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Post by The Cheat on Aug 15, 2015 15:47:28 GMT -5
Finished the Colossal Conan. What a beautiful book, both physically and content wise. Can't believe I tore through it so fast. Not sure what the general standard of the Dark Horse Conan books is, but this gets a high recommendation from me.
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Post by BigPapaJoe on Aug 17, 2015 4:27:51 GMT -5
I've read the first 15 or so issues of Fantastic Four starting from the beginning. I'm at the first Annual right about now. I've had a hard time reading some of the other comic stories around this time from Marvel, including X-Men, Thor via Journey Into Mystery, and The Avengers. I think it took me some time to wrap my head around the time period and the storytelling techniques of the writers at the time. Stan is writing everything I've read thus far too. Fantastic Four is clearly the best from what I'm reading though, and I've taken a break from the other titles to just focus on this for the time. I feel like Stan really nailed the chemistry between Reed, Sue, Ben, and Johnny. Especially Ben and Johnny. Their back and forth banter really does feel like it's in jest, and not too serious. Reading X-Men, I could tell that the same kind of element was tried between the original members and it just wasn't working out for whatever reason. The Sub Mariner makes for a nice anti-hero. There is a little bit of a love triangle going on between Reed, Sue, and Namor (although Reed doesn't seem to know how to fight for his woman much). Dr. Doom is starting to find his nitch as a particular menace that won't go away. All in all it took a few issues from the jump, but I'm starting to like it. Reading the old fan mail letters in the back is a lot more interesting than I thought it would be too. From what I hear, the early Fantastic Four stories was essentially Marvel's main conduit for introducing new characters and concepts. I'm not sure this will happen in the future issues I'm about to read, but apparently all of the news and announcements for the "future" titles and whatever else is going on will be moved to the letters page of Fantastic Four. Pretty cool thus far.
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Post by Hoosier X on Aug 17, 2015 13:08:13 GMT -5
I've read the first 15 or so issues of Fantastic Four starting from the beginning. I'm at the first Annual right about now. I've had a hard time reading some of the other comic stories around this time from Marvel, including X-Men, Thor via Journey Into Mystery, and The Avengers. I think it took me some time to wrap my head around the time period and the storytelling techniques of the writers at the time. Stan is writing everything I've read thus far too. Fantastic Four is clearly the best from what I'm reading though, and I've taken a break from the other titles to just focus on this for the time. I feel like Stan really nailed the chemistry between Reed, Sue, Ben, and Johnny. Especially Ben and Johnny. Their back and forth banter really does feel like it's in jest, and not too serious. Reading X-Men, I could tell that the same kind of element was tried between the original members and it just wasn't working out for whatever reason. The Sub Mariner makes for a nice anti-hero. There is a little bit of a love triangle going on between Reed, Sue, and Namor (although Reed doesn't seem to know how to fight for his woman much). Dr. Doom is starting to find his nitch as a particular menace that won't go away. All in all it took a few issues from the jump, but I'm starting to like it. Reading the old fan mail letters in the back is a lot more interesting than I thought it would be too. From what I hear, the early Fantastic Four stories was essentially Marvel's main conduit for introducing new characters and concepts. I'm not sure this will happen in the future issues I'm about to read, but apparently all of the news and announcements for the "future" titles and whatever else is going on will be moved to the letters page of Fantastic Four. Pretty cool thus far. Lee and Kirby Fantastic Four is just about the best comic book ever.
When I made a Top Ten list for all comics, I put FF #25 and #26 as #2 on the list.
But there's so much great stuff early in the run! One of the first early Marvels I read was FF #4 in a Marvel Treasury edition. That was so great! It was 1975 or 1976 and I had only been reading comics a few months and here was this crazy Sub-Mariner story from the Dark Ages. (It still kinda trips me out that FF #4 was only 14 years old when I read it. It seemed so ancient! An amazing artifact of the past!)
Comics don't get much better than this. It's kind of spotty in the early days. But I love that run that George Roussos inked from #21 to #27. One great story after another. In addition to crazy crazy FF-Avengers-Hulk mash-up, my favorite Dr. Doom story is there! (#23)
And then you get to #36 and the introduction of the Frightful Four and then #44 when Sinnott joins up and it's just one great epic story after another up to #65.
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Post by Farrar on Aug 17, 2015 14:29:32 GMT -5
And then you get to #36 and the introduction of the Frightful Four and then #44 when Sinnott joins up and it's just one great epic story after another up to #65. I'd stretch it out even further--one could look at the series as a continued story from, say, #35 when Sue and Reed become engaged (which leads into #36, the issue Hoosier X mentions) through #67 (since #65 has the beginnings of the Him-Alicia story that ran from #66-67). And then, #68 picks up from #67. The only blip IMO is #73, when there's an intrusive story that continues a story from the Daredevil comic. I always got the sense of the FF as an ongoing saga circa 1965-1968 (I've been reading the Essentials). Stories seemed to organically lead into one another: a story that could have been started and finished in 2 issues, say the Galactus story, was introduced in the second half of an issue (#48), developed in #49, and then concluded in the first half of another issue (#50). The recurring appearances of the Sandman throughout several issues (and the Wizard once or twice) even though they weren't the main villians, added a feeling of continuity. Johnny Storm in his own subplot, away from the FF, then meeting up with them in Annual #4 and leaving again. Great stuff.
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Post by Hoosier X on Aug 17, 2015 14:39:45 GMT -5
And then you get to #36 and the introduction of the Frightful Four and then #44 when Sinnott joins up and it's just one great epic story after another up to #65. I'd stretch it out even further--one could look at the series as a continued story from, say, #35 when Sue and Reed become engaged (which leads into #36, the issue Hoosier X mentions) through #67 (since #65 has the beginnings of the Him-Alicia story that ran from #66-67). And then, #68 picks up from #67. The only blip IMO is #73, when there's an intrusive story that continues a story from the Daredevil comic. I always got the sense of the FF as an ongoing saga circa 1965-1968 (I've been reading the Essentials). Stories seemed to organically lead into one another: a story that could have been started and finished in 2 issues, say the Galactus story, was introduced in the second half of an issue (#48), developed in #49, and then concluded in the first half of another issue (#50). The recurring appearances of the Sandman throughout several issues (and the Wizard once or twice) even though they weren't the main villians, added a feeling of continuity. Johnny Storm in his own subplot, away from the FF, then meeting up with them in Annual #4 and leaving again. Great stuff. You could extend the great days of the FF to the end of the storyline where Ben is kidnapped by Skrulls and taken to the gangster planet to be a gladiator. I think it's #90 to #92.
But I stopped at #66 because that's a major blip to me. I don't like the first Him story much at all. And I love #73! It's great seeing Kirby on some characters he didn't draw that often. I also think the story in #73 is a very logical development from the Daredevil story.
Another blip in that era is any story with Psycho-Man!
Other than those elements, it's all gold! There's ongoing conflicts with the Thinker and the Wizard. (I love the issue where Crystal clobbers the Wizard.) A multi-part Dr. Doom story that I first read in Marvel's Greatest Comics. A lot of great stuff!
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Post by earl on Aug 17, 2015 21:45:26 GMT -5
I haven't been reading too many comics this month. I did on a lark re-read the first part of Grant Morrison's X-men run (aka New X-Men Ultimate Collection Vol. 1). This is basically the "Cassandra Nova" long arc. I first read it on trade a few years ago. I was pretty impressed with it on original reading. It's stylish and has some good moments, but I think over all, I don't think it is not as good as Morrison's DC comic runs like Doom Patrol or Batman/Final Crisis. X-men's history had gotten so wacky, I think kinda both everything and nothing work with the characters. The X-men is pretty much US super hero comics best soap opera. Emma Frost was the bad girl soap star of Morrison's X-men run. I'd suppose Frost and creating Fantomex are the two of the bigger things that have stuck in the X-men afterwards from the run.
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Post by dbutler69 on Aug 18, 2015 7:40:41 GMT -5
Just to chime in on the FF conversation, I think #44 is where the series really took off. I don't know if it's a coincidence that that is when Sinnott started on the book, but anyway, prior to that, the Thing-Hulk fight in #25 and Annual #3 ("Bedlam in the Baxter Building") are the real highlights for me.
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Post by pinkfloydsound17 on Aug 18, 2015 18:11:09 GMT -5
My list of recently read comics includes:
ASM #33- classic cover, great story, very very enjoyable. Definitely one of the better Ditko issues IMO.
Ms Marvel #1- enjoyed it, not as much as I enjoy Captain Marvel though. I have the run minus 2 issues so I will work on completing it.
Death of Captain Marvel- such a beautiful book. Amazing art and a great albeit sad story. Curious how groundbreaking (if at all) this was when it came out. The fact it still touched a cord with me the other week when I read it must mean something
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Post by The Captain on Aug 18, 2015 20:09:47 GMT -5
Just finished the run of Thor from #301 to #336 this morning. These were not good comics (special shout-out to Kurt for warning me ahead of time), and sales were so bad during this period that the book was almost canceled. Thor, after finding out who his real mother was, asks Odin for the boon of being allowed to remain on Earth as long as he wishes; Odin, grateful for Thor's role in defeating the Celestials, grants it to him. At this point, the series becomes painfully mundane, first as Thor/Don Blake tries to restart his practice in New York City, then when he moves to Chicago. Too much street-level boredom and too much delving into politics and race relations and labor relations and whatnot permeated these 35 issues; there was also the typical "video-game villain" that was a staple of Marvel books at this time, because those crazy kids can't get enough of their Pac-Man and such, so let's have a villain come STRAIGHT OUT OF A VIDEOGAME TO GRAB THE KIDS' ATTENTION!!!!! The highlights of this three years were a two-parter with The Crusader as the antagonist that raised questions of faith and fanaticism, and I personally liked the two-parter with Dracula (I have one of the issues signed by Bill Sienkiewicz, who did the cover). Other than those, it was pretty tough going. However, the next book staring at me in the pile has some strange horse-headed alien wearing Thor's clothes and smashing the logo. I think these upcoming issues might be better than the previous three years' worth, but that's based solely on unconfirmed hearsay
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Post by pinkfloydsound17 on Aug 18, 2015 22:17:17 GMT -5
^ I will say it is very enjoyable. I love the artwork and the stories are mythical goodness.
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Post by coveredinbees on Aug 18, 2015 22:30:02 GMT -5
Right now I'm reading the 12 Labors of Wonder Woman tpb. I like the labors, but why the amnesia? So weak. Oh, well. It's not like I've read anything from the Mod era anyway. (yet!)
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Post by Deleted on Aug 18, 2015 22:39:49 GMT -5
Right now I'm reading the 12 Labors of Wonder Woman tpb. I like the labors, but why the amnesia? I read through that trade a year or two ago, and enjoyed it, but had no context going in to read it as I never read any of the WW stuff before or after it. My first real exploration of reading WW (though I was a devoted viewer of the Lynda Carter tv show and Super Friends) came when Perez started on the book post-Crisis, and other than that trade and an odd issue here and there, I haven't read much pre-Crisis WW. I do have the first Showcase and a bunch of late 70s/early 80s issues in my to read pile at some point, but the Twelve Labors was my first exposure ot Bronze Age WW. -M
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Post by Hoosier X on Aug 19, 2015 0:49:37 GMT -5
Right now I'm reading the 12 Labors of Wonder Woman tpb. I like the labors, but why the amnesia? So weak. Oh, well. It's not like I've read anything from the Mod era anyway. (yet!) I have the Green Lantern issue, but I've never read any of the others. It's a 100-Page Super-Spectacular with a bunch of Wonder Woman reprints, including one from the Golden Age! Yay!
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,070
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Post by Confessor on Aug 19, 2015 10:22:13 GMT -5
Outside of reading Marvel's Star Wars series for my review thread, I've also recently read Marvel Team-Up #132, which features an enjoyable (though slightly forgettable) Spider-Man and Mr. Fantastic story. I've also re-read Amazing Spider-Man Annual #5 recently, which is the one where Peter Parker learns that his parents were spies. Far from being the moment when ASM jumped the shark (as some people think it is), I've always found this book to be a rollicking and well executed slice of Silver Age greatness.
The most enjoyable thing I've read lately is the second half of Marvel Masterworks: Doctor Strange Volume 1, which is to say that I read the Dr. Strange portions of Strange Tales #129 - 141. This run of issues starts with a story featuring a TV show with a panel of 3 scientists who attempt to publicly debunk Strange's magic and it then goes into an epic story arc featuring Dormammu and Baron Mordo relentlessly perusing Strange, with appearances from Clea, the Mindless Ones and Eternity among others. These comics are just incredible from an artwork perspective and also from the point of view of their unbridled invention and imagination. Quite simply, these are some of the best Ditko/Lee Doctor Strange comics I have ever read.
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Aug 19, 2015 13:53:05 GMT -5
Have just finished Dark Horse's Herbie Archive Volume 1. It contains the various tryout short stories starting in 1959 for various ACG anthology comics as well as the first 5 issues of his own title. All written by Richard Hughes and drawn by Ogden Whitney. Fantastically whimsical and out and out funny. A breathe of fresh air against all the silly super duper shenanigans in the comic story. Herbie may be one of the most powerful characters there ever was. He can travel through time, walk at fantastic speed through the air or water, talk to animals, might be completely invulnerable and has super strength. But all he would rather do is take naps, be left alone and lick lollipops. As his father says "He's a little fat nothing"
Whitney is perfect as the artist of this strip. Supposedly modeled after what Whitney himself looked like as a child, I can't help but see a resemblance between Herbie and Alan (Hello Mudder,Hello Fadda) Sherman. Richard Hughes does a great job with the scripts as well. Many celebrities show up in these early stories including JFK, Lyndon Johnson, Castro, The Beatles, Elizabeth Taylor and more.
I enjoyed this so much that I now have volume 2 winging its way to my local library. There were 3 volumes in all. Try it out or you might get bopped
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