|
|
Post by Cei-U! on Mar 3, 2023 9:29:35 GMT -5
I like Milgrom's art, I really never realized anybody didn't until I joined here. I guess different tastes and all, but whatever people are seeing...I'm pretty sure I'm seeing something different lol. Ain't that sometimes the way. I don't have an issue with his storytelling. It's his draftsmanship that I feel falls short, particularly his figure work which frequently demonstrates poor construction. His use of perspective also leans toward the sloppy. I do tend to prefer his work when inked by others (which is kinda odd since I've often liked his inks over other artists like Starlin and Andru). Milgrom's art has never kept me away from a book but it has certainly never been the incentive to buy one either.
Cei-U! I summon the honest assessment!
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2023 9:43:39 GMT -5
Next up, New Mutants Special Edition 1. This is not only my favorite New Mutants story ever, but also one of my favorite comic books in general. I have re-read it countless times.
By way of background, I absolutely loved the New Mutants series up to that point. As many of us know, what started originally as a still fairly mainstream looking "teen spinoff" of sorts quickly amped up with the Demon Bear storyline and shift to Sienkiewicz' striking art style beginning with issue #18. The main X-Men title was ok still, but this seemed like the "cool" series to be picking up, couldn't wait each month for the next issue.
Then in late 1985 were a series of interrelated little events, the 2-issue X-Men/Alpha Flight limited series with Loki as the bad guy, Loki wanting revenge in the New Mutants Special Edition 1, and the continuation and finale of the story in the Uncanny X-Men Annual #9.
While all of those were fine, again I tend to come back to the New Mutants issue the most frequently. This echoes some of my "coming of age" comments from the Kitty Pryde/Wolverine mini, there was a lot of character exploration and growth/change contained in just 64 pages.
Before I start on the story, I have to mention the art was stunning. I didn't realize how much I was ready for a change from Sienkiewicz as much as I was absolutely smitten by his work up to that point. Art Adams was something very fresh to me, the level of detail and his overall aesthetic really wowed me, and yet Terry Austin (no surprise there) I believe was very instrumental in guiding that finished product. Add the more traditional bright color palette of the time (versus the more experimental tone of the Sienkiewicz issues), it was perfect for the Asgard setting and brought the New Mutants back home to epic hero storytelling.
So much happens, where to start? Well, at the beginning naturally, and the New Mutants team is actually having a light-hearted moment after difficult events from a prior story. They are swimming in a beautiful setting that Storm takes them to and (most) are having fun, it almost seems like a scene out of Beverly Hills 90210. Warlock experimenting with "spawning swimsuits" to wear including the scene where he replicates Illyana's on himself is hilarious.
Things get dark quickly though, as Loki is ready for revenge on the X-Men after the events of the X-Men/Alpha Flight mini. The Enchantress plays a heavy role in making this happen with the New Mutants accidently being transported away instead of the actual X-Men (though Storm ends up in the hands of Loki). Magik tries to teleport them all away to safety, but the Enchantress counters with magic that ends up sending them all to different indvidual locations in Asgard. And there the real stories start.
Some very heavy things in cases. Karma came into this adventure in a very precarious place, her body had been transformed prior to this into an extraordinarily overweight size, and she was at the point of depression to even end it all. She is cast into a desert wasteland, and on the verge of giving up when she encounters a seeming small child also lost. She determines to save the child and find a way back, seemingly months pass by, and her physical weight is being shed during this whole time. Eventually finding her way back to her team, the child mysteriously disappears at the end, but not only is her physical body restored, but very much her soul. Absolutely touching, my favorite personal journey in the book.
Other notable "journeys" occur with Mirage obtaining her winged horse Brightwind and the path with the Valkyries she takes. Magma is actually transformed into a fairy by way of Dark Elf deception, this has significant consequences later on including when the New Mutants eventually are able to return home and not all want to leave, as in the case of Magma who in her new form does not see how she could leave Asgard. Rahne's journey is a very touching story as well, she was always a favorite of mine, so sweet and innocent yet very conflicted in many ways. Not the least of which was "is her true nature more human or more wolf"...and when she encounters a male wolf character in Asgard, and is struck by romantic feelings, her internal conflicts are challenged significantly. I don't think a character like Rahne (as she was then at least) could exist in modern times...gentle souls and introspection are both largely lost arts I think.
Other aspects of the story keep things a little lighter...Sunspot as an example is living it up as a swashbuckler type, his interaction with the Warriors Three is fun and he fits right in with their way of life.
Magik herself I've always found such a compelling character, somewhat like Raven from the Teen Titans carrying the burden of perpetually repressing "evil" from within, the tragic aftermath of her time with Belasco along with the childhood stolen from her. She is treated cruelly by the Enchantress in this story, and her journey is not an easy one either.
Well...that's a lot of commentary for again all of 64 pages (with a few references to events subsequent), and I'm still leaving out a number of things. Even beyond all of the New Mutants storyline I mentioned above, I think this was also one of the most intriguing explorations of Asgard, maybe another reason I love this book so much.
|
|
|
|
Post by Roquefort Raider on Mar 3, 2023 10:41:52 GMT -5
Next up, New Mutants Special Edition 1. This is not only my favorite New Mutants story ever, but also one of my favorite comic books in general. I have re-read it countless times. By way of background, I absolutely loved the New Mutants series up to that point. As many of us know, what started originally as a still fairly mainstream looking "teen spinoff" of sorts quickly amped up with the Demon Bear storyline and shift to Sienkiewicz' striking art style beginning with issue #18. The main X-Men title was ok still, but this seemed like the "cool" series to be picking up, couldn't wait each month for the next issue. Then in late 1985 were a series of interrelated little events, the 2-issue X-Men/Alpha Flight limited series with Loki as the bad guy, Loki wanting revenge in the New Mutants Special Edition 1, and the continuation and finale of the story in the Uncanny X-Men Annual #9. While all of those were fine, again I tend to come back to the New Mutants issue the most frequently. This echoes some of my "coming of age" comments from the Kitty Pryde/Wolverine mini, there was a lot of character exploration and growth/change contained in just 64 pages. Before I start on the story, I have to mention the art was stunning. I didn't realize how much I was ready for a change from Sienkiewicz as much as I was absolutely smitten by his work up to that point. Art Adams was something very fresh to me, the level of detail and his overall aesthetic really wowed me, and yet Terry Austin (no surprise there) I believe was very instrumental in guiding that finished product. Add the more traditional bright color palette of the time (versus the more experimental tone of the Sienkiewicz issues), it was perfect for the Asgard setting and brought the New Mutants back home to epic hero storytelling. With a Saturday Night Live reference too! The artwork was really excellent. Art Adams was brilliant from the very beginning of his career and he never disappointed. My only reservation about the whole issue is that it often felt like Chris Claremont was a fan of Walt Simonson's Thor and wanted to do the same thing; seeing Storm getting her own hammer (à la Beta Ray Bill) or Karma losing weight in the desert (à la Balder) gave one a strong sense of déjà vu. (My, how many grave accents in that sentence!) |
|
|
|
Post by EdoBosnar on Mar 3, 2023 12:09:10 GMT -5
... (My, how many grave accents in that sentence!) Yes, it really needs more aigu... |
|
|
|
Post by Batflunkie on Mar 3, 2023 12:11:36 GMT -5
I like Milgrom's art, I really never realized anybody didn't until I joined here. I guess different tastes and all, but whatever people are seeing...I'm pretty sure I'm seeing something different lol. Ain't that sometimes the way. There have been very few times where I've had problems with the way the art looks in a comic where it detracts from the story. I've seen a lot of people hate on Frank Robbins. Personally, I like his art, it has a very "Saturday Morning" cartoon flair to it I've also seen people hate on Gil Kane. Yeah, maybe his later stuff was a little rough (almost like Kirby's DC and later 70's Marvel work), but he was a consistent worker |
|
|
|
Post by Ozymandias on Mar 4, 2023 0:54:18 GMT -5
I like Milgrom's art, I really never realized anybody didn't until I joined here. I guess different tastes and all, but whatever people are seeing...I'm pretty sure I'm seeing something different lol. Ain't that sometimes the way. I liked the style and composition, but as an artist, he missed too many classes. Inking was his thing. |
|
|
|
Post by jason on Mar 4, 2023 1:47:34 GMT -5
Just read the Spider-Man arc involving Peter marrying Mary Jane. It's surprisingly realistic with both Peter and MJ wondering if they're doing the right thing, but of course, ends with a happy ending. The story prior to the wedding, with Spider-Man vs a Spider-Slayer, also has some pretty good action scenes in it.
|
|
Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,190 
|
Post by Confessor on Mar 4, 2023 4:29:45 GMT -5
I like Milgrom's art, I really never realized anybody didn't until I joined here. I guess different tastes and all, but whatever people are seeing...I'm pretty sure I'm seeing something different lol. Ain't that sometimes the way. I like his art too. I think he's underrated, though I also accept that a good inker improved him no end. Just read the Spider-Man arc involving Peter marrying Mary Jane. It's surprisingly realistic with both Peter and MJ wondering if they're doing the right thing, but of course, ends with a happy ending. The story prior to the wedding, with Spider-Man vs a Spider-Slayer, also has some pretty good action scenes in it. I liked the wedding issues too -- I bought them as they came out. Getting married seemed like a natural and very interesting evolution of Peter's character. That Spider-Slayer arc that was also happening at the time was good fun. The proposal or decision to get married did kinda come a bit out of nowhere (due to the fact that Marvel capriciously decided it would be a good publicity stunt), but on the other hand, I saw it as no different to how soldiers in wartime will often get married quite quickly. Peter was, after all, putting his life on the line most days as Spider-Man, so him and MJ getting married so suddenly did at least feel like a symptom of Peter's circumstances. |
|
|
|
Post by EdoBosnar on Mar 4, 2023 7:52:10 GMT -5
So this morning I decided to take advantage of a quiet, work-free morning (and take a break from a rather massive prose book I've been reading) and finish up the remaining stories I hadn't got around to reading in my Adventures of Superman: Jose Luis Garcia Lopez book (reviews of some of my readings can be found somewhere upthread). Anyway, today's reading encompassed two that I had read before, albeit over 40 years ago, and two that I read for the first time... DC Comics Presents #4(written by Len Wein)  Both Supes and the Metal Men, responding to different crises (a giant waterspout in the middle of the Atlantic and Chemo rampaging through Metropolis), find that their powers seem to be weakened or not functioning properly. They learn that it has something to do with disturbances on the sun, in turn caused by some kind of magnetic ray shot from the Earth. The culprit turns out to be B-lister villain IQ (Ira Quimby). Will our heroes be able to foil his dastardly plans before he causes the sun to go supernova? DC Comics Presents #17(written by Jerry Conway; inks by Steve Mitchell)  Superman is convinced by some scientists at STAR Labs to take the ill-advised step of thawing out Killer Frost from some kind of deep freeze. When she unfreezes, she puts Superman under her thrall and uses him as a pawn in a scheme to take over the planet (and get back at all those men who wronged her). Prof. Martin Stein was around to witness this, and his agitation triggers his merger with Ronny Raymond into Firestorm. But powerful as he is, can the nuclear man go toe-to-toe with Superman and foil Killer Frost's dastardly scheme? DC Comics Presents #20(story by Denny O'Neil; inks by Joe Giella)  An agitated man is in Metropolis desperate to get a hold of Clark Kent with an ominous warning about the misdeeds of a corrupt rich guy named Bo Force, but he only manages to leave a message on the reporter's answering machine. Then he gets shot and killed by a pair of hired thugs in his hotel. This was witnessed by none other than Green Arrow, who is staying at the same hotel as Oliver Queen. GA goes out west to investigate Force, but gets captured and trussed up on a platform above a geyser that spouts some kind of strange, volatile water that can fuel cars. Supes, having finally heard the message on his answering machine, flies out to see what's up, but will he arrive in time to save GA and foil Force from carrying out his dastardly machinations? DC Comics Presents #31(story by Gerry Conway; inks by Dick Giordano)  In Gotham City, Robin is prowling around a small-time traveling circus one night because he suspects something odd is afoot. Namely, earlier that day while attending that same circus with a date in his civilian identity as Dick Grayson, he recognized one of the clowns, named Waldo, as someone whom he had known as a child when he performed as part of the Flying Graysons. However, Waldo not only shows no signs of recognizing Dick, as he also seems to be in a glassy-eyed trance. Robin stumbles onto an odd scene in the big tent after hours: all of the circus performers are involved in some kind of ritual to punish Waldo, and they're being ordered around by a booming telepathic voice. Also, the circus strongman ends up being an also entranced Superman! Robin gets captured and placed under mental control as well. Will he and Superman ever break free of the mysterious telepath's thrall and find a way to foil his dastardly reign of terror? The first two I'd read previously, the last two were new to me. DCCP #20 I didn't really like at all, both because the story is so disjointed and silly and because Giella's inking is a real mismatch with JLGL's art. The two written by Conway are all right, but nothing spectacular. The story in DCCP #4 worked the best for me. It's a simple done-in-one that still involves a potentially Earth-shattering crisis. Kind of like the stories in the first three issues of the series, it probably doesn't even really fit in to the continuity of DC at the time, but who cares? It's a fun little story with huge stakes that's kind of reminiscent of the Silver Age in general, or earlier Bronze Age Brave & the Bold. |
|
|
|
Post by majestic on Mar 4, 2023 10:11:03 GMT -5
I actually liked Frank Robbins on Invaders. I felt it captured the Golden Age look that the title was supposed to portray.
|
|
|
|
Post by arfetto on Mar 6, 2023 18:25:03 GMT -5
Lately, "cowboys" and "pirates" have been on my mind and in my eyes.
Recently I read the first three Jonah Hex stories in the Weird Western Tales Jonah Hex collection. The first story, Welcome to Paradise, (from All-Star Western 10, 1972, writer: John Albano, artist: Tony DeZuniga) was a great intro to the character.  Hex cleans out a gang of outlaws located in the town of Paradise Corners, but despite his helpfulness, the residents are still afraid of him due to his appearance, occupation and reputation. The only person in town that takes a liking to Hex is a young boy. Hex ends up saving the boy's mother from outlaws and the boy invites Hex to dinner. Hex starts to think he may like this corner of Paradise. He pays off the mother's back-taxes with some of the money he received from taking out the bandits, and inquires about a house to buy in or near the town, but the nervous townsfolk tell him no one is selling. Hex realizes he is being cast out, but at least decides to have dinner with the boy and his mother before leaving. When he arrives at their home, the boy's mother fires on him and tells him he is not welcome. The boy tries to join up with Hex and leave out of town, but Hex lies and says he hates the kid so the boy will stay home. The second story, The Hundred Dollar Deal (from All-Star Western 11, 1972, writer: John Albano, artist: Tony DeZuniga), was also enjoyable. An injured man sticks-up Hex and steals his horse, but the horse throws the thief off and he falls unconscious. Hex could just leave the man, but upon seeing the descending buzzards decides to help him instead. After regaining consciousness, the man thanks Hex and offers him one hundred dollars if Hex escorts him safely back to his sister's farm and deals with the ranch-hands after them. Hex agrees, and as he stays at the farm while the man heals (and also takes care of the ranch-hands), Hex starts to take a liking to the man's "sister", even wondering if she wants to marry him. "Sister" turns out to actually be the thief's wife, and when Hex finds out he takes the husband-and-wife
thief team to jail. The third story, "Promise to a Princess" (from Weird Western Tales 12, 1972, writer: John Albano, artist: Tony DeZuniga) I did not enjoy quite as much as the first two, but it was still worth reading. It is a bit of a downer though haha.
I did really like this image of Hex reaching for his gun in the third story.
In this one, Hex deals with a town that is intentionally infecting a nearby native tribe with disease. Very fitting art in all three stories.
The aspect I enjoyed most about these Hex stories is simply Hex's desire to belong. He is lonely and would love to fit in or have a companion or friend. I enjoy this character trait for him and I look forward to reading the rest of this collection.
I also recently re-read (from February 27th to March 6th)  One Piece Chapters 1-603 (1997-2011) by Eiichiro Oda. I feel that is a lot of chapters to read in such a short time frame, but I was hooked and had a vacation to just read. I'm satisfied with the end results of my work break haha. I think the greatest compliment I can give to a comic series is to type something like "I read a lot of this in a little amount of time". This is the mark of readability haha. One Piece is an addictive page-turner with a lot of forward momentum.
The sense of scope and adventure in this comic is off the charts. I love the art style, the characters, the humor, the action, the creativity, and most of all the emotions on the page and the emotions it gives me while reading.
Reading chapters from 1997 to 2011, I am very impressed seeing the creator's vision come to life over the years like this. Starting with a simple premise and building up a coherent and "living" world with each chapter. The comic didn't get cancelled, the creator didn't get burnt out, and it just kept going at a steady pace with a high quality level. Seldom does this get to happen in such volume (One Piece is over 1070 chapters now at about 19 pages per chapter, or 100+ volumes, all by the same writer/artist) in the world of comics, so I think it is a great occasion when it does.
Me in my reading room while going through the 60 volumes in like a week haha:  |
|
|
|
Post by commond on Mar 6, 2023 18:31:15 GMT -5
Now i'm kind of ashamed of how many years it's taken me to get close to 600 chapters of Kingdom.
|
|
Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,190
|
Post by Confessor on Mar 7, 2023 9:14:55 GMT -5
The aspect I enjoyed most about these Hex stories is simply Hex's desire to belong. He is lonely and would love to fit in or have a companion or friend. I enjoy this character trait for him and I look forward to reading the rest of this collection. Not wanting to spoil anything for you, but that character trait or motivation doesn't last long. In those earliest appearances he was definitely a tragic figure: a disfigured gunfighter, with a heart of gold, who was shunned by society for the way he looked. That was followed by him becoming more of a ruthless, but fair-hearted, anti-hero, very much in the clasic Clint Eastwood "Man with No Name" mould. Jonah's character definitely softened in mid '80s though. As you get towards the end of the first Jonah Hex series, which ran from 1977-1985, he sort of became like a one man A-Team: righting wrongs and settling scores for the defenceless, abused and exploited -- very often for free!! Which, of course, is very different to his Weird Western Tales appearances in the early '70s and how he was in the early '80s in his own title. |
|
|
|
Post by commond on Mar 7, 2023 9:21:40 GMT -5
Jonah continues to cut a tragic figure with regard to his love life, and when they reveal his ultimate fate, it is brutal. Jonah cursing God during a thunderstorm is one of the high points of the story.
|
|
|
|
Post by commond on Mar 7, 2023 9:26:43 GMT -5
Jonah is also wrongfully accused of murder and being a traitor. The more I think about it, the more miserable his lot is. Even his backstory is full of misery.
|
|
