The comic book thread of comic books
 

when I was a 90's child, I was super into comics. Then I got "too old" for such nonsense. Fast forward a bunch of years and finally we got good film adaptations of Marvel and DC properties and I realized it's perfectly fine to read comics in your 30's so I've found myself back in the hobby.

I don't really see myself as a Collector exactly, but I do prefer physical books/issues to reading them on my tablet. Though I have read plenty on my tablet when it makes a big economic difference. But the point is I def am reading (and re-reading) them for the stories.

Mostly the way I roll is that current series I will actually pick up issue by issue if it's something that really catches my eye enough to stick with. But mostly I'll grab older series in collected trade format.

Anyway, let's use this thread to talk about comics... suggest favorites or classics or show off collections or just talk about what you're reading.

As I said I've been mostly making a comic stop once a week (and will be tonight) so I'll try to update this thread with my weekly purchases along with thoughts on whatever I'm reading that week.

Being an 80's kid I loved comics, and would buy them when I could. I used to love getting a bunch of old 1970's comics from cousins or people who just wanted to be rid of them.

As a kid my faves were Batman, The Hulk, and XMen. I stopped buying comics when I stopped getting an allowance (age 15 or so...)

I got into underground comics my senior year of HS and in college and collected a bunch of RAW, HATE, Crumb, Jimbo, and others like that.

I have since kept reading what I can find, ussually in collected form so I can read moire than one issue at a time.

I do not read many comics these days, as my old eyes hate the look of digitally colorized comic book pages.

I have complete 1st editions of these full runs

Peter Bagge - Hate
Dan Clowes - Eightball
Alan Moore - V for Vendetta
The 1987-89 DC Shadow drawn by Sienkewicz at first then Kyle Baker.

I'm so into Superman I almost throw the word "Kryptonian" into he mix when asked about my religious beliefs irl. I actually use Supes as a mental analogue for Jesus when the old Catholic habits (lolz) kick in. I currently read Action Comics and Superman as well as old trades.

Batman is my other big love. Was very much a DC kid, and Batman made a huge impression. I had a massive collection of Bats comics from a variety of titles in the '90s.

I collected feverishly as a kid. Stopped in high school. Started again in my early 20s. Stopped and started several times, but I'm currently an avid and regular reader of Batman and Detective Comics as well as the aforementioned Supes comics. I read Flash and Justice League here and there. Very little else that's new.

That's all I have for now but I will be frequenting this thread, you can bet your ass.

Also, my favorite artists are Tim Sale, John Romita Jr., Ben Templesmith and Frank Miller. Favorite TPB's include Batman: The Long Halloween, All-Star Superman, Dark Knight Returns/Strikes Again, the Eternals (Gaiman/Romita Jr. reboot), and a bunch of others.

I love Batman too!

alright so first up I'll let y'all know what I picked up tonight...

http://www.previewsworld.com/SiteIma...L024779?type=1






Both of these just sounded interesting to me. I tend to gravitate towards kind of unique (but not silly) side-stories.

I also grabbed Uncanny Avengers #1 thinking it was from the new current series, but it's from the 2012 series. Not what I was after.

Normally I only pick up comics once a week, but that'll be different this week as I'm heading to RI Comic Con on Saturday. :D

What's with Spider-Man's Bat-Family?

I kind of hate Spider-Man.

Superman, Batman! Captain America, Daredevil! (I definitely have a type, don't I? I like the bleeding heart "Boy Scouts" and the ultraviolent orphaned vigilantes).

haha.

I have always liked Spider-Man personally. Yeah this one just sounds/weird interesting to me. Like... a Spider-Family book.

Here's what I've been reading...





Extraordinary X-Men #6 & 7 - I recently read #1-5, which made up the first TPB collection "X-Haven." And so I'm continuing on. I like this series (though not as much as X-Men '92 which I ADORE right now). If you haven't read any of it yet, the short version is that there's a mist that makes mutants sterile so Storm creates X-Haven, a sanctuary for mutants which reunites the X-Men after the unfortunate events surrounding Cyclops. Storm is in charge and much of the series is about finding all the old X-Men and bringing them together. And old man Logan is in it.



Wonder Woman 75th Anniversary Special is just that. Not a real issue, but a bunch of short stories, cover galleries, sketches, and even a long interview w/ Wonder Woman done by "Lois Lane." It's kind of neat as a collectible, but nothing really worth tracking down.




Scarlet Witch #2 - after two issues... I'm all set. I really can't stand the non-grid based layout and the art style doesn't do much for me. Shrug.

I started with the usual Marvel/DC but only really started collecting in my early teens with Conan's Savage Sword stuff, alongside 2000AD, till around my mid-teens.

Stopped reading comics altogether till my early 20s, when I got into Love and Rockets, Hate, Yummy Fur, Eightball, etc.

Stopped again around my mid 20s until I started reading graphic novel reissues of Sandman in my early 30s and other occasional graphic novels like From Hell.

Got heavily into Grant Morrison for a while, stuff like The Invisibles. And I loved what he did with Superman.

Back to Conan again, about 5 years ago but only in graphic novel form. I still keep up with those.

Currently on:



As far as single issues go, I started buying Batman this year, with the Re-Birth, and I'm keeping up with that - although I'm sort of regretting the commitment I've kind of forced on myself by starting at #1.

I actually picked up Batman Rebirth #1 a few weeks ago as well, but haven't actually read it yet.

Batman rebirth is good. Has some flawed moments, but overall it's kicking some ass.

Thing is, with the major characters in DC (including the DC universe as a whole) there was a "Rebirth no.1" issue, followed quickly by an actual no.1 with under the "Rebirth" banner. The first issue is functionally a no.0 issue, and in Batman's case in particular, it had almost nothing to do with what came next. The Bats "Rebirth" issue is pretty underwhelming. The good shit starts with Batman 2016 #1 by King & Finch. And it's a damn good story.

Was interrupted by Night of the Monster Men, which I haven't read yet... other artists involved, a side story meant to generate hype and eventually no doubt be a big selling TPB. Basically the Batman story King & Finch developed zigzagged over to the Detective Comics story (which is not as good), and that irritates me. The whole point of multiple title is to keep different continuities in tact, and they just fucked that up.

Anyway... read on, Padawan.

I have this



and this



and am confused.

since everyone is doing a mini-bio:

i grew up in various latin american cities. i read kiddie comix from ages 3 to 7. first disney shit then batman superman etc. was a huge batman fan when i was 3. but i'd read a comic in 10 minutes and then needed another. literally, like, i'd get a comic at the drugstore and by the time we were home i was finished.

going shopping my parents would drop me off at the reading section of the supermarket and pick me up after i'd be ther 2 hours reading. i read really fast.

i guess that was my problem with comics-- i read faster than we could pay for them. so books were juicier-- at least would take me 4 or 6 hours.

then at about age 10 discovered tintin and astérix which were in my school library. read those up but there wasn't a lot more. i started drawing comics then and trying to write my own. eventually i moved on to books for good around age 12-13. except, i'd read CONDORITO at the barber. probably nobody here knows wtf is condorito. it's kind of a latin american institution.

there's a long history of latin american comic strips but mostly humor, somewhat political. e.g., mafalda. or boogie el aceitoso.

then i moved to the u.s.

i discovered grownup comics only recently. sandman is just fucking fantastic. got also into fables for a while, love & rockets was great,etc. preacher! i loved preacher.

i can't see myself buying single comics though. it's like, they last me 5 minutes. collected volumes yeah.

i'd like to check out corto maltese some day.

I'd say a single issue runs me 15-20 mins depending on length. But I also try to like read the panel and then really take in the art of the panel before moving on to the next. Unless the art sucks haha.

Yep, looks like the first one is a special issue for Batman Day.

The second one is the "Zero issue" I mentioned. Only somewhat relevant to what comes next, more of a prologue to New 52.

This is what you need (though reading that zero issue is probably for the best, as its components are referenced once or twice in the following):



Excellently crafted story that had virtually nothing to do with the Watchmen crossover (yet), but finds the Dark Knight in a transformative place, and introduces two new characters who will impact future events like dominoes.

yeah, 15-20 min is what takes me to read a collected volume, like-- say, fables?-- from beginning to end.

don't know why. i learned to read on my own at an early age (weird) and i've always been fast.

oh I see the difference now! Batman Rebirth is "#0" while DC Universe Rebirth Batman #1 is really #1. Got it.

Also I didn't know there would be a Watchmen crossover. I have the collection and left off on issue #4. So I should work on that too.

Remember that still image I posted a while back? Was it you or Rob I showed that to? Anyway, Watchmen plays a HUGE part in Rebirth. You absolutely MUST read the DC UNIVERSE REBIRTH #1 from May 25.

Check it:

Oh snap.

just got back from Comic Con. I only ended up picking up two comics but they were both pretty big for me...



I got to meet Steve Lavigne and he was really excited about doing a Batman/Ninja Turtles Adventures cover. I was mixed on this series but he was talking about how he loved Batman Adventures (me too!) so I was convinced to pick up this alternate cover version he did and got his autograph.



Deadpool was huge for me as a kid. So the chance to meet Rob Liefeld was super exciting. So likewise, I got this alternate cover of vol. 5 #1 that he did autographed.

sev, I looked it up and confirmed that the "Batman Day" issue #1 I have is in fact just a reprint of the DC Universe Reborn Batman #1. So looks like I'm actually all set to start reading that one.

Wow... visually beautiful, and the stories are something too.
Worth the while.

I hate Tin Tin. always have

Cool about Liefeld.
I guess in my mind he's always been a bit of a ... how to put it... uhh.. well, let's just say I think Deadpool became what he is today as a result of the efforts of numerous writers. When he was created, he was just cool suit. A Deathstroke ripoff with no personality. A response to Image pushing comics into more violent territory in the '90s.

But he's become a cherished and beloved character of mine, and I loved the movie, and I love where the character exists now in the world of comics.

Ps. Did you hear the director backed out of Deadpool 2? That always makes me nervous. Especially with all the shit Wade's been through in the journey from page to screen. But apparently #3 already has the green light, so they must be confident.

right. I mean, thanks to him - Deadpool exists.



yeah, we'll see what happens. My understanding is that it was a disagreement w/ RR over the tone. And I think Reynolds def has a grasp on how the character should be portrayed. I'm cautiously optimistic right now.


I read some stuff...

The Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #1 - holy shit I liked this a lot. More than I expected. Like this juxtaposition of mundane family life balanced with superhero-dom. Great great art. And some classic villains show up. I'm sticking with this one. (There were two short bonus comics at the end which were more silly and didn't do anything for me).

The Avengers #1.1 - I love shit like this. A classic throwback (much like my love for X-Men '92). It even LOOKS old(er). I'm recommending this one to you guys who grew up on 90's Marvel stuff. I'll be sticking w/ the .1 storyline... heck, I might even start reading 2016 Avengers just to have both storylines going at once. And I had planned to skip that one.

Deadpool #1 - this is volume 5 (2016). Kind of a confusing start, but basically there's all these other characters posing as Deadpool and being killers for hire (for good). And Deadpool is famous (since he's an Avengers, at least in the Uncanny Avengers tie-in going on). I'm mixed on it right now, but will give it another issue or two to see if it really grabs me.

Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures #1 - eh, I want to like this more than I do. I love TMNT. I love Batman Adventures. But I don't like the TMNT Nickelodeon cartoon that's currently on it - and that's what this is tying into Batman Adventures. It just feels a little too aimed at kids.

I'm not reading anything MARVEL these days. I am too thoroughly wrapped up in Rebirth to care much what's going on over there.

BUT... I've been recently watching Agent Carter, and that lead me to re-watch Captain America: the First Avenger, and I really do think the Cap films are the crown jewel of the MCU. So I'm somewhat interested in seeing what old Cap is up to since becoming a Nazi/Hydra sleeper agent. Not that that plot line sounds like much fun to me, but still... love Cap.

Also, I kind of hate Batman the Animated Series.
Yes, I grew up with it, and yes it made me happy at the time. But I watched a bit of it a couple years ago and ... wow. Lame. The animation was ok for one show but it turned into the go-to animation style for virtually EVERY DC ANIMATED THING EVER, and it just doesn't work.

i read about it when i was a kid reading a book that taught people how to make comics.

unfortunately it was 100% unavailable for me living under a dictatorship

i think i should start looking for it in earnest now-- that's for reinforcing this

I'm kind of the opposite... I have some DC Rebirth stuff that I haven't even started cuz I'm so wrapped up in new Marvel stuff. But that's not shocking either. I grew up heavily into Marvel and then rocked SOME DC stuff. (Batman especially).

First Avenger is probably my favorite MCU movie. Or maybe a tie with Guardians Of The Galaxy.

I'm not reading the new Steve Rogers comic though. I'm not terribly interested in the Hydra controversy plot. Shrug.

I haven't watched Agent Carter yet. Too many shows haha. I'd prob watch Agents Of SHIELD first. But I watched both seasons of DD, Jessica Jones (twice, once alone, once w/ wife) and I'm halfway thru Luke Cage right now; almost done w/ season 1 of Gotham and - I shit you not, I started watching Supergirl and it's fun.

I might not love the look of Batman TAS, but I love the show. And I enjoy those DC animated movies. I liked the take on The Killing Joke a lot actually.

Supergirl is fun but extremely stupid.

Marvel has a lock on the tv shows as much or more than they've had a lock on films since Nolan's Batman trilogy ended. Agents of SHIELD and Agent Carter are both just really well made. Shield has some seriously corny moments, especially in season 1, but it's grown more and more cinematic in quality and scope. Agent Carter is classy AF.

Daredevil and JJ are great, and Luke Cage was pretty good.
Meanwhile DC has all those CW shows and Gotham, all of which -- though fun -- are more cheese than meat. Gotham is probably the best and even that is stupid beyond compare on a regular basis.

Gotham should have been a hard-driving crime show on Netflix or HBO. Gould have focused on Gordan's transition from military life to the war zone of this fucked sprawling nightmare city. Shouldn't have any supernatural or sci-fi crap in it. I like the cast, for the most part, but god it gets tedious in season 2 with all the freaking monsters and shit. Ugh. The absence of that shit, or, rather the assimilation of it into a "real world" model is what everyone loved so much about Dark Knight. NO superpowers. BAD superpowers!

we're not done w/ S1 of Gotham yet but we're enjoying it. It's our Friday night unwind show. The only show we "binge" (if 4 episodes in a night counts as binging?). It can be somewhat mindless, but that's just fine. That's what Fridays should be.

Supergirl - yeah, not exactly brilliant TV. But again, kind of lighthearted mindless fun.

Things is I don't allocate enough of my time in a week to possibly keep up with all the Marvel/DC shows that are out there.

when i was 10 it was great though

only later i woke up to its old-timey portrayal of various "foreigners"

but it's hilarious esp. in the original french. i don't think the word jokes translate so well.

jeezus, found "corto maltese: the ballad of the salt sea" on amazon for $50 (!!) bucks.

i've never paid 50 bucks for a comic book. not sure i'm ready to start today.

eta: especially since it appears the reproduction is poor and the panels were modified from the original (wtf people)

but i'll look it up on libraries etc though.

somewhere.

holy shit the italian version is on kindle for $7!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

https://www.amazon.com/Corto-Maltese...9230169&sr=1-6

it says "#5" is it a volume? am i missing something?

I don't know anything about that series, but you might want to check out comicbookdb.com - I've been using that site to keep track of my own collection, and make sense of the various volumes and "re-births" of series to keep things straight when you've got a bunch of comics from diff years that have the same title.

brilliant, thanks!

beware... comicbookdb is such an easy place to lose hours of your life. Haha.

Corto Maltese

Getting back to Watchmen tonight...

yep, but no site (not even the italian one linked from wikipedia) has info on the italian, 225-page, $7 kindle version.

see, some english translation/reprints had chopped off panels (sacrilege). there are also chopped "pocket" versions it seems.

don't know about this kindle or what's in it. there are no reviews or anything.

i'll just buy it to see and if it's fucked i'll return it

FINALLY, THE LEGENDARY CORTO MALTESE!

better be the right novel... the "look inside" feature just gives you 2 covers lol. i hope it's not a scam.

the original ballad of the salty sea had 161 pages, this is 255. hmm...

the $7 mystery! i'll pay to see that