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Post by masterofquackfu on Nov 12, 2016 7:11:59 GMT -5
First off, I do think think trade paperbacks, Epic line, Essentials, etc. are very good. They offer a good amount of issues for a decent price. They are usually well put together and would seem to really have a way to reduce buying individual back issues. However, I have found that I actually prefer individual issues rather than the mass collection formats. Perhaps I am old school(been reading comics since 1976), but I just find the mass collection books too..pretty. Yes, the coloring is sharp..computerized and all. And there are none of the cheesy bodybuilding ads and selling Grit magazine or seeds. And the absence of the letters page. So, the mass collections are a clean and organized version and that is exactly what I dislike about them. I like the feeling of the individual issues as they relate to time. I enjoy holding a comic book that someone held fresh off the presses in 1976. I like the fact that the coloring is not sharp and is rather faded. I also find I enjoy the cheesy comic book ads now because it gives them a sense of character that you simply would not find in books these days. I like seeing the letter pages and reading those old thoughts from many moons ago. Perhaps it all reminds me of my youthful days of reading comics. Certainly, there is part of the reason. But I just think I enjoy the overall gritty nature of the old battered comic and its representation of time. For example, I read the Fury of Iron Fist...Marvel Epic line. Then I read a couple of Iron Fist issues that I had that were in the volume. I just notice a vast chasm of difference in the reading experience. I found the Epic book to just be too good...a feeling of being a bit sterile. The colors "popped" too much for my taste and there didn't seem to be a feeling of time with this volume(I believe it is from 2015 or so). Now, take the Iron Fist comics..colors were a bit dull...the print smeared at certain points...the sundry comic book ads..the letters page...It all just felt..real. More like it was personal experience. And again, thinking back to how this book had traversed years and, likely, many people to arrive in my hands. I also did a similar reading with the Champions trade paperback from years ago. The result? I find I enjoy the individual issues MUCH more than the volume collections. The experience between the two is like night and day to me. As a result, I am done buying any of the collected volumes. Any thoughts?
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Post by masterofquackfu on Nov 5, 2016 10:28:00 GMT -5
Lone Star is where I order from. Better selection and lower prices than Mile High. I used to order from Chuck, but after realizing that the prices were so much higher and the selection lacking, I went with Lone Star and will continue to order from them. Excellent company.
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Post by masterofquackfu on Oct 6, 2016 11:12:35 GMT -5
I've read Champions #13. In it, the Champs battle Kamo Tharn and various other machinations. I really feel that the Champions were starting to really solidify their team when their book was discontinued. Byrne did a great job and was really starting to establish the artistic look of the team. I especially liked the additions of Black Goliath and Darkstar. For Marvel to end this book just as it was beginning to finally ascend(as they did with Iron Fist) is really unacceptable. The book never really got a chance(17 issues). Yes, it was a bit X-Men lite, but it was really a fairly decent group, I think. Perhaps cutting Hercules would have been the best move since I don't really consider him a "team" guy.
Also, I read a couple issues of Kull. The Destroyer version. A good solid S&S character, but middling in terms of development. Of course, he'll always play second fiddle to Conan, but he did have an interesting series of stories. I liked the art and the writing was solid. I felt like Kull had too many limitations and there was no chance he could continue in the same manner as Conan. The books are fun to read and I'll read them again, I'm sure...but there is not much memorable in them and I could easily see myself selling these down the road because there is nothing that really screams, "classic!"
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Post by masterofquackfu on Oct 6, 2016 10:08:52 GMT -5
For me, print will always trump digital. I just like to have the physical copy in my hands. I also like the various ads and I like the feel of old, beat up comic books. And that smell as well...just reminds me of the 70's. Can't find that with the digital books. In my opinion, they are just too clean as well. I don't like the perfection of the colors...I like the flaws in the old print comics. I also like being able to take the comic with me anyplace(I don't have a Smartphone, just a basic one) and reading it whenever and wherever I am. Don't get me wrong...I have read a few digital comics. It is a great medium. I also like the fact that you don't need storage space(which is my only real peeve about collecting comic books).
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Post by masterofquackfu on Sept 19, 2016 21:00:32 GMT -5
I'm really enjoying this series. I've read half of it so far. My only complaint is that is too "pretty." The digital coloring is so clean that I feel the series loses a bit of its grit. I have really enjoyed the issues with characters like Batroc and Angar the Screamer. I'm now getting close to the issues with the Wrecking Crew and X-Men, so looking forward to those. Claremont and Byrne were a helluva team. In all, despite being a bit pricey, this collection is well worth it...an excellent Bronze Age title that was discontinued right as it was ascending.
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Post by masterofquackfu on Sept 13, 2016 13:05:08 GMT -5
Ah..the 90's. The good old days..the day before our lives were ruled by cell phones and the Internet. It was the last time that I bought comic books regularly(up until about '97). Someone mentioned Wizard...and I used to love that magazine...used to read it during my lunch break..loved the humor. I read a myriad of titles...had my share of favorites...remember buying New Warriors #1 off the spinner racks in the summer of 1990. Thought they'd actually be a book that would have some longevity, but Marvel by then was deciding that it didn't want titles to continue indefinitely. I always felt that Marvel dropped the ball on the New Warriors. Also, like someone mentioned, I loved Quasar. Gruenwald did a really good job with that title...very underrated book, imo. I was pretty much buying Quasar and the New Warriors regularly. What else...oh, Silver Surfer, Warlock. I also liked Ghost Rider. And also, of course, the Avengers, FF,etc. I'm sure I'm forgetting a tons of other titles that I read, but what I mentioned above would have been the highlights. Yeah, the 90's were the last glory days for comic books..the 00's have been atrocious. I'd say I've bought about 10 comic books of the rack since 2000(and about 7 of those were during my vacation in 2005 when I needed some reading for the beach). I simply don't like the direction of how the art is favored over the actual story in the 00's. You can finish a comic book in less than 10 minutes. Oh, and they want you to shell out $3-4 per issues..uh, no thanks. I'll stick to the Bronze Age titles. The one thing I absolutely didn't like was the shameless money grab by comic companies. The multiple #1 cover variants as well as the endless stream of gimmicky covers(hologram covers,ugh). Complete greed by Marvel and the rest and was probably the catalyst for why I no longer buy any current comic books(although, regretfully, I recently shelled out money for the Iron Fist '70's collection...aargggh). However, I really am enjoying reading those old Bronze Age Iron Fist tales and Marvel won't ever make that much money off me very often....so, meh, why not just once. But the 90's was the last time before we were bombarded by the Internet, so, in a way, I view it as a more innocent time.
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Post by masterofquackfu on Aug 16, 2016 10:07:28 GMT -5
Hi,
Just ordered this bad boy a few days ago. A little pricey, but considering it is Bronze age material(and in full color), I think it is worth it. I covers Iron Fist's appearances in Marvel Premiere(11 issues), all 15 issues of his own series and 2 issues of Marvel Team-Up. So, looks like 28 issues and I've previously read only 3...so that means 25 comics with Iron Fist that I've never read. Looking forward to it. Wondering if anyone out there as read this collection and what are some of your opinions about it. Thanks.
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Post by masterofquackfu on Aug 16, 2016 10:01:18 GMT -5
I guess that I would say that I'm a more casual reader of comics. I enjoy reading them, but I am not really concerned with continuity. I don't need to fit story arcs within the context of a character and, really, I wouldn't care if Thor or the Avengers appeared in every title at the same time. I read comics for escape. If I want continuity, well, I find that every single day of my life in the lovely world of reality. I don't want such regimentation when I'm dealing with fantasy. For those that are insistent upon continuity in their comics, why is it so important to you?
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Post by masterofquackfu on Aug 16, 2016 9:53:01 GMT -5
As I am considering books that I never really got into back in the day(70's, 80's, 90's), one of the ones that I've been thinking about is Power Pack. I bought a few issues of the title during its run, but always came off as relatively unimpressed. I guess the fact that they were all children may have played a part in my lack of inspiration for the title. Anyhow, just wondering if there were any Power Pack fans out there and, if so, what is it about the book that really drew you to it? Thanks.
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Post by masterofquackfu on Aug 15, 2016 12:43:29 GMT -5
Not sure if they are classics, but I read Dazzler #9 and Ms. Marvel #6. It was the first time that I had read either title. I just never found Ms. Marvel interesting in the 70's and Dazzler didn't do it for me in the 80's, so I just ignored them. I found both characters interesting. Sure, Dazzler is a bit cheesy with that light power and the disco ball and skates, but I do think that she had/has good potential. In issue #9, she is used as an experiment by Project Pegasus in determining her level of power(mutant). Was cool to see Solarr because he is hardly ever seen. Also, Klaw featured prominently in the book. Dazzler eventually absorbed Klaw. Speaking of which, I really think Marvel dropped the ball on Klaw, like they did the Wizard. Made them more typical super villain parodies than anything. So, I must admit that I liked reading Dazzler. The same with Ms. Marvel. This one was written by Claremont and although the dialogue can be insipid at times, it nonetheless is a decent story with good art. The villain is Grotesk, who thought was terribly portrayed...lack of depth as well as a Frankensteinish quality. Not impressed with this villain. Ms. Marvel is okay, although I felt that they portrayed her as being a bit too weak. And the constant, "keep swinging, kid" mentality of the character was a bit annoying. Anyhow, I'd rank it much lower than Dazzler. Here's the scale:
Dazzler(#9): 7.5/10 Ms. Marvel(#6): 6/10
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Post by masterofquackfu on Jul 25, 2016 9:31:28 GMT -5
The Champs. Well, they've also been maligned and pretty much considered outcasts..damaged goods..in the Marvel universe. Hell, Marvel didn't care enough to even extend the copyright on this team. I know the concept was bit hokey..having the Black Widow, Hercules, Angel, Ghost Rider, etc. team up...yeah, they made the Defenders look like a tight knit group. But, they've kind of grown on me a bit. Kind of like a secret pleasure. It is such an oddball group that it makes for quite a novel and interesting concept. They only survived for 17 issues, but I feel that it is one that deserves a little more respect in comic lore than it has received. Any opinions on this team?
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Post by masterofquackfu on Jul 25, 2016 9:25:19 GMT -5
can't stand now. For me, it is Captain America. Back in the day(the 70's), Cap was my guy. I read his comics and played him whenever my friends and I would have our super hero battles. I used a garbage can lid as my shield. I would say that I LOVED Cap. But, time changes you..the wistful days of youth are now a memory and so these days, maybe it is due to pessimism or the destruction of idealism, but I really can't stand the character any more. Even when I watched Avengers, I just don't care for him. Perhaps I see him as being too perfect in his views..too moral..a bit pretentious. I don't know, but I honestly can't stand 'ol Cap any longer. Where's that dark side? Anyhow, that's just me. What about other people out there? Which character(s) can you no longer stand?
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Post by masterofquackfu on Jul 25, 2016 9:12:36 GMT -5
For me, I haven't bought a comic book off the stands since 2005...a few DC titles because I was so underwhelmed by the offerings of Marvel. I think at that time they were close to $3. Since then, I have not purchased any "contemporary" titles. I simply can't justify spending $3-5 for one comic book that can be read so quickly. I also hate the anime type look that seems to be popular and it seems that the art dominates and the story is secondary. Scant dialogue but booming pages of art don't do it for me. Just not my thing. I like balance...good art and a good(or fairly good) story. I also don't like the fact that Marvel constantly seems to kill off titles at the drop of a hat and then, whenever something is popular, they lock onto it like a lamprey and try to extract as much money from it as possible. Marvel has just gotten too arrogant. They don't make any money from me any longer because I just buy back issues from independent dealers and I don't watch their movies unless I can get them online for free or a pirated dvd. For me, I will remember the old Marvel and continue to buy the cheapie, beat up older Fair condition books that people don't give a damn about. The new stuff..well, it can burn.
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Post by masterofquackfu on Jul 13, 2016 6:48:34 GMT -5
Rick Jones. Yeah, he was pretty bad. I found him more annoying, so I can't say I loathe him. Besides, I never read enough comic books with him in it. Franklin Richards? Now that is an annoying little shit. A useless parasite of the FF. Aside from the Skrulls, I have equal disdain for him.
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Post by masterofquackfu on Jul 12, 2016 8:03:53 GMT -5
Well, even though I am not really a fan of Marvel these days(I think they've gotten too arrogant and aren't the same company they used to be), I guess I would consider myself as a "Marvel guy" because I grew up with their characters(and vice versa). As far as DC, I could never get into them. The only comic of theirs that I really liked back in the day was the All-Star Squadron. That has pretty much been it. I've probably read less than 50 books in my entire life(and I'm an older guy). Superman? Not interesting. Batman? Not really that interesting...a bit, but not really compelling enough. DC also had the "childish" theme attached to their books, so I found the stories a bit hokey and the characters a bit less developed than Marvel. Sometimes I wonder if I should have paid more attention to DC and given it a chance. I think the last DC comic I read was in 2005 when I bought a few issues when I was in Guam. The newer Marvel books at the time were dreck and I wanted some comics, so I bought Flash, Wonder Woman, etc. Decent reads, but never made much of an impact...never made me want to buy any more issues or titles. And, frankly, Marvel just has such a superior amount of material, that it is hard for me to find ONE good reason to give DC a chance.
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