Comic Book Thread

[Tripe]

[I'm a big Alan Moore fan.]

Not a fan of LoEG? That's my favourite.

I'm not sure why, but League... never really clicked with me.

Do you perhaps not like 19th Century popular fiction? I love The League but my bachelor's is in 19th century popular fiction (and Renaissance drama).

I'll agree with all the titles listed and add Moore's novel Voice of the Fire.

[LucasM]

[I'm a big Alan Moore fan.]

Not a fan of LoEG? That's my favourite.

I'm not sure why, but League... never really clicked with me.

Do you perhaps not like 19th Century popular fiction? I love The League but my bachelor's is in 19th century popular fiction (and Renaissance drama).

I'll agree with all the titles listed and add Moore's novel Voice of the Fire.

While 19th Century popular fiction never did a lot for me either I think it is/was something else.  I think it was more related to head injury effects.  The series started shortly before my third, and at that point I was only going to my comic shop every 2-3 months.  It is quite possible I had the head injury before I even got the first issue, which meant I was also overwhelmed with moving/arranging a new house, trying to find a car I could live with, and dealing with an increased number of doctors appointments at a time when I was in far more pain than I am currently so had a hard time focusing (even beyond the head injury difficulties with focus/attention).  In addition, not only was reading per se much more difficult (it still is, but a bit less so now), but my memory for everything - but especially what I read - was much more limited (this was at a time when I couldn't remember to eat at regular intervals or brush my teeth even once each day).  And since it was one story for the six issues, and it took about a year and a half to publish, I couldn't remember what happened between issues, so nothing made sense in it by the end.  [As, since it was Moore, I'm guessing that it was rather complex.]

Now that I can function a bit better I may give it another try some day, knowing that I need to finish reading it within a relatively short period after starting.  But there are so many things that I want to read still, I doubt it will happen anytime soon.

[Johnny Unusual]

What's Moore upto these days? I'm guessing he's still not working for either DC or Marvel.

He just finished the new League series (three part book that I mentioned above) and is about to launch into a series of League spin-off books, the first one being Nemo.

He's also been working on a book about magic that was announced quite a while ago.  I don't know if it ever did come out.  Also, it stopped publication for over a year, but I recommend the magazine he edited called Dodgem Logic.  Good stuff, though sadly there just wasn't a market for it.  There's a great piece by Michael Moorcock about his Christmas during the blitz.

I prefer the book's ending to the movie's.

Me too. The movie kind of killed the mask at the end. It meant a lot more in the book.

I have a LOT of problems with the V for Vendetta movie.  The V of the movie was unmistakably a hero, but in the book it's a lot more ambiguous and frightening and he really comes across as a level above.  The movie dumbed things down a lot in ways that irk me so much, I just can't bring myself to enjoy it.  Not to say it was a stupid movie, just one with a frustratingly simple morality.

Also, BUY  Miracleman?  He's not made of money.  There's only one good way to read it until the legal issues are resolved.



Also, though it's not one of his most famous books, read Top Ten.  It's one of Alan's funnest books that you can read a ton of times: partially because of the great story, but also because of the COUNTLESS easter eggs hidden in the art.  It's essentially Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue if everyone in the city was a super-hero, villain, alien, robot, god or anything you would find in a comic book.  Shame there were so few issues of it.

[k1]

Just posting this here in case anyone is interested.

Doug TenNapel has a kickstarter for a Sketchbook archive he is putting together of a bunch of his doodles from his notebooks.  The Kickstarter will be the only way to get this book.  There's less than a day left, but if you're interested head over here:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1812253609/doug-tennapel-sketchbook-archives

250 288 pages of hardcover (imitation leather bound) awesomeness.

[mattwnelson]

I jumped in on that Kickstarter. Looking forward to that book.

[LucasM]

Thanks k1!  I would never have heard about that if not for your post.

Synchronicities abound: I am currently waiting for the complete Earthworm Jim DVD set which should arrive from Amazon soon!

[k1]

A few of my tattoos are based on his work.

[Johnny Unusual]

I've only read a little of his work but Monster Zoo was pretty neat and Power Up was a lot of fun.  Still, I'd kind of like to see him tackle an ongoing series.

[Johnny Unusual]

Sad news for a much-beloved classic.

http://www.avclub.com/articles/vertigo-is-ending-hellblazer,88506/

Though it's been a Vertigo institution even before there was a Vertigo, Hellblazer has been confirmed to end its run next February, bringing to a close the DC Comics imprint's oldest series. The move comes just as its lead character John Constantine—the drinking, smoking, demon-riling, grifter magician who's been lurking around since his 1985 introduction in Swamp Thing—makes his transition to DC's New 52 universe, appearing in Justice League Dark and, eventually, his own Constantine title, which will launch in March with X-O Manowar's Robert Venditti at the helm.

Still, for those who have enjoyed Hellblazer in its "For Mature Readers Only" home at Vertigo, the conclusion of Peter Milligan's "Death And Cigarettes" arc in issue #300 definitely marks the end of an era, one marked with sex, profanity, and gore that complemented the selfish, often shitty behavior of its antihero—and which almost certainly won't be replicated under the umbrella of the main DC banner. For what it's worth, Venditti promises the cleaned-up Constantine will remain "jaded" and enjoy cigarettes and booze still. So that's something, we guess. 

That bums me out.  I'm growing increasingly frustrated with the New 52.  There's some great stuff in there, but a mix of crappy series, sub-par and just plain bad creative teams (many of which don't stick around too long), dumb costumes (sorry Jim Lee, but seams aren't cool) and a sense that editorially things seem to be a mess makes me want to forget DC for a while until they get their act together.  But forcing John out of Vertigo just seems wrong.  *sigh*

[wurwolf]

So it seems that Tony "Effing" Harris posted a Facebook rant a few days ago about how chicks in cosplay costumes just don't work for him. If they're hot, they're just cosplaying to get male attention (because Lord knows that's all it's ever about). If they're fat and less than hot, they're just sad and stupid, according to him. Reaction has been pretty vitriolic, but probably nowhere more so than tumblr, the bastion of geeky chicks. Loads of angry rebuttals -- some well-written, some not so well-written.

Anyway, all that just to post this cartoon, which I found to be (in the words of Homer Simpson) funny because it's true.




Also, that Top Ten comic is one of my favorites -- I love it mostly for the easter eggs, but the story is great, too.

[Tripe]

So it seems that Tony "Effing" Harris posted a Facebook rant a few days ago about how chicks in cosplay costumes just don't work for him. If they're hot, they're just cosplaying to get male attention (because Lord knows that's all it's ever about). If they're fat and less than hot, they're just sad and stupid, according to him. Reaction has been pretty vitriolic, but probably nowhere more so than tumblr, the bastion of geeky chicks. Loads of angry rebuttals -- some well-written, some not so well-written.

Anyway, all that just to post this cartoon, which I found to be (in the words of Homer Simpson) funny because it's true.




Also, that Top Ten comic is one of my favorites -- I love it mostly for the easter eggs, but the story is great, too.

One of the best conversations I ever had at a comic-con was with Martin Nodell's grand daughter, sad thing is, we weren't even interrupted because nobody seemed to know who she was despite having really interesting things to say about her grandfather and Bill Finger (and Art Deco costume jewellery, we talked for a really long time).

[Johnny Unusual]

Also, that Top Ten comic is one of my favorites -- I love it mostly for the easter eggs, but the story is great, too.

NAME ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF PRECINCT TEN!

Seriously though, what I love about Top Ten is that it is the perfect combination of intelligent, compelling writing with a good dose of humour and beautiful art that's full of visual treats and surprises that you can pour over for hours.  It was always really sad to me that the series never continued (there was a mini-series by Xander Cannon that I heard was amazingly good but was cancelled 3 issues in.  Paul DiPhillipo also did a really good mini-series but it's still wasn't quite as good as the Alan Moore written stuff.

[wurwolf]

NAME ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF PRECINCT TEN!

Seriously though, what I love about Top Ten is that it is the perfect combination of intelligent, compelling writing with a good dose of humour and beautiful art that's full of visual treats and surprises that you can pour over for hours.  It was always really sad to me that the series never continued (there was a mini-series by Xander Cannon that I heard was amazingly good but was cancelled 3 issues in.  Paul DiPhillipo also did a really good mini-series but it's still wasn't quite as good as the Alan Moore written stuff.

 lol

I don't think I could name one character; it's been nearly ten years since I read the books but I remember enjoying them immensely. Does that make me less of a fan, Johnny Effing Unusual? 

Damn, now I want to read them again. It took me forever to get through them because normally I take in the story first and the artwork second, but this time I really had to stop and look at the artwork. It was like two stories going on at once -- the main, written story and the tale being told in the art. Really a lot of fun.

I read the Fables series regularly and it can be like that at times. There are lots of easter eggs hidden there as well, although not to the extent that Top Ten has done.

By the way, I miss our old lol emoticon. It went away with the board upgrade. 

[Johnny Unusual]

NAME ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF PRECINCT TEN!

Seriously though, what I love about Top Ten is that it is the perfect combination of intelligent, compelling writing with a good dose of humour and beautiful art that's full of visual treats and surprises that you can pour over for hours.  It was always really sad to me that the series never continued (there was a mini-series by Xander Cannon that I heard was amazingly good but was cancelled 3 issues in.  Paul DiPhillipo also did a really good mini-series but it's still wasn't quite as good as the Alan Moore written stuff.

 lol

I don't think I could name one character; it's been nearly ten years since I read the books but I remember enjoying them immensely. Does that make me less of a fan, Johnny Effing Unusual? 

I can, but I tend to be pretty detail-centric.  My favourite was always Joe Pi, who struck me as both sweet and kind yet with a dark and calculating.  Generally robot characters come off as either emotionless or overwhelmed by emotions, but I always felt that Joe had emotions, but was able to have complete control over them to do what needs to be done.  I've only read up to vol. 4 of  Fables.  Lots of series that I'm behind on.

[Henry88]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — After 50 years of spinning webs and catching a who's who of criminals, Peter Parker is out of the hero game.

But Spider-Man is still slinging from building to building — reborn, refreshed and revived with a new sense of the old maxim that Ben Parker taught his then-fledgling nephew that "with great power, comes great responsibility."

Writer Dan Slott, who's been penning Spidey adventures for the better part of the last 100 issues for Marvel Entertainment, said the culmination of the story is a new, dramatically different direction for the Steve Ditko and Stan Lee-created hero.

"This is an epic turn," Slott said. "I've been writing Spider-Man for 70-plus issues. Every now and then, you have to shake it up. ... The reason Spider-Man is one of the longest running characters is they always find a way to keep it fresh. Something to shake up the mix."

And in the pages of issue 700, out Wednesday, it's not just shaken up, it's turned head over heels, spun in circles, kicked sky high and cracked wide open.

Parker's mind is trapped in the withered, decaying dying body of his nemesis, Doctor Octopus aka Otto Octavius. Where's Doc Ock? Inside Parker's super-powered shell, learning what life is like for the brilliant researcher who happens to count the Avengers and Fantastic Four as friends and family.

The two clash mightily in the pages of issue 700, illustrated by Humberto Ramos and Victor Olazaba. But it's Octavius who wins out and Parker is, at least for now, gone for good, but not before one more act of heroism.

Slott said that it's Parker, whose memories envelop Octavius, who shows the villain what it means to be a hero.

"Gone are his days of villainy, but since it's Doc Ock and he has that ego, he's not going to try and just be Spider-man, he's going to try to be the best Spider-Man ever," said Slott.

Editor Stephen Wacker said that while Parker is gone, his permanence remains and his life casts a long shadow.

"His life is still important to the book because it affects everything that Doctor Octopus does as Spider-Man. Seeing a supervillain go through this life is the point — trying to be better than the hero he opposed," Wacker said.

"Doc has sort of inspired by Peter's life. That's what I mean when he talks about the shadow he casts," he said.

The sentiment echoes what Uncle Ben said in the pages of "Amazing Fantasy" No. 15, Slott said.

Editor Stephen Wacker called it a fitting end to the old series, which sets the stage for a new one — "The Superior Spider-Man" early next year — because it brings Peter Parker full circle, from the start of his crime-fighting career to the end.

"In his very first story, his uncle died because of something he did so the book has always been aimed at making Peter's life as difficult as possible," Wacker said. "The book has always worked best when it's about Peter Parker's life, not Spider-Man's."

And with Octavius influenced by Parker's life — from Aunt May to Gwen Stacy to Mary Jane — it will make him a better person, too.

"Because Doctor Octopus knows all of those things and will make decisions on what he saw Peter going through," Wacker said. "In a way, he gets the ultimate victory as he becomes a better hero."

http://www.centurylink.net/news/read.php?rip_id=%3CDA3DGQHG1%40news.ap.org%3E&ps=1016