headache after a while. I’m wondering how many people who claim to have read the whole thing - all 300 issues of Cerebus - have actually read every word of Chasing YHVH. I’m not saying nobody has done it. I’m just wondering if there’s a certain percentage that were just skimming after a while. And who could blame them. I have to give credit to my LCS. They've had some Cerebus trades in stock the last few times I've visited. Today was no different as I went there to get some comic storage supplies. I checked and luckily, I was able to acquire Vol 15, Latter Days.
You are so right Hoosier. Once home, I flipped through the volume and OMG! Dense is an understatement! Yeah, this one is not going to be a quick read...
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Post by String on Sept 1, 2021 12:24:20 GMT -5
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Post by String on Aug 31, 2021 22:40:19 GMT -5
I think Rogue One is my favorite SW film now. My favorite era, the real beginning of the true Rebellion against the Empire, all the characters have enough weight to them that their deaths at the end are dramatic and impactful. Have yet to tire of re-watching it even after multiple viewings.
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Post by String on Aug 31, 2021 22:33:38 GMT -5
I know that Batman: Fear State Alpha #1 came out today. I bought it digitally but haven't read it yet. I've been reading Detective Comics of late cause I felt like reading Batman (and for some reason, when I do, I prefer Detective over the main Batman title, always have).
The back up stories have been interesting and while the Hue Vile/Worth story line was okay, I get the feeling that the climax was a bit rushed to tidy things up quickly for this upcoming Bat event. That being said, for those in the know, can you explain to me why Bruce Wayne is living out of a townhouse? Is he no longer rich? And Alfred is dead?? Is this related to aftermath of Joker War? (I ain't worried about spoilers so feel free to tell me but use the spoiler tag if it makes you more comfortable).
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Post by String on Aug 31, 2021 22:20:23 GMT -5
This happens more in movies than in comics I think. Have kids smarter and wittier than the adults. GOD I HATE THAT! It is one of the reasons I stopped reading FF over the last several years. Not to mention that there has to be a child version of almost every adult hero. Tell me about it! I already have serious, serious issues with how Mr Fantastic can just invent anything, any time. But fine, if that is the story you want to tell., I suppose we can find some excuse, based on his enormous and highly unique experience. But then Valeria is smarter...? I look at it as Valeria may be as smart as Reed but perhaps she is more intuitive than he is. Reed is governed by reason & logic so occasionally he hits a roadblock that he has trouble navigating. Whereas he has trouble and may eventually reach the solution (but will he in time?! Oh no!), Valeria reaches the conclusion faster in a more natural, intuitive way. To me, it's the same as the X-Man, Forge, being able to create a suit of armor on par with Iron Man's armor but he and Stark do so in different ways. Sp how many degrees does Reed have? (Or for that matter, Doom too). Let's see, theoretical physics, nuclear physics, biology, chemistry, engineering, astrophysics, computer programming......
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Post by String on Aug 31, 2021 22:11:13 GMT -5
What is this still married and left Excalibur. I didn't even know she got married or went there in the first place, ha. In '18, Marvel released Rogue & Gambit, a five issue mini-series wherein the pair are sent on a undercover mission to investigate the disappearance of a group of mutants from an island spa/resort. Part of their cover identity was as an estranged couple willing to undertake the therapy sessions of the spa/resort. They resolved the mission while also contending with their long-standing relationship issues. Afterward, when Kitty Pryde canceled her wedding to Colossus, Gambit figured why waste a good set-up and proposed to Rogue on the spot. She accepted and the couple was wed instead. That lead to a short-lived title Mr & Mrs X that followed their new nuptials. Both of those series were written by Kelly Thompson whom I thought had an excellent grasp of both characters and their long history. Her characterizations felt like two people whom have been very close for a long time, whom love each other deeply yet they must resolve issues of mistrust and bad decisions that have plagued their relationship. It felt natural, it felt resolved, and I'm glad to see they finally did get married and remain so, it's good for the X-franchise.
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Post by String on Aug 31, 2021 21:51:59 GMT -5
I'm still making my way through Jaka's Story and I'm not sure how I feel about Pud Withers. In a way, I empathize with him, perhaps not an attractive, desirable partner nor mate and as Sims lays out in his intro for the volume, a fountain of sexual frustration that may spill over in disturbing ways.
Yet how Sims portrays Jaka's effects on both Pud and her husband Rick, I think, shows his view of traditional women, the expectations put upon them by others, and the subtle power they wield even if unknowingly. For example, how Jaka tempts Pud with lust and desire. She dresses up to dance every night and as Sims portrays her, quite lithe, graceful, and desirable. She does this knowing how it will enhance her dancing and her appeal to her customers which would hopefully translate into more money. Yet she seems completely oblivious to having the same effect on Pud. This drives his very disturbing inner monologues about confronting her and acting upon his pent-up frustrations. Until they get an actual customer who acts accordingly and Jaka is thrilled that things are gonna turn around now. When she repays Pud her tips and promises to repay him for all his expenditures in helping them, Pud breaks down and prays for forgiveness for his thoughts. The way Sims set up that scene, Pud crying, I dunno, I found it striking.
Then there's Rick. Jaka doesn't approve of his inaction and perceived laziness which hasn't helped them at all as a couple but also finds fault that Rick would help Oscar with his wants instead of helping her. Then comes the traditional argument, the standard view, as a woman, Jaka is only appreciated for her cooking, cleaning, and yes, even sex. It's wholly similar to previous statements made by Cerebus in the same vein, women stay home, cook, and have babies. It's portraying the classic trope and travails of a housewife while also showing her effects on men (unintentional or not) when she does a job to support herself and her husband (who's shown as the classic lazy oaf).
Again, I haven't read this portion of the saga in a quite some time so I don't know beforehand what is going to happen. I would think that Sims is doing this to somehow later compare and perhaps contrast with the effects that Cirin's matriarchy is having on Iestan society.
As for Oscar, I'm trying to keep an open mind. I know that he's featured more so in the next volume but so far, he seems to play haughtiness rather well. And no, I've never any of Wilde so I don't really have a basis to compare against with Sims' caricature here.
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Post by String on Aug 31, 2021 21:18:01 GMT -5
I love the Trek, possibly even more than I love the Wars. I watched all the series faithfully, all the tech manuals I still own along with all the encyclopedias, the trivia books, behind-the-scenes books, even a star charts book. Then there is all the novels I've own & read (and I will say, any Trek novel written by David Mack is a must-buy, must-read for me). But for some reason, when it comes to Trek comics, eh, not so much. The first Trek comic I remember reading is: From the late 70s, I believe. Two good stories with some great art yet I have no idea how I got it back then in my youth. I want to say either as a birthday present or a Christmas present so I must've liked the Trek even at that early age (probably 7-8 at the time). I still own it and even got William Shatner to sign it a few years back when I saw him at a GalaxyCon event (yes, I picked to see, get autographs and have a photo taken with Shatner over David Tennant. Sorry, Tennant, love your Doctor but been a fan of Shatner for far longer). But it wasn't till the early 80s, around the time of Wrath of Khan, Search for Spock that my interest really took off for the franchise. A local TV station was airing the TOS on a more frequent basis which I perused on my first ever personal TV, small and black & white as it was though (and yes, had to adjust the antenna to ensure proper reception). So I was thrilled when DC released their first Trek series back in '84. They followed the movies more strictly but even within that confine I think they did an excellent job. In fact, #9-16 remains one of my all-time favorite story arcs: Say what you will about the possible over-use of the Mirror Universe in the shows but here, Barr crafted an excellent story featuring an invasion by the Terran Empire. I don't know why but yes, Sutton & Villagran CLICKED on the art in this arc and throughout their time on the series. Their panel layouts, shots of the ship action and scenes on the bridge, it evoked a certain feeling that somehow captured the essence of the show and franchise. In fact, I recently acquired a TPB of this Mirror Universe arc published by IDW some years back even though I still own my original issues. This trade and another trade released by Titan Books which collects the first six issues of this DC Trek run are the only collections I know of portion of this series. A shame I think, the whole series needs to be collected. That being said, for some reason when TNG started up soon afterwards and DC released their second Trek series in late '89 which wasn't as tied into the overall TV shows like the previous volume was with the films, I kinda bowed out and have only sporadically checked in ever since. Maybe part of it is because, due to my childhood watching, I fell in love with the franchise with Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the Original crew. So I think I have more of a soft spot for TOS in the comics than the other sub-franchises.
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Post by String on Aug 31, 2021 20:45:07 GMT -5
Jeddak
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Post by String on Aug 27, 2021 11:31:27 GMT -5
I think Scott McCloud pointed this out at some point but it's the rather ubiquitous trope of a random couple/pairing being mugged and/or assaulted usually in a dark alleyway somewhere. Sometimes it's just one or two common criminals, sometimes it's a gang apparently out for kicks late at night.
For example, before the main plot of the issue starts, our stalwart hero will be out on patrol when he (or she) spots the foul deed and swoops in to save the day, thus setting the tone for our hero and the stakes that will soon follow. Judging by how often it's been used though, I should never ever ever visit NYC. For as I soon as I leave the safe confines of JFK airport, I am bound to be mugged and five minutes later, the mugger will probably be mugged.
Thank you Marvel.
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Post by String on Aug 27, 2021 10:57:41 GMT -5
I get the impression that, by only reading the comic and not any of the accompanying editorial/letters pages, I'm not getting the total experience of this saga.
Would that be fair to say?
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Post by String on Aug 27, 2021 10:53:12 GMT -5
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Post by String on Aug 20, 2021 13:53:31 GMT -5
This is quite the lovely surprise for which I am really excited about and can't wait to see. Best part, Disney is releasing both the English dubbed versions and the original Japanese/subtitled versions. Heck, I'll probably watch both.
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