Comic Books

[Deleted]

I wasn't sure if I should start a different thread for manga or post here.

So anyone read manga? I've recently become addicted to the Fruits Bsket series. I started reading Ranma 1/2 which is pretty hilarious and cute. The only manga I really didn't care for was Trigun. I was really unimpressed with the illustrations and the story was meh, which was surprising, since I loved the anime version.

[monsterzero]

Okay, somehow comics have sucked me in. No, not the new ones, but I'm really becoming fond of those Marvel Essentials TPB where they reprint all the old comics in black & white. 20+ issues for about $15-17 and quite good considering how well done some of the '70s-'80s stuff was. Am I alone here?

I would go get some DC Archives but those things are costly! Althrough my heart still sings for the original Doom Patrol and Legion of Super Heroes.

[goggle]

almondjoy said:

So anyone read manga? I've recently become addicted to the Fruits Bsket series. I started reading Ranma 1/2 which is pretty hilarious and cute. The only manga I really didn't care for was Trigun. I was really unimpressed with the illustrations and the story was meh, which was surprising, since I loved the anime version.

No, not me. I sure didn't spend my weekend at an anime convention when I should have been studying for finals. ;D

It must be my celebrity-crazed side that commands me to buy manga about celebrities, or at least musicians, since I have nice collections of Gravitation and Dragon Voice, and I'm probably going to get Beck and Full Moon when they come out in July. Non-music-manga, I also really like Azumanga Daioh.

[monsterzero]

Okay, my library has a fair amount of graphic novels and considering I had a ton of Borders coupons that had to be used, I went and got into Cerebus and Preacher. Now Preacher I love even more since I started at the beginning and Cerebus is okay so far (I'm darting between the first novel and the first part of Church and State) but I did get some Alan Moore and I have a few things to say.

1) His '1963' Image miniseries was cool.

2) I read the first part of Transmetropolitan and I want to read it again because it is truly great.

3) Sorry, I haven't gotten into Watchmen yet but I hope to God it's better than 'League of Extraordinary Gentleman Volume 2' because that sucked and I was hoping it would rock.

That is all.

[Deleted]

monsterzero said:

3) Sorry, I haven't gotten into Watchmen yet but I hope to God it's better than 'League of Extraordinary Gentleman Volume 2' because that sucked and I was hoping it would rock.

That is all.

I think Moore and Kevin O'Neill suffered some sort of massive writer's block halfway through, because it starts off really well but kind of takes a dive around Issue 5 - 6 (which were delayed issues, incidentally). Added to this the fact that they were kind of lumbered with Wells' War of the Worlds ending from the get-go, and you've got the makings of a glorious anti-climatic end to what should have been a fantastic work. Which is a shame, because the first volume is one of the best works of adventure literature ever.

As for Watchmen... that kind of left me cold both times I read it (but then, i say that as one of the three people in the universes who doesn't really like Watchmen , but it's still a really well constructed book. V for Vendetta says similar things but knocks it out of the ballpark, if you want my opinion.

[roxpopuli]

Maddox deconstructs comic book covers.

When we were young, my little brother was the major comic book collector, which is how I got to read the original X-Men from issue #1 on (he still has them in carefully sealed plastic bags. They're worth a fortune!). The whole story of what happened to Jean Grey was probably some of the best comic book writing ever.

[monsterzero]

I think Moore and Kevin O'Neill suffered some sort of massive writer's block halfway through, because it starts off really well but kind of takes a dive around Issue 5 - 6 (which were delayed issues, incidentally). Added to this the fact that they were kind of lumbered with Wells' War of the Worlds ending from the get-go, and you've got the makings of a glorious anti-climatic end to what should have been a fantastic work. Which is a shame, because the first volume is one of the best works of adventure literature ever.

Okay then, that's the point where my mind started seizing up as well. It just got me that the team was in the midst of this fantastic plot that suddenly they're not really a part of anymore. In fact, isn't Hyde the only one who actually faces off against the Martians before he expires? And Griffin is killed in a fairly gruesome way for no real reason (okay, betrayal, nuff said). Still, I'll retract what I said and pick up Volume 1 when I can. But Volume 2 really put a bad taste into my mouth...honestly, it should just be called 'Hey, Quatermain and the vampire lady screw while Martians just happen to invade!' Shit, for all that effort they should have had Gulliver of Mars, John Carter, and Tars Tarkas come down and join the League instead of ending it haphazardly like they did. Did Moore do anymore 'Extraordinary Gentlemen' stuff after this? It wouldn't surprise me if he didn't.

As for Watchmen... that kind of left me cold both times I read it (but then, i say that as one of the three people in the universes who doesn't really like Watchmen ), but it's still a really well constructed book. V for Vendetta says similar things but knocks it out of the ballpark, if you want my opinion.

I'll get it from the library and check it out.

When we were young, my little brother was the major comic book collector, which is how I got to read the original X-Men from issue #1 on (he still has them in carefully sealed plastic bags. They're worth a fortune!). The whole story of what happened to Jean Grey was probably some of the best comic book writing ever.

Honestly, most of the Essentials I got were the revamp of the X-Men back in the '70s and they're better than I thought they would be. The angst was there but didn't usurp the action and the soap opera theatrics were much more cool than what they eventually became: a bunch of whiny mutants with unresolved/completely dropped plots and too many characters. And far too much time travelling: when two of your characters comes from both a hundred years and a thousand years into the future, then you have a massive problem!

And Rox, if you want a good site to check out bad comic covers, hit Superdickery and be amazed.

[Deleted]

monsterzero said:

Okay then, that's the point where my mind started seizing up as well. It just got me that the team was in the midst of this fantastic plot that suddenly they're not really a part of anymore. In fact, isn't Hyde the only one who actually faces off against the Martians before he expires? And Griffin is killed in a fairly gruesome way for no real reason (okay, betrayal, nuff said). Still, I'll retract what I said and pick up Volume 1 when I can. But Volume 2 really put a bad taste into my mouth...honestly, it should just be called 'Hey, Quatermain and the vampire lady screw while Martians just happen to invade!' Shit, for all that effort they should have had Gulliver of Mars, John Carter, and Tars Tarkas come down and join the League instead of ending it haphazardly like they did. Did Moore do anymore 'Extraordinary Gentlemen' stuff after this? It wouldn't surprise me if he didn't.

That's pretty much what I thought as well; it just ends kind of easily, considering it's the fecking Martian invasion. Didn't really mind the sex and stuff personally(although Griffin's fate was eye-opening, to say the least ), it's the fact that it ends with a whimper instead of the bang it could have gone out on.

They haven't done a third one yet, but they're planning to do a third volume as one of the few comics Moore's going to do as part of his sort-of retirement; there's been rumours floating around about a special hardcover graphic novel called 'Dark Dossier' involving Leagues from Shakespeare's time and from the 1950s (but since Kevin O'Neill himself's apparently denied that it's anything like this, I suppose they're just rumours). But there's apparently going to be a delay of a while yet, 'cos of Moore's other interests and pursuits, and (I personally think, anyway) due to the massive writer's block they suffered on the second one.

But yeah, the first volume rocks.

I'll get it from the library and check it out.

For V for Vendetta, you won't regret it; it's totally awesome. For Watchmen, it has it's merits, so I'd definitely recommend giving it a try; it's just a bit too dark and nihilistic for my tastes. And I'm not that big a fan of Dave Gibbons' artwork either.

And Rox, if you want a good site to check out bad comic covers, hit Superdickery and be amazed.

Seriously - that's one of my favourite websites on the whole Internet now.

[Deleted]

Being the full-fledged comic geek that I am, I have to jump in!

I really wish that Marvel and DC would adopt a "Dead is Frickin' DEAD" policy. I excuse Jean Grey, since she is the Phoenix and all. But everyone else who kicks the bucket should stay six feet under.

Put me on the "Stop Messing with Northstar" bandwagon.

[Deleted]

Maddox deconstructs comic book covers.

I love reading Maddox. Another funny comic-related website:


Hostess + Super Heroes