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Post by hondobrode on Sept 2, 2017 1:45:49 GMT -5
Making my way through Invincible, coming up on issue 100.
The series is incredible.
Kirkman started off fairly simply setting the foundation and has built quite the complex web of characters, stories and possibilities.
I'm very impressed.
Villains become heroes and vice-versa, which is really cool to see, as some of us having evolved, or devolved, from previous beliefs or attitudes when we were younger.
Also, there is blood.
Lots of blood, violence and gore.
Not like an Avatar comic extreme amount, but in a way it's kind of refreshing that no punches are pulled.
People age, time gets played with, as in stretched and compressed.
Aliens can be pretty alien, but surprisingly human in many ways too.
Allegiances shift
Politics and the question of the greater good come into play.
Some really great stuff here.
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Post by Trevor on Sept 2, 2017 10:27:48 GMT -5
Greg Smallwood did a really interesting mini series for Dark Horse a few years back based on a character cursed with an aboriginal mask that caused him to slide into the Dreamtime and wake up in other bodies. It is otherwise a crime/vengeance story. I believe Jai Nitz was the writer, but I can't recall the title offhand. I really dug his work on that, but haven't seen any of his other work. -M Looks pretty interesting; volume one still sitting in my unread pile. digital.darkhorse.com/series/420/dream-thief |
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Post by Spike-X on Sept 3, 2017 2:28:15 GMT -5
I've been a big Lemire fan for a while (his writing, anyway) but he totally sold me on his recent Moon Knight run. I think he's right up there with Ennis and Aaron as my favorite modern writer. Might have to check this out Lemire writes Black Hammer at Dark Horse and Bloodshot at Valiant, two of my favorite indie superhero titles. Honestly, two of the very best. Black Hammer is great. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2017 21:58:52 GMT -5
I read Nightmare World Volume 1: Thirteen Tales of Terror by Dirk Manning and friends, published by Devil's Due/First Comics. It's one of the books I picked up from Dirk yesterday at Super Fly's 10th anniversary celebration. It's 13 8 page horror stories each by a different art team, and a prose vignette at the end that puts a twist on the stories you have just read after the fact. It has a foreword by Arvid Nelson, writer of Rex Mundi, one of my favorite unheralded comic series of the last 15 years.
Each story stands on its own and explores different areas of horror from Cthulhu mythos tales to slasher films to horrors from folklore and the Bible, but piece by piece they begin to weave a larger tapestry, which the vignette on the end starts to shed light on. The stores from the next three volumes continue to weave this larger tapestry in the same manner form what I understand, but continue to stand alone on their own as well.
The stories were well crafted and addictive. I planned on just reading one or two last night before going to sleep and wound up devouring the first half of the book, and finished the other half in one sitting this afternoon after we got back from Columbus. The art styles vary from story to story, but all are at least competent and the visual storytelling is top notch in each story and consistent throughout a testament to the writer/project overseer which in this case is the same person-Dirk. Some of the art is very, very good, some merely competent but all of it gets the job done and tells the stories well. It is tough to master the 8 page format, the pace it it well, flesh out the characters develop and resolve the plot all in a very limited space. It needs to be tight and well crafted, and these stories are.
I look forward to tracking down the rest of the volumes and checking out other stuff form Dirk based on what I read here.
-M
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2017 18:20:20 GMT -5
Read Doctor Fate Vol. 3 Fateful Threads by Paul Levitz, Sonny Liew, Brendan McCarthy and others. It collects issues 13-18 of the Doctor Fate series, the final 6 issues in the series. I quite enjoyed the series overall, and despite Liew only doing 2 of the final 6 issues, this trade in particular. The final 2 issues byMcCarthy had a particularly trippy otherwoldly feel that was fitting for the story and eye candy at its best. These 6 issues basically finish Khalid's journey of becoming a hero. He is mentored by Kent Nelson in the first handful of issues and comes face to face with Thoth who crafted the helm and confined Nabu within in the latter issues basically fulfilling the outer journey, supernatural mentor, meeting of the divine and the return parts of the Campbellian monomyth cycle.
Like any series cancelled before its time, there are unresolved aspects, particularly in Khalid's private life, but the major plots all drew to a close with Khalid completing the hero's journey. I like Khalid as a character and the subplots revolving around his family, romantic life and supporting class were important aspects of this series, and were a bit young Peter Parker-esque in their feel.
It's a shame the book didn't catch on, but in a sense it was doomed from the start being condemned by the anti-diversity crowd because it featured an Arab-American lead and not Kent Nelson even though the passing of the mantle of Fate is ingrained into the fabric of the Fate character for 25 years now, and passed on by those who would not accept the ind/cartoony style of Sonny Liew's art simply because it didn't fit their view of what super-hero comic book art should look like despite the fact Liew is a phenomenal visual storyteller. So it had two strikes against it before it even started, so I am not surprised it didn't find an audience despite it being exactly the kind of fresh, original and creative take on super-heroes fans always say they want because they never actually mean that and they never actually support books like that with their wallet.
But we got 18 issues of excellent visual storytelling and a completed main plot, so I can't complain too much. And I've got 3 trades of material to revisit when the mood strikes me.
-M
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Post by Spike-X on Sept 5, 2017 19:59:46 GMT -5
I finished iZombie last night. As I'd been warned, the last volume was very rushed as Roberson worked frantically to finish the story before his departure from DC. It wasn't a bad ending, but probably could have been better had circumstances been different.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2017 20:52:28 GMT -5
Continuing my way through Sweet Tooth. Read Volumes 3 and 4 this afternoon/evening. Still digging this very much. The more I read of Lemire's creator-owned stuff, the more I like, and I find he is a very good visual story teller as an artist. His style would be at odds with a mainstream super-hero book, but it works well here (and in Trillium which was where I first discovered his non-mainstream stuff). Unlike a lot of books, Lemire has kept me guessing through this, and the twists and turns of the story have keep me hooked. The characters are well-developed too, and all too human in their strengths and failings.
-M
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Post by Spike-X on Sept 6, 2017 22:29:03 GMT -5
Yeah, Sweet Tooth is pretty great.
His current series from Image, Descender, is really good. And the art is absolutely beautiful.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2017 22:55:26 GMT -5
Yeah, Sweet Tooth is pretty great. His current series from Image, Descender, is really good. And the art is absolutely beautiful. I've picked up the first 3 trades (I think, have to double check, I.m current but another is due to be released soon I think) and love this series. One of my current favorites. -M |
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Post by Spike-X on Sept 7, 2017 20:49:19 GMT -5
Yeah, Sweet Tooth is pretty great. His current series from Image, Descender, is really good. And the art is absolutely beautiful. I've picked up the first 3 trades (I think, have to double check, I.m current but another is due to be released soon I think) and love this series. One of my current favorites. -M The 4th volume of Descender came out a few weeks ago. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2017 20:58:42 GMT -5
I've picked up the first 3 trades (I think, have to double check, I.m current but another is due to be released soon I think) and love this series. One of my current favorites. -M The 4th volume of Descender came out a few weeks ago. Aaargh, now I need to track it down, but yeah! more Descender. -M |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2017 21:06:25 GMT -5
The 4th volume of Descender came out a few weeks ago. Aaargh, now I need to track it down, but yeah! more Descender. -M I had to order something else for the house from Amazon anyways, so I just did and added Descender Vol. 4 to the order. Will have it in my grubby little hands Saturday! -M |
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Post by Spike-X on Sept 7, 2017 22:56:43 GMT -5
Wash your hands before you read it! Don't smudge that beautiful artwork!
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Post by urrutiap on Sept 8, 2017 12:14:17 GMT -5
earlier today i started reading the newer Uncanny Avengers comic series. Read up to issue 6.
First couple of issues pretty decent I guess. Hope the other issues including the recent issues are good and not boring from Secret Empire stuff
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Post by Deleted on Sept 9, 2017 21:45:19 GMT -5
REad Volume 2 of The Wicked + The Divine, Fandemonium over the last two days. What a ride. It is deceptively paced. It feels a little slow at times, lots of conversations and monologues, but when you look up at the end of the volume you realize so much has happened. The book has been turned on its ear, and left you with a whoa, did that just happen feeling and sends you looking for the next volume. At some point I will catch up with the current series and have a lag between volumes, but for now I have volume 3 waiting for me, but I also have Descender Vol. 4 and the last 2 Sweet Tooth volumes (among many others in the to read pile) calling to me too, so not sure which I will dive into next.
-M
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