In recent years, I've come to really love the Vertigo titles, although usually I miss out on them until they're all in trades, and then reread them! Not any longer I say, so I've decided to pick up a bunch of Vertigo titles and add them to my already massive comics list of all the Marvel, DC and Crossgen titles!
This thread is for reviewing the latest Vertigo titles to come out! However, I currently don't get Hellblazer or Lucifer, although I really want to hear what you have to say about them! So Lucien, Faraway and others who pick these up, let me know how things are going! I've read the first two Lucifer trades and found the series to be extremely interesting, and Carey's writing to be really, really good! I plan to get arond to getting all of them. I've never actually read a Hellblazer comic though, and want to know how they are. Is is hard to get into, now that it's on issue #200 almost? Has the series always been good? Who else is reading it and how long have you been?
FYI, I've read and loved all the Sandman and Preacher stories, absolutely love the first Books of Magic story and am currently reading Alan Moore's run on Swamp Thing in my spare time (I consider it the beginning of Vertigo).
For recent Vertigo titles, I say this:
Fables- Absolutely excellent, one of the best ten comics out. Amazing writing, great art and really interesting and well-developed characters. Price Charming is a loveable bastard rouge, Bigby Wolf is great, Snow White steals the show every once in awhile, and the writers are good for introducing another really cool 'fable' ever few issues. The lastest issue does Cinderella, and turned out to be really cool with a few interesting twists!
Y: the Last Man- Another really excellent title, one of the best on the market. Very eerie with a creepy atmosphere, with great characters and characterization. I like the art a lot too, and I love humor (very Vertigo-esque humor) and the social commentary that fills ever issue. The lastest issue was the craziest and most human IMO, with some deep characterization of Yorick, and a disturbing sequence of sexual torture. The sequence won't be like you think however, it totally took me in a different direction than the one I thought was planned.
My Faith in Frankie- A very, very cool book, and I reccomend it to anyone! Very cute in a Vertigo kind of way, with great dialogue and story from Mike Carey (I've got to really start reading more of this guy's work!). I really like the art in this book too, and I've already fallen in love with the main character, Frankie. A love story with deities and dead boyfriends, and a really interesting twist mid-way through #2!
All three books are superb right now, and better than most DC mainstream or Marvel books! I highly reccomend them. Next up, I'll review the Human Target (I picked up issue 1) and the new Swamp Thing title when it comes out.
Tell me what you think! Give me reviews of Lucifer and Hellblazer! Remenince (sp?) about the good ol' days of Sandman or Preacher!
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
As with all threads that get no replies, the original poster must now assume that everyone hates him Posted by Lightning Lad on :
I would have thought what they did to your statue would have been a clue.
Actually, I don't read any Vertigo titles. Only read a few trades of Sandman but didn't enjoy them enough to become a fan.
I've read the first trades of Fables and Y and, again, just didn't do it for me. The ideas behind both were great but the story-telling and art work just weren't enough to keep me buying.
Maybe I'll download both series and try again.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I hear you Scooter, it took me a long time to come around to Vertigo, and then one, I just couldn't get enough (it was Preacher that ultimately did it for me)!
Posted by Super Lad Kid on :
I generally stay away from Vertigo because I try not purposely expose myself to dirty words and explicit sexual conversation (yet I still read these boards) but I have fallen in love with Fables. The whole "Who is the Adversary" mystery has me hooked. I think it's either Santa Claus or Walt Disney. What do you think, CK?
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I know, I love Fables too! The "Who is the Adversary" mystery has me hooked too, although I never thought of Santa Claus as the bad guy before!
Whoa, what a theory! I can't believe I didn't consider it, it makes sense in a way, especially if Santa has "convinced" the world that he's good. I had thought about Walt Disney, but I'm not sure. I honestly can't think of a better theory than Santa right now.
I'm totally hooked on the book! I love Bigby, Snow, Prince Charming, and the other falbes who've only appeared a few times.
Posted by Super Lad Kid on :
I can't really take credit for the Santa Claus theory since I saw it somewhere else. i twould seem to make sense, though, as he's about the most celebrated fable in existence around the world today (or at least in the U.S.). I haven't read all of teh issues yet, but I think the fables get their strength from "Mundies" who tell stories about them. Isn't that why Snow was able to recover so quickly from the head wound she got in Animal Farm? Anyway, can't wait for the new TPB to come out so I can continue catching up on the series.
Posted by Lightning Lad on :
Is it possible that The Adversary could be be one, or both of, The Brothers Grimm?
Posted by STU on :
I've really liked the last two issues of Human Target -- but a lot of that might have to do with Cliff Chiang's art, which I love. I hope he's now the regular artist, because as long as he does the art, I'll continue to pick up this title...
Posted by MLLASH on :
Hmmm... since CODENAME: KNOCKOUT was cancelled, I don't collect any Vertigo monthlies.
I do however own the first FABLES tpb and liked it-- a lot. I'll be collecting this series in tpb format.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
The fact that the Vertigo books are available in TPB format makes it so much easier and more fun to collect them! While I enjoy buying the regular issues of Y and Fables, my entire Preacher collection is in TPB format, which made it so much easier for me to get into the series (it's nice to be able to read six or twelve issues at your own pace without having to wait for the next issue).
I just read The Human Target #1 last night--WOW. What a very well written and interesting story with incredible art. I haven't picked up the other issues yet, but Javier Pulido in issue one knocked me for a loop! I love that style of art (a la Darwyn Cooke and Mike Allfred), especially when it's used for a serious comic. The story itself was fascinating and one of the best written I've read in awhile. Great characters, great twists and amazing psychological insight. I haven't read too much by Peter Milligan, but this was absolutely superb! I'm definately picking up two and three this weekend, and then hoping to get to four and give to be caught up. (I still have to pick up the early issues of Y and Fables, although I've already read all the Y's.)
I do plan on picking up the new Swamp Thing comic too. And has anyone bought Thessaly? I liked her a lot as a character in Sandman, but the budget for last week didn't leave me room for it. I'm not sure if I'm going to grab it yet.
Cobie's recomendation: buy the Human Target! Along with Y and Fables!
*also* eagerly awaiting to hear YOUR reviews on Vertigo titles, and Bevis and Faraway's comment on the latest issues of Lucifer and Hellblazer (if they buy it)!
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
Fables is my favourite Vertigo title, one of my favourite comics. Willingham did Coventry (3 issues) which I don't think was nearly as good, and Proposition Player (which was fun) but has really hit his stride with Fables.
Others I get regularly are 100 Bullets (bummer reality book) and The Losers (bummer CIA book) - they're good, interesting - but if I decide to cut something, they're out. I used to get Y: The Last Man, but just found it too slow-paced and thin a story.
Transmetropolitan just turned me off completely. Maybe I read the wrong book. It struck me as sophomoric.
Sandman Endless Nights was great! Very exotic art and Gaiman stories.
Was LXG a Vertigo book? I enjoyed that quite a bit.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
FC, LXG was an homage book from Wildstorm, and I loved it too! Some of Moore's best work in recent years IMO, and I really got into his use of the five main characters (although I grew to hate the Invisible Man and Mr. Hyde, esepcially after what Hyde did in the final issues of vol. 2). I really hope that Moore does more with this series, I was convinced that he was going to try and bring in Sherlock Holmes to the team.
I haven't picked up Transmetropolitan, 100 Bullets or the Losers yet, I'm still a bit weary of all of them. Maybe though, if there are more recommendations.
Posted by Faraway Lad on :
quote:Originally posted by Super Lad Kid: I can't really take credit for the Santa Claus theory since I saw it somewhere else. i twould seem to make sense, though, as he's about the most celebrated fable in existence around the world today (or at least in the U.S.). I haven't read all of teh issues yet, but I think the fables get their strength from "Mundies" who tell stories about them. Isn't that why Snow was able to recover so quickly from the head wound she got in Animal Farm? Anyway, can't wait for the new TPB to come out so I can continue catching up on the series.
Picking up on this earlier comment. I think I read somewhere a comment that the adversary was Gepetto (sp?) Pinocchio’s “father”. Driven mad by his inability to repeat the success he slaved away until he was able to find a way to bring his carvings to life. These are the three in sun glasses we see trying to beat up jack. It came back to me on a second reading when they refer to the fables as “meat”. An apt phrase if they themselves were wood.
Posted by Faraway Lad on :
and Cobie, I have had a very hectic weekend and although I picked up the latest Lucifer I have not yet read it. once i have I'll let you know what I think
Posted by Igee The Mighty on :
I echo your sentiment CK! Get Y-The Last Man & Fables! These are 2 fantastic books!
FC, I actually thought that Y was moving at a fairly fast pace. I thought Vaughn would stretch out Hero's role as an Amazon (sorta like "Will Yorick ever know his sister Hero's part of the group hunting him down?", but instead he let it bubble early on and that relationship is still brewing (sorry if this is wrong, i only have the 2 trades to go on).
If this was a Bendis book, we'd proabaly be 23 issues in and we'd still be at the white House lawn where the congressmens' wives are talking their spleens out explaining why they should be given their husbands' seats.
On-track, what made you decide it was moving slowly? Just wanna pick your brain here...and not meaning to slight.
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
Just off the top of my head (since the issues I have were exiled to the cellar), there seemed to be a sameness to the stories - Yorick and his "minders" advancing across country, encountering diverse groups of females. A few shoot-outs, the monkey goes missing, a very vaguely budding romance... I didn't get the sense of much drama for what should be a very dramatic story.
The astronauts sub-plot was interesting, but I felt it dragged over too many issues - suspense is nice, but when you're reading the monthlies, it's too much of a gap between developments. The sister story started out strong, then fell into the background.... Why wasn't the Culper Ring (the secret society) developed? I felt the more interesting stories were taking too long to resolve. Also, I found the art a bit flat - not bad, just dull.
I read the first trade and was very enthusiastic - it was a very different experience from the succeeding individual issues - so I suspect I would have enjoyed it more as a trades-only book.
Posted by Igee The Mighty on :
For the record, I did get them in trades, so I don't know if your experience was due to getting it in singles. But since the cliffhangers were happening every issue, perhaps the month-long wait kinda dampened it for you.
Based on the UNMANNED & CYCLES tpbs, it looks like we'll have "episodes" happen to Yorick et al on their journey on a fairly regular basis. That and some extraneous factors kicking in (like the astronauts).
I think the art was fairly flat as well, though I must admit to a certian liking for less detailed work recently, what with all the Gary Franks, Michael Turners and Jim Lees currently dominating the story. I'm thinking perhaps a new colorist can add some depth/dimension to the art.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I appreciate your perspective.
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
Another thought on Vertigo - not mine - the owner of my CBS suggested that there should be a Vertigo omnibus, or something - like Shonen Jump (I think that's the one that features selections of a variety of titles). It would be a way of giving more people exposure to a wide variety of different titles each month, then they could pursue the ones that caught their interest. The publisher could also try out different concepts on a limited basis without the investment of effort and $$ that a series would take.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I'd very much like something like that. I think the Vertigo books are amazing, I wish they had more exposure!
And like I said earlier, sometimes the trades is the way to go for Vertigo. Some books, like Preacher, are just so much more fun to read that way.
New reviews:
Human Target 4-7: WOW. Wow. WOW! This is one of the best books on the market, and I now have it in my top five favorite books out right now. I think this might be Vertigo's current prize book. The writing is unbelievable good--both deep and poignant, with excellent dialogue and interesting pacing. The art is unbelievable too, I just love the Darwyn Cooke/Mike Allfred style. Peter Milligan is one hell of a writer, that's for sure. In just seven issues, he's had me thinking again in ways I haven't while reading comics in quite some time. Great stuff, very well-written.
My Faith in Frankie #2- I love this book! Don't know if I've reviewed it yet (to lazy to check page one), but I still recommend this to people!
Posted by Blockade Boy on :
More info on Human Target? What's the premise? I've been reading Cooke's "New Frontiers" and just think he does both art and story telling a great justice.
Fables: picked up the first TBP and been getting single issues ever since. Tons of story and art for your money.
If they've done the rest of the TPB like the first, with that little extra art or story, TPB is definitely a great way to read Fables. The one downer for me is the sex and gore rating. I can't really recall a single issue that benefitted from it. Perhaps Willingham just writes better when he doesn't have to drive around his demons?
Y-Man: Great premise and the first few arcs would great, but then it just got so slow.
They lost me about the time the astronauts landed.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Blockade Boy, here is a link on the premise of Human Target, since I don't think I can do it justice: here
It's about a guy, Christopher Chance, who impersonates people when they are in danger (thus, he's a Human Target). But it's about oh-so much more than that! So far, we've had insight into the notion of taking on the identity of another human being, 9/11, steriods in baseball, the idea of losing your personality, and so many more abstract concepts that if I try to explain them, I will make them seem dumb.
It's really good stuff, I'd say even better than Fables, which I love!
Posted by Super Lad Kid on :
Hey, Cobie, did you get a chance to check out the latest Fables? Good stuff.
Posted by Bedlam Lad on :
I checked it out!
The mystery thickens! What are Hugh, Lou and Drew? Who is the Adverisary? What is Red really? What is Bigby about to find?
This series is great! I can't believe I have to wait another month to the next issue!
Posted by Super Lad Kid on :
quote:Originally posted by Bedlam Lad: I checked it out!
The mystery thickens! What are Hugh, Lou and Drew? Who is the Adverisary? What is Red really? What is Bigby about to find?
This series is great! I can't believe I have to wait another month to the next issue!
It's fun isn't it, Bedlam? Hugh, Lou and Drew = Huey, Dewey, and Louie? Adversery = Geppetto? Is Red any one of the Wicked Witches that often inhabit fairy tales? Notice what she wanted to eat. This is really good stuff.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I plan to pick it up Sunday! You guys have got me craving it even more than usual now!
Posted by Blacula on :
LOVED the latest issue of Fables!
Which was a huge relief as I had *HATED* last month's issue SO much that, even though its been one of my top 5 books ever since it began, I was totally about to drop this series. I am so against the unlawful entrapment and then murder of an obviously emotionally/mentally damaged Ichabod Crane by Bigby and Cinderella *for a crime he never even actually comitted* that I'm just going to pretend that that issue never happened!
Anyway, thank God this issue is good. The plot has seriously thickened hasn't it!
*SPOILERS*
- Gepetto obviously has something to do with it now, doesn't he? Or is it the Blue Fairy? Someone with a connection to Pinnochio anyway. I think Gepetto has been enslaved by, or maybe just voluntarily joined up with, the Adversary and is making wooden soldiers such as Hugh, Drew and Lou for him. I don't see him actually being the Adversary. He just doesn't have that air of menace and threat that I'm expecting the Adversary to have.
- Red Riding Hood. Who is she really? Some type of witch obviously. But which one? Have we seen Hansel and Gretel's witch yet? (Come to think of it have we even seen them yet?) I'm guessing she's that one anyway.
- Beauty and the Beast. I don't know why but these two are possibly my two favourite characters in the comic. (Why is it my curse to always favour the characters that occupy the fringes of a series? RIP Gim Allon!) Looks like they might be getting some good face-time coming up though. I really hope, and fully expect, that Snow White and Bigby *do* lose their jobs to them. Bill Willingham has never been afraid to shake up the status quo on this series and it makes for great reading!
So much going on here. Can't wait for the next issue!
Is it just me or is Vertigo doing some really good stuff at the moment?
- Fables I love! - Y The Last Man, I'd also love to get into but finding early back-issues that aren't too expensive is impossible and I've never been a TPB person. - The Losers & - Human Target, I just bought yesterday nearly full runs of both these series (missing #s 2 and 3 of The Losers) and all 4 issues of the preceding Human Target mini-series. Both look great and can't wait to start reading them.
And then there's the new Swamp Thing series coming out! At a time when I should be cutting back on my comics its just getting harder and harder to do it. Maybe I'll just start weaning myself off the regular DCU stuff. I find I'm getting more and more dissatisfied with the decisions being made there lately anyway. Changing Firestorm and re-booting the Doom Patrol being the two latest examples.
I read most DCU comics because they have a shared universe and therefore by necessity need to have a fairly strict continuity. But the way some fans and editors seem to have turned that into a dirty word, its probably going to be better for my blood pressure if I just let them go and concentrate on Vertigo where most of the worlds are self-contained.
Posted by Dev Em on :
I read The Losers Monthly. It's like an action flick on paper. Fun stuff.
I will be reading Swamp Thing, at least for a while to see where it goes.
I read Fables as trades, but may switch to monthly if finances allow it...but it's hard to give up on the 1/2 price trades at my local B&N.
I've read Y: The Last Man through issue 17. Will be getting that in trades as soon as the finances clear a little.
I read the Human Target mini (got all four issues for a dollar at a con) and am thinking about checking out the first trade when it hits.
Posted by Bedlam Lad on :
quote:Originally posted by Super Lad Kid: Adversery = Geppetto?
Nah, I think it's the great and powerful wizard of Oz myself.
After all, didn't the Adversery's conquest begin at the Emerald City? And in the books, the Wizard wasn't above manipulating people to get what he wants.
Posted by Lightning Lad on :
Wish I could find the article I read earlier this week that talked about who the Adversary really was. It seems that DC has agreed to who the Adversary really is based on the script 'bible' being used to prepare a feature film.
The rumor was the Adversary, prior to this agreement, was going to be revealed as being Peter Pan. Now it probably won't be but the article did say we will find out who he/she/it is within, IIRC, the next year's worth of books.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Recent issues:
Fables: Great issue. Things are really picking up now, and it appears that all the above theories about Gepeto are partially correct. Pinnochio is indeed some kind of prince among the wooden guys, although he believes Gepeto to be nothing more than a slave of the adversary. Things are really picking up now, and it's good to see a wider variety of Fables getting some screen time.
My Faith in Frankie: I was sad to see this end, it was such a good little mini-series. Funny and whimsical, I can't reccomend this enough. Just a very refreshing Vertigo book!
Y: the Last Man- after the craziness of the last three issues, we're on to a new story, although we don't really see much here. This book does move along slow sometimes, but there is good dialogue and a bit of characterization for the three main characters. I enjoy the series nonetheless, but hopefully it'll pick up a bit next issue.
Swamp Thing #1 (late review)- nicely written, beautifully drawn, and I'm interested. I'm not as gung-ho about Swamp Thing as others, but if this is done right, I'll be there for the whole thing. Still too early to really comment though.
Posted by Igee The Mighty on :
Just got the new Fables TPB, Storybook Love, and I have to say its a great read as well! Unlike the previous 2 TPs where there's a long story running through it, this one had nice 2-3 parters that moved the story along nicely.
I caught on to Fables quite late so I've decided to collect it in TPB.
Off-thread: I hope someone starts a Wildstorm topic like this. I read Sleeper and I think it's something a lot of people should be picking up but are not. Such an underrated, great book!
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I don't read much Wildstorm Igee, but you should start a thread for it!
Although I loathe the way that Marvel and other companies pad their stories to fit TPB, I truly love the way the Vertigo books are set up, and how the come out in TPB. I read the entire Preacher run in TPB, along with Books of Magic and the last segements of Sandman, and find that a good comic (like Fables) in a TPB is perfect for spending a solid night enjoying a story.
I think "Storybook Love" might be my favorite arc in Fables yet, Igee.
I'm highly anticipating the next issue of Human Target!
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Issue #2 of Swamp Thing was very good. I'm really liking the artist on this series, and Andy Diggle is keeping me interested. Sargon showing up is interesting, and I'm curious to see where this goes. I'm not too familiar with Sargon's appearances since he died during Moore's Swamp Thing run, has he appeared since then (not including his appearance in the first four issues of Books of Magic)?
Y: the Last Man continues to be good, and the lastest story is another eerie beginning. I agree with some others that the book just moves too slow sometimes (maybe Vaughn has become Marvel-fied?), but the characters still really interest me.
Fables and Human Target are still the two best, and definately two of the best books on the market right now, so anyone not getting them should try an issue!
Posted by Outdoor Miner on :
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: Sargon showing up is interesting, and I'm curious to see where this goes. I'm not too familiar with Sargon's appearances since he died during Moore's Swamp Thing run, has he appeared since then (not including his appearance in the first four issues of Books of Magic)?
I believe he showed up in another arc in Swamp Thing, possibly Mark Millar's.
Posted by rokk steady on :
I count Fables and Lucifer among my favorite titles. Y: The Last Man is a great read (sometimes too slow, I agree, but wow! that last mindf*ck storyline!) and My Faith in Frankie was unexpectedly delightful. I have been generally impressed by the Swamp Thing (moreso the the 1st issue and less so the last), and I am looking forward to trying the new Books of Magic series and the Witches-thing coming out. Overall, I believe Vertigo is on a great run lately.
I have never, however, read the Human Target. Perhaps it has been hiding in my comic shop disguised as another title.
Posted by Blacula on :
I'm finding Human Target a bit 'hit and miss'. When its good, its very VERY good. But when its bad, it downright SUCKS!
The cliche priest/pedaophile story was one such example and unfortunately the latest arc was too. Way too many unbelievable plot-holes and I really didn't engage enough with any of the characters to care about what happened to them. And that 'twist' ending really didn't do it for me.
Hopefully the next arc will be another winner like the baseball and 9/11 stories.
Fables on the other hand continues to impress. LOVED the latest issue! One of those 'calm before the storm' issues but a master-class in how to do it right. Perfect amount of humour, characterisation and suspense to entertain and keep us looking forward to the next issue. Loved all the little moments between characters we don't see too often like Beauty and the Beast, Grimble (so he's a troll! I've been wondering what Fable he was for ages), Rose Red, Jack and the Three Bears. Though now that we've checked in with them I'm beginning to worry that some of these folks might be on the chopping-block next issue. I hope Beauty and the Beast survive at least!
Posted by Outdoor Miner on :
quote:Originally posted by Blacula: Though now that we've checked in with them I'm beginning to worry that some of these folks might be on the chopping-block next issue. I hope Beauty and the Beast survive at least!
Willingham has not hesitated to knock off good characters when he's felt like it. I thought Bluebeard, for one, would have lasted a lot longer.
You could be right to worry.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I agree about Fables, we should be worried about characters dying. Blue Beard dying caught me totally by surprise, which is partly why I think it was done so well.
Besides Bigby, Snow and Prince Charming, there is really no one that is safe. I think my favorite non-main character right now is Sleeping Beauty, although I like all of them enough to be worried. This only makes me enjoy the series more!
Blacula, although I like the Human Target consistently, I agree that some stories are better than others. The priest pedaphile story was just too obvious to not see coming. I'm confident though that the best arcs are still to come.
Posted by Blacula on :
I just want to bring to everyone's attention one other thing that makes Fables the fantastic buy that it is - THOSE ABSOFRICKINLUTELY AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL COVERS!
Bar none, every single issue of this comic has had a cover worthy of being a painting on my wall. James Jean is such an incredible artist. In fact it was the covers that made me start buying this series. After deciding to skip this title when it first came out I just kept getting drawn to the covers on the comic shelves every month until finally I thought 'I have to have those pictures, even if the story is bad.' The story of course isn't but even so those covers are worth the price alone!
I love how he takes such standard comic markers like the logo and issue number and date and stuff and really makes them a part of the picture, rather than just having them sitting jarringly on top of it like on most comic covers. And he's got a crazily original design and colour sense too. Just look at the Fables covers on his website - jamesjean.com - each one is completely different to the other but still incredibly beautiful.
... and speaking of the covers - look at the pictures on #'s 26 and 27! Looks like bad things are in store for Fabletown! And who are in those body bags? Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Updates with Spoilers:
-Fables: the latest issues have been excellent. The war was very nicely done and Bigby, Prince Charming and Snow were great. The best part was definately the emphasis on the other fables, and a bunch of them shined. The mystery of the Adversary continues, and I hope we continue to get info in the upcoming issues.
The best part of the fight for me was the battle between the witches Baba Yaga and the old witch. I take it the old witch (forget her name now) is the same one from Hansel and Grettal and a few other stories? She seems very intense and may be the scarriest fable yet!
Y: The Last Man: the latest issue was excellent, and Yorrick is finally succumbing to being the last man. However, the previous three were a bit boring for me. It seems that Vaughn's Marvel tenure is making him pad his stories too much and move too slow--I only hope that people don't continue to drop the series, since it shows signs of being very good at times.
Human Target: did this series end? I thought it was one of the best on the market in it's first four or five issues, but then the stories got a bit slower and the book felt lost. I wouldn't be surprised if it was cancelled.
Swamp Thing: haven't read the last two issues yet, although they're sitting in the pile of comics by my desk.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
and updated reviews.
Anyone still reading these? SLK? Far and Lucien still reading Lucifer and Hellblazer? Blacula? Rokk Steady, OM? Petey C.?
Quick opinions:
-Fables has been AWESOME the last two issues. Although we didn't learn the identity of the Adversary, the storyline wrapped up and some changes were felt. But the last two issues (Bigby in WWII) were just plain awesome. Frankenstein's monster, Nazi's, secret agents, and a damn good story.
-The Human Target remains good, but it doesn't have the same dramatic feel as the first five or so issues to me. I'm not sure why exactly, but it feels like it's slipping.
-Swamp Thing was good too, although I'm still unsure on how much I like it. I haven't read #7 yet.
-Y: the Last Man has been very good lately. A good story with the flight attendent girl, and another good story dealing with Yorrick's sister Hero. The latter one was especially good, and really put her in another light. Now I'm curious to see where she'll go from here...come through strong in the end or be Yorrick's ruin?
Oh, and I reread Preacher's first three trades a month ago...I absolutely love them and can't get enough. I've got to buy the rest to reread those. Ennis cracks me up...
Posted by LyleLyle on :
Well, I'm a huge Vertigo fanboy so I'm happy to find this thread. Some thoughts:
Human Target: Oh, this is an amazing book, tho I did hate that pedofile priest issue for being so blooming obvious. None of it compares to the original series but this is still a strong title.
Fables: I was kinda mixed on the flashback tale, I guess I just didn't see it as much more as padding the wait until we find out how Snow's announcement at the end of the war story arc turned out. I've been a fan of Willingham since I discovered elementals and his storytelling skills have sharpened.
The Witching: Anyone checking this out? It's a cute title with the stereotypic Vertigo trappings (sex, drugs, swearing, strong women). I'm enjoying this one, so far.
Swamp Thing: I'm liking this one tho it hasn't totally grabbed me yet. Supposedly the new writer is really strong, so I'm eager to see it. I've enjoyed it month-to-month but in hindsight I'm underwhelmed.
Hellblazer: Mike Carey comes up with spooky stuff that actually scares me for the first time since I picked up a Hellblazer comic.
Y:TLM: I'm so hooked to this series, Vaughn is great at cliffhangers and it's working for me month-to-month.
Lucifer: I've liked this one but I ended up dropping it because I'd get lost month-to-month. Once the trades catch up, I'm planning to pick the title up again that way.
Did you check out Midnight Mass? It was a fun couple of series, nice bit of horror adventure.
There's a new title that was announced at SD this year, I don't remember much but the creator was a storyboard artist on Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and the comic is inspired by images he didn't use in the movie but couldn't get out of his head. What he had to show the panel was pretty amazing.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I've stuck to the trades for Lucifer too, although I'm waaaay behind. I wonder how it's fans are liking it now, since I think it should be continually moving to it's conclusion. Far? Bevis?
I haven't checked out Midnight Mass, but I might give it a shot on your reccomendation if I have a little extra cash.
Fables, Y:LM and Human Target are all still top notch and highly reccomended to all!
And I hope everyone gives reviews of their fave Vertigo comics as they come out each week! LyleLyle, Blacula and the rest: jump right in!
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
So, what's new with your Vertigo reading these days? I admit that about two years ago, Vertigo was *thee* place to be in comics for me--the only 'company' (if you look at it that way) that was consistently impressive each month. These days, I've culled my Vertigo reading a bit...
Fables Still an excellent read. Its been a bit slow for my tastes for six issues or so, but I'm hoping a renewed focus on Bigby and Snow will pump me back up. Still, its never a let down.
Y: the Last Man I have to say that while I gave it much more of a chance than most on LW, its kind of fizzled on me. It just takes a long time for anything to happen, and now I'm wonder if I should even be buying it...
Swamp Thing Recently cancelled, but I cancelled it around issue #7 personally. It appears that its very difficult these days for writers to really 'get' Swamp Thing or make the character their own.
What else is everyone reading in regards to Vertigo?
Posted by Tamper Lad on :
READ DMZ
For that matter, read anything written by Brian Wood. Local or Supermarket are also out recently. But I digress.
DMZ is a lost in New York type story where several states (including New Jersey) have seceded from the United States. US army is in Westchester and the Free States army is in Jersey. Manhattan is the DMZ between them.
Though its obvious theres a lot of political societal commentary on the real world in there the characters and the landscape of destroyed Manhattan are really interesting. Oh we're following the story of Matt, a Jimmy Olsen type rookie reporter who's stranded in NYC in the first issue.
I think its up to issue 5 right now and a Vol 1 trade should be coming within the next month.
Posted by rokk steady on :
Fables keeps knockin' my socks off, but Y has gotten kinda slow. I'll stick with Y though, b/c I really do like the characters. I decided to try Denise Mina on Hellblazer, and its been nice so far... a base hit: not a home run, but not a strike-out either.
With respect to the new crop of titles:
1. DMZ: Did NOT grab me during the first few issues. But the most recent storyline caught my attention in a big way, and I am enjoying it. Maybe the first arc was too much set-up for me, but it seems to be cookin' now.
2. American Virgin: 3 issues in, and I have no idea where it is going, and I mean that in a good way. And I love Cloonan's art. I am excited by this series.
3. Testament: Started out strong, but has lost me the past couple of issues. Too many gods in the background, although I enjoy reading about the 'real world' characters.
4. Exterminators: Thought this started out badly, lotsa profanity, not enough of an idea of what the series is supposed to be about. With Issue 5, however, something kicked into high gear (it really might be about the protagnists dealing with a mutant strain of roaches, which wasn't at all clear to me at the beginning of the series), and - as of last ish - I am very interested to see where it is heading.
Posted by Dev Em on :
Just reread the entire Sandman Mystery Theatre series from the earlier days of Vertigo...one of the best series ever.
I highly recommend picking up the trades that are available.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
So I picked up ‘Our Army @ Love’ the other day. It was…weird. But it seemed pretty good with some very crude satire and insight. I’m not sure if its *too much* for me to sex up the War in Iraq this much, even if it has a strong message underneath (which is assuredly does). Just might not be my cup of tea.
Anyone see this or have thoughts?
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
This is condemnation without reading, but I find the idea of book sort of distasteful, maybe because I read the preview pages after reading some articles about sexual abuse in the forces. Maybe if they had set it in a fictitious war? - but we'd naturally draw the parallels with the current conflicts.
Posted by Tamper Lad on :
I did read it and I found it distasteful. I don't even know what they were trying to say on first reading.
I do enjoy Vertigo's two other war series that are ongoing at the moment "DMZ" and "The Other Side" and also the recent "Pride of Baghdad GN". It's clear what they're saying but they do it with much more respect.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I picked up Young Liars on a whim, and it was actually quite good. Only #1 issue into it and I really like the set-up so far. The two main characters are very likeable while the other four are extremely unlikeable, but I'm sure as the series goes on they'll all shift.
A very interesting set-up, a lot going on (which is a must have for me these days) and a great sense of foreboding and excitement in what's to come. I reccomend and will at least check it out for the time being.
With Y: the Last Man over, I'm basically only collecting Fables (which is in another thread) and now have picked this up. Anyone reading anything else Vertigo?
Vertigo still remains the most authentic and 'you know what you're getting' company on the market. I pretty much consider it a 100% different entity than DC comics and praise Paul Levitz for ensuring DC can't get its hands on anything Vertigo.
Posted by Pov on :
I was getting Azzarello's Loveless until the original artist, Marcello Frusin, left the book... I tried to continue with it but couldn't get into the following artists. It was especially jarring because Frusin kept doing the covers following his run on interiors... Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Picked up House of Mystery #1. A good, solid first issue that will get me to come back. It began a little slow for my tastes but gave me just the right super-weird/crazy story I was hoping for in the middle.
And man was that weird. So weird it just awesome.
Bill Willingham can do no wrong these days it appears.
Posted by Lad Boy on :
Haven't filled the Y:The Last Man void yet. Picked up a Luna Brothers book that I liked
Posted by Pov on :
The final Y trade will be in my mid-June shipment... Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Seriously, you guys should read the HoM book. It has a woman having sex with a fly. A woman having sex with a fly. For the first time in awhile I stopped reading and thought "wow, I don't think I've ever seen that at all before. I've got to tell my brother."
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Well, Young Liars is continually interesting and completely insane over the top. I hardly know all that is going on but I'm enjoying that fact.
There are also several very intense, downright creepy, scenes each issue. The writer does an excellent job combining humor and the seriousness of violence, even over the top uber-comic book violence.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
So I've added several Vertigo titles to my weekly list. I'm going to keep updating this thread as I review them but two stick out in my mind (Fables has its own thread, and Young Liars I've reviewed elsewhere but will probably do again here at some point).
The Unknown Soldier - I love the concept of the Unknown Soldier, so the idea of a relaunch with another Soldier initially put me off--enough that I didn't give #1 a try. But in my attempt to diversify my readings, I gave the first two issues a try at one read. AND WOW. This...this is excellent. Powerful. And ruthless to the reader. Thus far, the Unknown Soldier has provided a dynamic, intriguing and edge of your seat pacing that has immediately drawn me right in. It takes place in Ugunda, which should say a ton to anyone familiar with it: this is not an easy comic to read. Its probably the most brutal comic I've read that isn't being brutal for the sake of being brutal; its not outright gor, but just the horror of the entire situation. I generally dislike comic books attempting to use the African political problems as a story line, because they never seem to get it right, but this works here. Its not preachy or giving answers, its just providing a realistic, unflinching background. And the new Unknown Soldier is a very interesting and complicated character thus far. I like it.
Madame Xanadu - I grabbed this too and quickly filled up the back issues (its up to about #6 now). Yet another stellar surprise by Vertigo. Totally catching me off guard, I was shocked at how much I enjoyed it. It reminds me of Sandman in the usage of historical settings and intricate yet fun plots. The art is nothing short of fantastic. Madame Xanadu, who I've always liked but never have *loved* is really intresting here, and its fun to learn about her long life. I was very hesitant about the use of the Phantom Stranger here, but so far I've enjoyed it. It reminds me a bit of "The Time Traveler's Wife" which is probably my favorite love story I've read / seen / heard about in the last 15 years of my life.
So yeah, I'd say Vertigo is kicking ass right now. In addition to these two, I'm reading Young Liars, Fables and just picked up the Haunted Tank (but haven't read that one yet).
Posted by LardLad on :
Cobalt, you irredeemable sunnuvabitch! You're not reading Scalped--possibly, one of the very best monthlies being published right now? Getcher ass over to your CBS and buy/order the first trade, "Indian Country"! Now!!!
You'll hate yourself forever (hell, it may already be to late! ) if you wait more than another week to pick it up! A history buff like you needs to read this to see how it sheds light on the injustices done to Native Americans from a modern perspective!
Plus, it's got an Indian mob boss and the badass protagonist uses nunchuks! And, yes, there's BOOBIES!!!
Best Vertigo title since Y: The Last Man without being anything like it! And no fantasy, scifi or supernatural elements!!! (okay, maybe a spirit walk or two...)
Vertigo's flag-bearers: Sandman, Preacher, Fables, Y...and now, Scalped. It's THAT good! So why are you still reading this post?!?! Go out and pick it the hell up!!!!!
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Yes, yes, yes, yes! This is the post I've been waiting for! Of course I've seen Scalped tons of times, passing it by only to be schnookered by the latest issue of Astonishing X-Men or Teen Titans. I needed someone to grab me by the back of the neck, doink me in the eyes and clear my head and tell me about it!
Consider me sold--I shall be checking it out in the next few weeks.
PLUS!!! - I'm of Native American descent! So I *should* be picking this up! (Seriously, my great-grandmother on my Dad's Mom's side was a full-blooded Mohawk Indian...so I'm partially Native American, at least enough to make refernce to!).
PLUS!!! You knew nunchuks and boobies would peak my interest. And The 'hell it may already be too late didn't hurt )
PS - I forgot to say I'm also collecting House of Mystery which is excellent and I highly reccomend it. A must read for fans of Fables.
Posted by Chemical King on :
Anybody here already mentioned the new mini-series "Greatest Hits" by David Tischmann?
It's a wild ride with fantastic artwork by Glenn Fabry, dealing with a Beatles-like group of four superheroes. The son of the McCartney character gets the job to do a docu about his fathers team. the story jumps through time, showing the feats and misdeeds of the "Fab Four" and the trouble of the son in doing the documentation piece.
Three issues out thus far, I really digged it, great fun, highly recommended!
Posted by CJ Taylor on :
I'll echo Cobie's comments on House of Mystery. It's a great read, with a little nod to the Vertigo-verse without being clunky. We get two stories each issue; the ongoing drama and a quirky bar story. Give any issue a chance ,and you'll enjoy it.
And Madame Xanadu is another interesting read. Matt Wagner is giving us the history of Xanadu, heavily influenced by the Phantom Stranger. We get these sort of two issue tales as we travel through Xanadu's history. Again, easy to jump into with each issue.
Posted by Blacula on :
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: Madame Xanadu - I grabbed this too and quickly filled up the back issues (its up to about #6 now). Yet another stellar surprise by Vertigo. Totally catching me off guard, I was shocked at how much I enjoyed it. It reminds me of Sandman in the usage of historical settings and intricate yet fun plots. The art is nothing short of fantastic. Madame Xanadu, who I've always liked but never have *loved* is really intresting here, and its fun to learn about her long life. I was very hesitant about the use of the Phantom Stranger here, but so far I've enjoyed it. It reminds me a bit of "The Time Traveler's Wife" which is probably my favorite love story I've read / seen / heard about in the last 15 years of my life.
YES! I knew my "I Heart DC" sales pitch would eventually snag someone!
Heed the advice of this convert people. Madame Xanadu rocks!
(And Scalped is really good too.)
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Well, Blacula, you certainly got me interested!
I, of course, consider Vertigo a completely seperate entity than the DCU Proper. Mainly because Didio isn't allowed anywhere near it (which I love!!!). I'm 100% behind Vertigo--they've always done great things and recently they've seen to really release a bunch of titles and mini-series I find appealing and of very high quality.
Vertigo is really kicking ass lately!
Posted by Stealth on :
Never thought I'd be posting in this thread, but I've jumped on the Madame Xanadu train. Anyone who loved fairy tales and myths and legends as a kid would probably like this book. It's also a good reminder that I still need to sample writer Matt Wagner's cult series Mage and Grendel.
Posted by Stealth on :
Oh, and, Cobie, did you ever read the Vertigo series from a few years ago The Losers? Track down the trades, it's well worth it. Written by Andy Diggle.
Posted by LardLad on :
There's a few titles that have me curious, and I'm hoping some of my fellow LWers can give me the thumbs up or down on them along with a few comments: Northlanders, Loveless & DMZ. A Viking tale, a western and war story with a twist. All sound very intriguing, but I'd like to see if anyone's read them. There were some comments on DMZ here a couple of years ago but nothing more recent. I haven't read any Brian Wood and very little Brian Azzarello, so I don't have much to go on. Help?
Also...read Scalped NOW!!!!
Posted by Mystery Lad on :
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: Vertigo still remains the most authentic and 'you know what you're getting' company on the market. I pretty much consider it a 100% different entity than DC comics and praise Paul Levitz for ensuring DC can't get its hands on anything Vertigo.
Though I agree with the sentiment about VERTIGO's aggregate personality, I sure wish characters like Black Orchid, Fury and Hector Hall *were* placed in DC's hands and that *Vertigo* couldn't get *their* hands on these properties.
'Cause, really, what do they need them for? Those three don't even really fit in any Vertigo title that I can think of, anymore.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
quote:Originally posted by LardLad: Cobalt, you irredeemable sunnuvabitch! You're not reading Scalped--possibly, one of the very best monthlies being published right now? Getcher ass over to your CBS and buy/order the first trade, "Indian Country"! Now!!!
You'll hate yourself forever (hell, it may already be to late! ) if you wait more than another week to pick it up! A history buff like you needs to read this to see how it sheds light on the injustices done to Native Americans from a modern perspective!
Plus, it's got an Indian mob boss and the badass protagonist uses nunchuks! And, yes, there's BOOBIES!!!
Best Vertigo title since Y: The Last Man without being anything like it! And no fantasy, scifi or supernatural elements!!! (okay, maybe a spirit walk or two...)
Vertigo's flag-bearers: Sandman, Preacher, Fables, Y...and now, Scalped. It's THAT good! So why are you still reading this post?!?! Go out and pick it the hell up!!!!!
Sitting at home waiting for me: TPB of the first issues of Scalped! You demanded it Lardy, and it shall be read!
Posted by LardLad on :
I reckon we'll hear back from yuh in about a week---it'll take that long for yuh to be able to sit down at your computer and post cuz it'll kick yer ASS so hard when yuh read it!!! Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Bought and read the first issue of Haunted Tank. You know what? Pretty damn entertaining! So far, very fun without taking the easy cliche way out. (Black ancester of Jeb Stuarts? In the hands of Judd Winnick this could be torture to read).
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid:
quote:Originally posted by LardLad: Cobalt, you irredeemable sunnuvabitch! You're not reading Scalped--possibly, one of the very best monthlies being published right now? Getcher ass over to your CBS and buy/order the first trade, "Indian Country"! Now!!!
You'll hate yourself forever (hell, it may already be to late! ) if you wait more than another week to pick it up! A history buff like you needs to read this to see how it sheds light on the injustices done to Native Americans from a modern perspective!
Plus, it's got an Indian mob boss and the badass protagonist uses nunchuks! And, yes, there's BOOBIES!!!
Best Vertigo title since Y: The Last Man without being anything like it! And no fantasy, scifi or supernatural elements!!! (okay, maybe a spirit walk or two...)
Vertigo's flag-bearers: Sandman, Preacher, Fables, Y...and now, Scalped. It's THAT good! So why are you still reading this post?!?! Go out and pick it the hell up!!!!!
Sitting at home waiting for me: TPB of the first issues of Scalped! You demanded it Lardy, and it shall be read!
OK, read it today. AWESOME. Everything you said about it Lardy was spot on! Very intense, and a very intelligent read. So far the characters have sprung to life, and the intricate backstory is fascinating and opens up a long range of places to go.
You've hooked me. So now the decision is to continue in trades or pick up single issues? I've basically been doing single issues for everything I read, so maybe this will be a TPB series for me.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Oh, that makes a sudden quite huge Vertigo title count for me! Fables, Scalped, Madame Xanadu, House of Mystery, Unknown Soldier, Haunted Tank, Young Liars, Jack of Fables (occassional trades). Within the last few months I think Vertigo, which has always published a bunch of great comics strait on through, is suddenly exploding with great material again! A new wave of greatness is here!
Posted by LardLad on :
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: You've hooked me. So now the decision is to continue in trades or pick up single issues? I've basically been doing single issues for everything I read, so maybe this will be a TPB series for me.
The good news, there, is that there are already two more volumes in print, "Casino Boogie" and "Dead Mothers"!
"Casino Boogie" chronicles the opening of the casino from the perspectives of several major characters. It doesn't immediately follow up on the murder at the end of "Indian Country", but you won't be disappointed. One issue has a fight between Dash and Diesel that is over-the-top, but I would KILL to see choreographed in a movie!
"Dead Mothers" follows up on the murder from the first volume emotionally, but it's another murder that takes center stage. Dash really gets some subtle but profound character development here.
And Chief Red Crow is fast becoming one of the most compelling characters in comics!
Personally, I couldn't wait for trades, but Vertigo back issues can sometimes be harder to come by with the smaller print runs.
It's good to know you have great taste! Posted by LardLad on :
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: Oh, that makes a sudden quite huge Vertigo title count for me! Fables, Scalped, Madame Xanadu, House of Mystery, Unknown Soldier, Haunted Tank, Young Liars, Jack of Fables (occassional trades). Within the last few months I think Vertigo, which has always published a bunch of great comics strait on through, is suddenly exploding with great material again! A new wave of greatness is here!
All of those are on my radar and indicative of Vertigo's re-emergence. I'm also extremely curious about some other "buzz" titles like Northlanders and DMZ.
Posted by Blockade Boy on :
Sandman: The Dream Hunters has been fun but then, I've always been a sucker for pretty covers.
Posted by LardLad on :
quote:Originally posted by Blockade Boy: Sandman: The Dream Hunters has been fun but then, I've always been a sucker for pretty covers.
I'm picking this up as well! Having never read the original version, I'm enjoying Craig's adaptation immensely. An excellent read to this point.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I picked up the first issue of the new arc in Northlanders to see how that is too since basically everything Vertigo these days is finely tuned excellence.
I will read and review shortly.
BTW, Young Liars just gets more and more weird / poignant / interesting / awesome.
Posted by Pov on :
I thought Vertigo was fairly timely with their trade releases, but I still haven't seen a first TPB solicit for Madame Xanadu1-6, even tho #9 is in my Jan-for-Mar DCBS listings.
<< YOU'RE MISSING OUT ON A SALE HERE, GUYS!!! Posted by Blockade Boy on :
The Sandman: Endless Nights.
A STUNNING looking book.
The "Dream" chapter, "The Heart of a Star," pretty much explains, well, just about everything DC Universe.
Posted by LardLad on :
Okay, so I just read issues 1-6 of Madame Xanadu based on the word of mouth here from several posters, and having read them I have to say....not bad.
Honestly, the story and (especially) the art were first-rate, but at the moment I hust don't feel hooked--you know, like I just absolutely have to have the next few issues.
In those six issues, we essentially have three 2-parters set in three different historical eras: Camelot, the Kublai Khan/Marco Polo China era and the French Revolution. Judging from the solicitations, 7-8 take place in London during the Jack the Ripper murders.
It's an interesting way to start the series, for sure. I guess we're slowly edging toward seeing her in modern times, and the intent here is that we know everything about her before the series goes into whatever its status quo will be. At least that's what I think. I'm not altogether sure, actually.
I guess that's part of my problem: I'm not really sure what the series is all about. Most series where the character has a long, complicated history, the technique is to reveal bits thru flashbacks or standalones between arcs. Here, the touchstones between each era we visit appears to be her encounters with the Phantom Stranger. It appears that each encounter is getting her closer to filling some unknown role in the Earth's destiny. And the message so far seems to be that even though she can predict things that will happen, Xanadu is powerless to change anything and that's how it's supposed to be. In fact she sometimes is called upon to make sure things happen as they are supposed to. That's what her stories in all three 2-parters seem to reinforce.
They are all good stories, but an ongoing is probably not just about her origin, especially as we get closer to the modern era. What's Madame Xanadu going to ultimately be about? What's the hook? The stories have been pretty good so far, but what's to keep me coming back month after month?
I think I'm onboard for at least issues 7 & 8, but I hope to get something in those issues to keep me coming. One thing that's been really pleasant is the artwork of Amy Reeder Hadley. It's simply beautiful linework with pitch-perfect colors to go with it. But ultimately, I won't continue buying it if the art is the main draw for me.
Can I hear some specific rebuttals from those who've been advocating Madame Xanadu here?
Posted by LardLad on :
quote:Originally posted by Pov: I thought Vertigo was fairly timely with their trade releases, but I still haven't seen a first TPB solicit for Madame Xanadu1-6, even tho #9 is in my Jan-for-Mar DCBS listings.
<< YOU'RE MISSING OUT ON A SALE HERE, GUYS!!!
Pov, based on the current era-to-era format, I'd say the first arc is probably not finished and therefore not ready for the TPB.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Hm, on Madame Xanadu, I'm not sure how to respond. I also have no clue at all where this title is going but I'm pretty comfortable with it. If it does lead to a point where its taking place in the present, I sure hope they continue to spend a significant amount of time exploring her past throughout the ages.
I think what I like the most is the narrative structure thus far, with the jumping around and the overall sense that there are guiding forces at hand. I don't mind the slow burn, and in a way it reminds of Sandman.
I also find the character highly likeable.
Hm...I'll let Blacula and a few others give you the hard sell on this one . I think its a solid book though and I'm in for the long run. Now if you need me to give you the hard sell on House of Mystery...all I can say is "a woman has sex with a bug in #2". There you go, you can't possibly not want to at least check that out Posted by CJ Taylor on :
Lardy, I wouldn't say the story in Xanadu is the kind of grab ya story you were expecting. It's a charming story, almost a fairy tale. With the different hops through time, it's a biography of an interesting woman instead of a dramatic tour through DCU time.
I spoke with Wagner and Hadley at SDCC, and the idea was for the timely arcs to continue for a bit, maybe get a little longer. But the feel isn't going to change, and that's what made it a Vertigo title instead of a DCU book. It's not the high energy action story of super-heroes, it's a woman's journey through life.
It could use a few more women having sex with bugs...
Posted by LardLad on :
quote:Originally posted by CJ Taylor: Lardy, I wouldn't say the story in Xanadu is the kind of grab ya story you were expecting. It's a charming story, almost a fairy tale. With the different hops through time, it's a biography of an interesting woman instead of a dramatic tour through DCU time.
I spoke with Wagner and Hadley at SDCC, and the idea was for the timely arcs to continue for a bit, maybe get a little longer. But the feel isn't going to change, and that's what made it a Vertigo title instead of a DCU book. It's not the high energy action story of super-heroes, it's a woman's journey through life.
Hmm...I may pass on future issues, then. It's not that I expect a "high energy action story" in this comic, but I guess I prefer my Vertigos to be a little more edgy and suspenseful. Even Sandman had that aspect to a degree, though I mostly think of it as superior fantasy above all.
Don't get me wrong--I don't regret buying and reading Madame Xanadu 1-6 at all. They were well-written and drawn. I just can't see collecting it on an ongoing basis from here on out. Just not my cup of tea for the long term. Not gonna rule out revisiting it in trades in the future, however.
quote:It could use a few more women having sex with bugs...
That couldn'ta hurt!
<note to self: check out HoM! >
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
OK, I'm getting to some parts of my reading pile I've meant to for some time now:
I picked up Northlanders #10 - 12, which I believe kicks off the second arc of the series. In other words, I completely missed the first arc and haven't read it yet but am starting here. So anyone who has read the first arc and wants to review for me, I'd really appreciate it, because it might lead me to think if I'd read it first, I'd have more of a heightened enjoyment of what I have read.
Thus far, those issues were pretty good: the art is fantastic, the story is savage, and the setting is in a time of special interest to me, when the Irish were pushing the Vikings out of Ireland. Brian Boru is a background part of the setting, but he's of special interest to me, as I read several books as him when I was a few years younger. "The Lion of Ireland" is especially a great book on the subject (historical fiction).
However, I do have to say something seems lacking so far. Everything is good so there's no one great complaint...but it just doesn't have that 'oomph' factor that so many other great Vertigo/other company comics have right now. I can't put my finger on it, and perhaps the way I read it effected me. However, I gave it three full issues, so the story should have really kicked off by now, and "every issue is someone's first" should still have some sort of credence to it no matter what era we're in.
So I don't know if I'll pick up anymore issues. Lardy, you got the first trade, right? I look forward to your review, as perhaps I missed something. And anyone else's reviews too!
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Read the latest Unknown Soldier #4. Man this book is some powerful stuff. Very, very intense, and the writer continues to make me care about Ugunda and be interested in it at the same time (and that's no easy feat).
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
After all the strong recommendations here, I read Scalped vol. 1, 2 & 3. Powerful! And depressing, although I'm sure it reflects reality. (After volume 1, I read Courtney Crumrin for a break.) It's an excellent mystery, with lots of twists but what is particularly compelling are the characters of Dashiel and Red Crow. because of their complexity and their mixed (or muddled) motivations. The other characters are more straightforward, except possibly Red Crow's daughter. Will she achieve some salvation and break out of her cycle of destruction?
My CBS suggested I try The Other Side, also written by Jason Aaron (before he did Scalped). War stories aren't my favourite genre but this book was excellent. It delivered the same grim reality that we see in Scalped, but focussed on the parallel plights of an American G.I., newly arrived in Nam and a North Vietnamese. Both suffer terribly, but in very different ways. Cameron Stewart throws in the occasional panel of sheer beauty, which makes the whole story that much more tragic.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
"The Other Side" sounds interesting! Is Vertigo the publisher of that story FC, or was it someone else. I may check it out.
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
Yes, it's Vertigo. blurb Posted by Sarcasm Kid on :
Personally I've always been a fan of the early Vertigo books, although I do enjoy Fables and Air. My favorites are Doom Patrol and Black Orchid.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Vertigo right now might be the best any comic company has been in a long time. And it only gets better.
I just picked up Air #7 because it was $1.00 and I've heard good things. Well...WOW. I mean...holy shit. That was freaking amazingly good! They just got me hook, line and sinker...a totally fascinating experience that I definitely did not see coming.
This is pure and utter science-fiction with loads of mystery. I hardly understand whats happening and thats the best part. It really reminded me of Lost. I will definitely be getting all six previous issues immediately.
I just spent the last half hour checking out other reviews of the series. Its like a who's who of creators singing its praises. Gaiman, Simone, Aaron, Azzerelo, and then the non-comic book people are even more numerous. People also relate the series to action packed like "24" with the mystery and sci-fi of Lost. But I think its something completely different thus far from anything I've seen before.
I highly reccomend gettin the $1.00 issue and telling me if you're intrigued as well.
Posted by Pov on :
FInally-- DC's solicits for June '09 include the first trade for Madame Xanadu, Disenchanted. It collects the first 10 issues for $14. Definitely going to the top of my April preorders. Posted by Pov on :
And I know it's technically not a Vertigo book, but I can't wait for Wildstorm to trade up Mysterius the Unfathomable... I saw the solicit for the final issue, #6. Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
That looked cool because Jeff Parker is writing it and he does all of Marvel's best stuff these days. I hardly ever check out Wildstorm stuff, but every so often they have something that interests me.
Posted by stephbarton on :
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: I will definitely be getting all six previous issues immediately.
Those issues will be in the trade (well, issue 1-5) for $9.99, and I guess that actually came out last week.
Thanks for the review, I was thinking of checking out the first trade (for $10) but was rethinking due to budget constraints. but after hearing your review I'll either see if I can track down issue #7 (for a dollar) or I'll see if my LCS has the trade.
Posted by LardLad on :
Just read the first House of Mystery trade. Overall, I liked it, but a lot seemed over my head. The stories told at the bar, for instance, not so sure how much was supposed to be straightforward and how much was supposed to be alleghorical. Like that story with the hollow girl and the flies--brr! Funny, most of those stories seemed less about mystery than I would have.
Without giving away too much, what's some of the story direction after issue 5? Does it focus largely on the same characters, or does the cast change? Does Fig continue to figure in, or is she free from the house? The ending at 5 seemed a little ambiguous. Any help you guys can give me to determine whether to pick up subsequent trades would be appreciated!
Posted by CJ Taylor on :
It's an intelligent read to be sure Lardy. I tend to read the short story after reading the whole issue, just to prevent any distraction. Those little tales aren't always direct corallaries to the main story, but there is a fit. Knowing what you know about the cast, it's understandable that you're not sure if the stories told are tall tales or what - that's part of the charm.
The core group we met are still the main cast through the current issue. And yes, Fig is still involved.
Posted by stephbarton on :
I got the House of Mystery trade also, but honestly I was a bit disappointed. The story with the House characters are interesting, but the short stories didn't seem to have a point.
I really think I would have preferred the short stories to be longer and the overall, large story to play out over a longer amount of time.
I just don't see the point of picking up the second trade for what amounts to three issues of story and a bunch of too short stories where some are good and some are simply "there."
Honestly, this trade left me feeling lukewarm, so maybe if I get flush with cash I'll pick up the second trade but the first trade didn't make me want to pick up the monthly.
Also, I finally got Air #7, it was an interesting read and I am curious, I'll keep my eyes open for the first trade that's for sure...
Posted by LardLad on :
Also regarding HoM, I was curious about how many in the bar are confined to the house and its grounds. Some of the characters seemed able to come and go at will like the lawyer guy, unless I'm mistaken. At points it seemed the five principle characters were the only ones confined. Very confusing!
And for a book with that title shouldn't the short stories be more...mysterious? They seemed more fantasy/horror to me unless they were supposed to enlighten us more on the mysteries of their tellers.
Like Steph, yeah, I was a little disappointed.
Posted by rouge on :
Air, Madame Xanadu and Unknown Soldier, all picked up a bunch of Eisner nominations this week. Go Vertigo!
I also recommend all three Rouge points out. I'm just getting on board for Air now (see my above post), Madame Xanadu is a very different type of comic than anything else, and Unknown Soldier is as good as comic books get these days.
I like the set-up for House of Mystery. The story within a story--even the weird ones that appear to have no thematic connection to the larger story--is part of the fun for me. I also knew going in it would be much more horror oriented than "mystery", so I'm quite pleased with that. House of Mystery throughout its history has almost never been a mystery series actually...so this fits in quite well with the historical title. I think above all, I'm just glad to be getting an anthology title with only the barest semblance of a recurring periodical storyline for this one. And so far I'd say just about every issue has been very high quality. Its very Sandman-esque in style and intelligence.
Haunted Tank - this was really good! Not the greatest thing on the market, but probably the best commentary on the war in Iraq besides Kyle Baker's "Armed Forces" in comic books thus far in the medium. And it's commentary on racism was really excellent, covering just about all the viewpoints and showing how hypocritical most people are in those anti-racist views--yet without ever hitting you over the head with it or being sanctimonious.
Young Liars - still one of the weirdest, craziest and damn best reads going today. Its really impossible to describe the series. Its just freaking crazy.
Posted by stephbarton on :
I got the House of Mystery Showcase vol.1 last week and finished reading it yesterday.
I have to say I enjoyed the HECK out of that showcase and really don't think the current version (or the first trade anyways) is nearly as good. I was amazed at how entertained I could be with just 8 to 12 pages worth of story.
There just seemed to be a lot more going on in those old stories than the ones that they put in the modern one.
Like I said, I enjoyed the ongoing set-up, but not enough to spend $3 to get that and short stories that amuse me only a little bit of the time. But I'll wait and hear what people have to say about the second trade, maybe they'll have found their legs by then (of course that will cost more then)
Posted by Stealth on :
I recently read the trade of the 2006 Hellblazer spin-off mini-series Lady Constantine, about a female ancestor of John. As penned by the reliably good Andy Diggle, there's plenty of swashbuckling action and plenty of monsters, including one of the earlier incarnations of Swamp Thing. I'm guessing that hardcore Vertigo fans probably consider this a bit lightweight and simplistic, but I found it an exhilirating romp. Recommended.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Have you ever read her debut appearance in Sandman (by Neil Gaiman) several years ago, Stealth? It takes place during the French Revolution, and it was very good--definitely set the tempo for all her further appearances, which are generally quite excellent.
Posted by Kent Shakespeare on :
She also appeared about a dozen issues before that, in a story called "Men of Good Fortune," her actual 1st appearance of only a page or two. That one appears in the Doll's House TPB, while the one Cobie refers to, "Thermidor," is in "Fables and Reflections."
She is also referred to several times in "Brief Lives," but as a present-day story, she does not appear in it.
I felt Diggle captured a lot of her essence well, but didn't quite match the bar Neil set (in my opinion, anyway).
Posted by Stealth on :
I did read "The Doll's House" many years ago, but I missed out on "Fables and Reflections" and "Brief Lives" because I stopped reading Sandman after "A Game of You" disgusted and angered me like no story since Shvaughn/Sean, and for similar reasons (briefly, I thought both stories handled a sensitive topic insensitively, and Neil Gaiman's prickly defensiveness about it in interviews makes me think that he might be more ambivalent about transgendered people than he himself realizes.)
I have been thinking lately of giving Sandman another chance, though, so I definitely will check out the "Fables and Reflections" and "Brief Lives" trades from the library. I'll probably read the other trades, too, except for "A Game of You", which I'll never re-read.
Thanks for the information, guys.
Posted by rouge on :
quote:Originally posted by Stealth: I did read "The Doll's House" many years ago, but I missed out on "Fables and Reflections" and "Brief Lives" because I stopped reading Sandman after "A Game of You" disgusted and angered me like no story since Shvaughn/Sean, and for similar reasons (briefly, I thought both stories handled a sensitive topic insensitively, and Neil Gaiman's prickly defensiveness about it in interviews makes me think that he might be more ambivalent about transgendered people than he himself realizes.)
Just curious, but how was it insensitive? I always thought the ending where Barbie stood up to Wanda's family and then sees Death take Wanda (as Wanda) was very poignant. It's been a while for sure, so I'm open to another reading.
Posted by Stealth on :
Rouge, I feel that Gaiman undermined Wanda's dignity and sense of self at every turn, right down to what her family does to her mortal shell after she's exited it. Why can't transgendered characters get happy endings? Why must they be dragged through the mud and have the identities that they fought so hard for stripped away from them? Transgenders sometimes get happy endings on TV, surely an otherwise less-progressive medium than comic books!
If the ending of "A Game of You" is Gaiman's idea of a happy ending, I'd hate to see his idea of an unhappy ending.
If you do re-read that arc, Rouge, I'd be interested to know your thoughts.
Posted by LardLad on :
I've read "A Game of You" a couple of times. Though I liked it better the first time, in both reads Wanda's character stands out as the most memorable and likeable aspect of the story. When it was written, transgender characters were pretty much unheard of and the subject of transgendering largely on the taboo side. Heck, it's still a good ways from being accepted--just ask the real-life transgendered man who gave birth last year and all of the death threats he and his partner have received.
Sometimes the best way to elicit an emotional response to a concept that is foreign and taboo to a general audience is too present that story as tragic and show the intolerance faced by the character along the way.
It makes me think of the movie "Philadelphia" and Tom Hanks' character of Andy Beckett and how the story really opened peoples' eyes to AIDS and humanized gays instead of showing them as the boogeymen who were supposedly callously spreading the disease with their 'immoral' ways.
Both Andy and Wanda died, but their tragedies created a connection with their audience that a more upbeat ending may have lessened. The main difference was that Andy achieved a victory in court while Wanda was never accepted by her family and was buried as a man.
Since then, we've had more upbeat stories of gay, HIV-positive or transgender characters. But the groundwork was laid with what may have had to have been tragic stories. There are many aspects of "A Game of You" that I can't recall perfectly, but Wanda's story in it will always stick out as a highlight...as will Barbie's poignant tribute to her in the end.
That's how I feel about it anyway, Stealth. I certainly respect your opinion of it, though.
Posted by rouge on :
quote:Originally posted by Stealth: Rouge, I feel that Gaiman undermined Wanda's dignity and sense of self at every turn, right down to what her family does to her mortal shell after she's exited it. Why can't transgendered characters get happy endings? Why must they be dragged through the mud and have the identities that they fought so hard for stripped away from them? Transgenders sometimes get happy endings on TV, surely an otherwise less-progressive medium than comic books!
If the ending of "A Game of You" is Gaiman's idea of a happy ending, I'd hate to see his idea of an unhappy ending.
If you do re-read that arc, Rouge, I'd be interested to know your thoughts.
I agree that Wanda was up against prejudice at every turn from Thessaly not including her because she was a "man" to her treatment at the hands of her family, but Barbie accepted her and we as readers identified with her. And when Death takes her to the afterlife, it's as the self she identified herself as, surely an indication that she was who she thought she was.
I don't think it's supposed to be a "happy" ending, the last line (one of my favourite quotes BTW), illustrates that quite vividly. Gaiman ususally avoids "pat" endings anyway, even Stardust, which of any of his stories deserved a fairy tale ending, has a sense of melancholy and sacrifice.
I think Wanda's family and their treatment of their "son" was quite realistic, if unfortunate. It also played well to the theme of the arc, that identity is different things to different people. We're always playing the "Game of You" and it illustrated Barbie's growth that she stood up for her friend and gave her some semblance of a proper send off.
Edit: Went out and found the quote just so I could get it right: "And if there's a moral there, I don't know what it is, save maybe that we should take our goodbyes whenever we can. And that's all."
Posted by Stealth on :
Lardy, perhaps a lot of people do need the bitter coating of tragedy to get the message. But in my personal experience, I began to champion transgenders after an episode of "L.A. Law" -- a show I normally never watched -- where Claudia Christian played a transgendered model. Her character had a happy ending, but I got the message quite clearly.
Rouge, I think Gaiman may just be too much of a realist to appeal to my naturally romantic sensibilities. The very thing that he's normally praised for, his ability to bring fanciful concepts down to earth, is what I find off-putting about his writing.
I'll still read the stories with appearances by, and references to, Lady Constantine, though.
Posted by LardLad on :
I just want to add that I don't think tragic spins like Wanda's story are necessary exactly, but they are a tried-and-true device to elicit sympathy in the character's plight. Arguably, this can be a sign of lazy writing as well. "Philadelphia", for example, was considered groundbreaking at the time, but it seems very dated and preachy from a modern perspective. I don't feel that way about "A Game of You", however--largely because of the touches Rouge mentions.
Posted by rouge on :
Might I add since, we're talking about Vertigo titles, that Seaguy is 11 shades of awesome.
Posted by LardLad on :
quote:Originally posted by rouge: Might I add since, we're talking about Vertigo titles, that Seaguy is 11 shades of awesome.
Where does it rate on the Grant Morrison scale of comprehensibility, Rouge?
Posted by rouge on :
quote:Originally posted by LardLad:
quote:Originally posted by rouge: Might I add since, we're talking about Vertigo titles, that Seaguy is 11 shades of awesome.
Where does it rate on the Grant Morrison scale of comprehensibility, Rouge?
Loaded question.
It's pretty accessible (though I'd recommend the first mini, available in a cheap trade). The heart of it is a mystery story though, so there's a lot that hasn't been explained yet. Mostly because Seaguy himself doesn't really know what's going on. The next issue will tell the tale.
It is chock full of Morrisonesque crazy ideas, which is a plus on my side, but your mileage may vary.
Certainly not as obtuse as say The Filth, but not as straightforward as WE3 or Vinamarama.
Posted by Pov on :
Anybody looked at The Unwritten yet?
Carey & Gross reunited (LUCIFER) and 40 pages for $1... tempting...
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
The Unwritten is very good. Having 40 pages helps! There's a variety of things used to tell the story: the regular panels, some text pages, message board exchanges, post-it notes. It's a good mystery. We know who some of the bad guys are, but not others, and the motivations aren't clear. Is Tommy really Tommy, someone else or someone out of a story? Between this and Fables, we've got a good dose of questioning reality.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I've been very lax in my comic book reading this last month plus, but I want to correct that. I definitely plan on checking out the Unwritten.
Anyone ever read "Greatest Hits". I admit it didn't interest me until I just read the wrap-up interview at comic book resources.
Lardy, did you ever read those Northlander trades? Thats another one I'm curious about. I came in around 10 or 12 and read a few issues and it didn't do it for me. But it seemed to be a series better suited to a trade.
Posted by LardLad on :
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: Lardy, did you ever read those Northlander trades? Thats another one I'm curious about. I came in around 10 or 12 and read a few issues and it didn't do it for me. But it seemed to be a series better suited to a trade.
For whatever reason, I've held off on reading all those Vertigo trades I bought but am now finally getting around to them. The Northlanders trade (I only have the first one) should be read within the next week or possibly even sooner.
Before this reply, I just read the first DMZ trade. LOVED it! I'll definitely be picking up at least the next one or two of those in the near future. I'll post a review of Volume One if anyone's interested in picking DMZ up and wants my critique.
Posted by Stealth on :
Madame Xanadu # 11 is my favorite comic of the past two weeks. The opening chapter of the first new arc since the end of the 10-part origin story, it takes place both during the 1940s and during the Spanish Inquisition, so Wagner is clearly in no hurry to get her to the present day, which I think is for the better (I hope we revisit the Camelot era someday.) Her co-creator, Michael Wm. Kaluta, is drawing this arc, which I'm guessing is his first interior art in years (decades?) and it is exquisite.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
So I picked up the Unwritten #1 and #2. I’ve just read #1, and it was so good, that I had to post something before I could even open #2. By the way, #1 is only $1.00. Get it while its hot folks. One of the best comics of the year and for one of the best deals.
Its beyond intriguing the mystery pulled me right in hook, line and sinker.
The narrative structure is also very dynamic and compelling. Like FC said on the previous page, Carey uses various things, such as newscasts, message boards, post-its, etc, each one important to the overall theme of the series. I’d guess the art is the same with various Mis En Scene playing a role (I’ll need to reread).
Carey also does a wonderful and underplayed job of showing how obsession with celebrity takes the spotlight in some many peoples minds while such horrible tragedies are happening around the world that so many people simply just don’t care about. But I think he’s adding in another layer of subtext…that perhaps it’s the constant goal of people to find a ‘Messiah’ in so many different ways. Too early to tell but something I’ll keep an eye out for.
Anyone who is a fan of the Harry Potter books should do themselves a favor and check this out. Its really fascinating to see the analogues.
Probably the most interesting premise for a series since Fables #1. And I still have the second issue to read.
Posted by rouge on :
Madame Xanadu #12 was a good issue, nice set up, and of course where Dian Belmont shows up, Wesley can't be far behind. Should be an interesting "Team up".
Posted by LardLad on :
Okay, so several months ago I bought four Vertigo trades that were all the first volume of their respective titles. I only recently read them all in the past few weeks, so I'll give you my opinion of each one in alphabetical order:
DMZ: The premise of this series is that America is suffering its second Civil War, and it's set only a few years in the future. Apparently, the middle class (the "Free States") has risen against the American government in protest of its concentration on overseas war campaigns and neglect of the homefront. The lack of much National Guard because of those conflicts have helped the Free States gain considerable ground. But both sides failed to secure Manhattan, so it has become the titular demilitarized zone.
The story follows Matty Roth, a photojournalist intern who was part of a documentary group, but all the rest of the crew are killed when they land. Matty stays in the DMZ and reports his experiences through blogs and video and photographs he takes.
The story hooked me really well and was very engaging and interesting. Lots of good characters and a believable premise. Honestly, the idea doesn't seem like much of a stretch with our being in a recession and all the government corruption. Some day, maybe Americans will have had enough.
It's basically a war comic from a neutral point of view. It's full of interesting ideas, gritty art and enjoyable characters. I mean, what's more fun than a long distance relationship between two snipers?
Fables: Obviously, this one came highly recommended, and the premise for the series very well-known here. Volume One was a pretty fun mystey which served the purpose well of introducing us to the concept and lots of characters who will no doubt be crucial to the series. Reading it, you really get the feeling that the surface has just barely been scratched. All of these characters have fascinating stories to tell, even though we theoretically already know all about them. Lots has happened since the familiar stories we learned about long ago. I'm curious to see what's to come.
The mystery was also the best kind with plenty of clues laid out and called back in the finale. As with the Fables themselves, all was not as it seemed.
Loveless: I was looking forward to this one a lot because I was really in the mood for a western. The idea here was that Wes Cutter is a man who fought on the wrong side during the Civil War (the real one). When he returns home after the South's defeat, he finds his land occupied by the Union forces as they reestablish their control of the area. Things get tense and escalate as Wes pretends to cooperate but engages in covert attacks on the occupying forces.
The title does a good job of exploring themes from the era that seem to be neglected often in other stories and media, such as the true causes of the Civil War, the pains and injustices of the Restoration and, of course, the complexities of racism.
The story was a little slow, though, with not much progression or resolution. I guess it's fair to say this volume is more set-up for the stories to come than anything else. Still, a decent read with some interesting lead characters. I also like the interesting storytelling used for the flashbacks as they start out as ghost images happening within the setting where the person is reminded of something important that happened.
Northlanders: This is another Brian Wood-written (he also writes DMZ) series, this one focussing on telling stories about the Vikings. From what I understand, each arc tells a different story about different characters.
Volume One tells of "Sven the Returned", a Viking prince who left to serve in the Varangian Guard of the Byzantine Empire. When Sven's father dies, he returns to his homeland to claim his inheritance. Unfortunately, the men who gained power after the father died were not cooperative. He engages in a one-man gureilla war against his usurpers that takes a lot of unexpected turns.
It's a solid story with gritty, appropriate art. It's as brutal as you'd expect a story about Vikings to be, but at the same time is not the story you'd expect--and I mean that in a good way! It's a good read that gives you a different side of Vikings than you'd expect. It's not a tender story by any means, but it's not all "mead hall and carousing" like you'd expect based on legend. It's a very harsh environment they lived in and steeped in poverty.
I'd say all of these were definitely worth reading. Of them all, Loveless is probably the one I'm least sure I'll pick further volumes of up. The other three are pretty certain with DMZ being the one I'm most eager to read the next volume of.
Northlanders has the advantage of being the most complete story and will be a complete, separate story in every arc. That's a disadvantage for fans of ongoing serials, however, and can make the title less of a priority.
Loveless was cancelled after 24 issues. How complete the story was at the end, I don't know. I know Brian Azzarello intended it to last much longer, so the concerns are obvious.
Fables has the advantage of being one of the best-loved and reviewed titles of the current decade. There's a lot of volumes out there which means there's much to look forward to!
And Brian Wood is clearly a talent to keep a close eye on as evidenced by his work on DMZ and Northlanders.
[ July 05, 2009, 11:46 PM: Message edited by: LardLad ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Some of my own thoughts, and some general responses to what Lardy wrote:
DMZ – I never read this one but Tamper Lad recommended this to me a few years ago, and now you’re high praise of it makes two people whose comic book opinions commonly match my own thinking highly of it. I might check it out next time I stock up on Scalped TPB’s (which I’m overdue for).
Fables – It’ll get better and better Lardy. The second arc IIRC is also really good (better actually) and will pull you in even further.
The Unknown Soldier – Anyone looking for a gritty comic that feels like it matters, yet is not preachy, this is it.
Madame Xanadu – I agree with what Stealth said on the previous page. The latest issue was the best thus far as the series continues to grow and get better. Looking forward to the Golden Age Sandman guest-starring and the title taking on a mystery tone for a time.
Greek Street – love the premise, love Peter Milligan when he gets really offbeat and love the fact that Vertigo is offering #1’s for $1.00 these days. Just picked it up and will review when I read it.
House of Mystery – LOVED #13…now this is what I wanted from an anthology horror series. Plus, a Neal Adams story? Yes!
Also can’t give enough praise to the Unwritten and Young Liars (though its being cancelled).
And looking forward to picking up trades on Scalped and Air, the former being one of the best intro stories I’ve ever read and the latter being one I’m only slightly familiar with now and hoping to change that.
Posted by Blacula on :
I think Vertigo is almost *too* good at the moment. How can I choose what to buy when there is so much quality to choose from?
I'm only getting two titles at the moment (my beloved Madame Xanadu in monthlies and Scalped in trades) but a whole bunch of others really appeal to me too like Air, The Unwritten, Northlanders, DMZ, The Unknown Soldier and House of Mystery and there are also a few cancelled series that I've still got to get into like Young Liars and Y The Last Man.
With the exception of Madame Xanadu (which more people need to be buying - it gets better and better) I'm going all trades for Vertigo so that's a lot of books to buy! As soon as I've bought some though I'll be back here to report my thoughts.
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
I picked up Greek Street -was sort of wavering, but that $1 intro issue convinced me. It's pretty good. I don't give it unreserved admiration, because it's got a lot of typical Vertigo stuff in it, hoodlums, strippers, we're so gritty stuff - but using the ancient Greek stories as a basis is an interesting twist, and it looks like they've got some good supernatural murder mystery going.
Some of the name allusions I'm getting, some I'm missing. According to interviews, the writer Peter Milligan isn't going to necessarily follow the original tragedies, so the outcome, happily, isn't a forgone conclusion.
Posted by Blacula on :
I refuse to buy Greek Street for the reason that a similar idea was going to be my ticket to writing stardom and by beating me to it Peter Milligan has basically ruined my life.
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
Well, maybe you could do it better. Or go Roman, with Via Appia. Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I have a lot of comics to catch up on, but the first one to comment on is what I consider to be Vertigo's best, Young Liars. I picked up and read #16 and #17 and unfortunately the series ends at #18. I hope some others here might pick up the trade sometime if its released.
This is by far the craziest, weirdest, provacative and yet most thought-provoking series I've read in a long, long time. I'm still having trouble understanding it, yet thats part of the fun. I've never really read much by David Lapham before but I can only assume he's completely and utterly insane.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Continuing my ongoing commentary of all the comics I'm trying to read through in the gigantic stack from the last (6) weeks, I'll add two more:
Unwritten #3 - This comic continues to be incredibly intriguing and I'm so glad I'm getting in on the ground floor. Most interesting to me is the literary history Carey gives us each issue. I'm dying to find out how much of it is true! If that castle really exists where Milton created his idea for Satan and Mary Shelley was inspired to create Frankenstein, I must go see it!
Greek Street - I picked up the first issue since basically everything Vertigo is awesome these days and thought it was very intresting as well. Definitely something different. I'm not sure exactly how to even describe it but its unique. I'm not sure where its going but I'm willing to follow. The idea of the 'power' of the Ancient myths is very appealing to me.
Posted by Arachne on :
What's Unwritten about? I don't think I've heard of it before.
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
Official summary of The Unwritten. There are mysteries upon mysteries, and lots of historical tidbits about famous writers and where they lived.
Posted by Blacula on :
I'm going all Trade for Vertigo so was holding off on Unwritten but these historical text(?) pages have me intrigued. Are they supplemental to the main story or included in it? And do they seem like the type of things that will be included in the TPB or are they more like DC Nation/letter column type pages?
Posted by stuorstew on :
All of the additional information has, so far, been included in the main story so you need not worry. However it is shaping up to be too good to Trade Wait!
@Cobalt Kid - According to this Wiki page then yes the villa really does exist
Posted by Arachne on :
That sound good. I'll try and remember it when the trade comes out.
Posted by rouge on :
Greek Street #2 really delivered, and flowed a lot better than the first issue, I thought. All the stories start moving, and you get a better sense of the characters. I'm starting to get curious about where they are going with Daedalus, and where all these stories are going to overlap. Great issue.
(and they say DC can't do recap pages.... ) Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I’m now coming very close to finishing my pile of comics that accumulated for (6) full weeks and a few stranglers aside from previous weeks. Catching up on a few more Vertigo’s:
Madame Xanadu – This continues to be one of the best comics in the market, and the series continues to get better as we go. I enjoyed the first 10 issues immensely but I’m also really enjoying this current storyline—maybe even more so. Mike Kaluta, the original designer of Madame Xanadu, is very welcome here; I know his art style is from a different era, but it sure doesn’t feel that way. He really lends a sense of eeriness to the series, yet also keeps the unique feel the series has had all along. I love the inclusion of Dian Belmont, which reminds me that I really need to read those Sandman Mystery Theatre stories one day. Can’t praise this book enough and I hope Matt Wagner is staying for the long haul.
House of Mystery – I continue to enjoy the way this series is set-up with stories within stories, because its so unique on the market, where I read so many comics that some of them begin to feel redundant. The latest brief story, which wasn’t “War & Peace” by any means, was still fun: gorillas, ninjas, dinosaurs, pirates, etc. I admit, it did kind of feel like Sturges came up with that idea 15 minutes before the script was due but it was still fun. The main storyline should please some fans who want more coherent story-telling working towards some sort of eventual conclusion; we have some important revelations about Harry and the House further explored and a big reveal about who all these mysteries bad guys are that kind of ties everything about the House of Mystery together. I’m interested in that stuff for sure, but I’m in no rush to get information. The various supporting / background characters also continue to get more interesting and the revelation about the dragon was a cool one. Ann, the lady pirate, is also turning into my favorite character of the series.
I believe that leaves Unknown Soldier and I’ll have reviewed all the ones I collect on a monthly basis; I’m doing Scalped in trades and possibly about to get started on DMZ. I basically am collecting almost all of Vertigo’s series now, which is amazing, considering not that long ago I was only getting Fables and Y: the Last Man.
Also, stuorstew, thanks for the link! Very cool about that villa. I *must* find some way to visit one day!
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
And now I've read the latest Unknown Soldier, the last Vertigo book I had to get to and also one of the best. Once again, I'm blown away by how this series comes across so powerfully without being preachy and 'special issue'-y. Again, we see parts of the horrors going on in Africa, while also building upon the character of the Unknown Soldier and the moral (or immoral?) dilemna he finds himself in.
Additionally, one of the members of his supporting cast who only had been glossed over thus far, gets some needed depth and becomes very interesting going forward. And he also reveals some tidbits about a connection to the original Unknown Soldier (who I love) that have me anxiously hoping for more.
Again, I reiterate my highest recommendations of this comic. There simply isn't anything else out there like it--its very difficult to review, summarize or explain, even, only that its damn excellent.
Posted by Pov on :
The first trade for Madame Xanadu is awesome. I checked Amy Reeder Hadley's wiki and discovered her art's deeply based in Manga; not too shocking, but her work seems... richer than most of the Manga art I've seen. And it's not just that it's in color, though Manga is traditionally B&W. She's taken the influences and made such a beautiful style for herself. I'm glad to see in my Aug-for-Oct comic solicits that she's still with Xanadu following the Kaluta arc. Which I'm excited about, don't get me wrong.
You mentioned Vertigo's "first ish for a buck" previously, Des; Their first volume trades are cheaper, too. With my DCBS discount I'm getting Air vol.1 for $6. Ordered today in fact. Posted by Fat Cramer on :
I didn't realize the first volume trades are cheaper. That's a great incentive!
Posted by Pov on :
Yep... standard retail for the first volumes of Air, DMZ and Northlanders is $9.99; My 40% off knocks it down to $5.99. That's like getting the first six issues for $1 each. Posted by Fat Cramer on :
Dark Entries (John Constantine - one of the Vertigo Crime series) by Ian Rankin - great story, a creepy supernatural twist on reality shows.
I'm a huge Rankin fan, less enamored of John Constantine; maybe more people picked it up for the author than for the character. It's quite telling that the name Ian Rankin is about 10 times larger than "John Constantine" on the cover - and it's labeled a novel, not a graphic novel.
Posted by Stealth on :
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: This thread is for reviewing the latest Vertigo titles to come out! However, I currently don't get Hellblazer or Lucifer, although I really want to hear what you have to say about them! So Lucien, Faraway and others who pick these up, let me know how things are going! I've read the first two Lucifer trades and found the series to be extremely interesting, and Carey's writing to be really, really good! I plan to get arond to getting all of them. I've never actually read a Hellblazer comic though, and want to know how they are. Is is hard to get into, now that it's on issue #200 almost? Has the series always been good? Who else is reading it and how long have you been?
I've been really getting into different past eras of Hellblazer recently, and it's all thanks to the great Andy Diggle, whose Hellblazer run (#230-244 and 247-249) ended a little less than a year ago (he left the book for his ill-fated Thunderbolts run -- oh, the irony.)
Before I proceed, some backstory: I've been a fan of John Constantine since reading back issues of his early appearances in Swamp Thing. At the time, Hellblazer was being written by Garth Ennis, who is an acquired taste that does not appeal to me personally. I did get the trade collecting Jamie Delano's early issues, and back issues of the ones that immediately followed, but I found it all a bit too subtle, cerebral, and dense for my tastes at the time. Fast forward to 2009, and in my determination to read everything by Andy Diggle, I read a library trade of the second volume of Diggle's Hellblazer run (the first volume went missing.) I was blown away like nothing since...well, like Diggle's first two issues of Thunderbolts, really. Then, having enjoyed some of Mike Carey's work, I read a library trade of the first volume of Carey's Hellblazer run. I liked it even better than Diggle's Hellblazer!
I'll do my best to put into words the appeal of Carey's and Diggle's Hellblazer. Carey weaves a complex web of plot threads and characters (including oft-neglected ones like Constantine's niece Gemma), punctuated by great popcorn-horror beats. Diggle is more in the social-commentary mold of Jamie Delano (whose work I'm really starting to appreciate), but blended in with the same kind of popcorn thrills as Carey.
Currently, Hellblazer is being written by the erratic Peter Milligan, so at first I was resistant, but I've added the book to my pull to give it a trial run (it doesn't hurt that the next two issues will be drawn by Simon Bisley.)
Hellblazer has an excellent Wikipedia entry, listing all the writers and collections and specials:
That was such an enticing review that I ordered Diggle's two Hellblazer books from interlibrary loan. I really like the concept of the John Constantine character, but the occasional issues I've picked up have been so hit and miss, that I never pursued the series. (And that movie just about killed any interest I had....)
Posted by Stealth on :
FC, I'm so glad I've helped inspire you to give Hellblazer another chance. I had been having a bad day until now, but reading your post has brightened it up considerably. Thank you.
Posted by Kent Shakespeare on :
Cramer, please don't judge JC by the movie.
I've been following John C since Swamp Thing #37 hit the stands, through ups and downs.
I was thrilled when he got a series, but cautious to see anyone but Moore even make the attempt. Delano did good, and clarified the uncertainty: was JC an ominpotent mage pretending to be a street-smart con-man, or was it the other way around? Delano set it as the latter - thus Hellblazer has been more about wits and subtleties than Dr. Strange-like zapfests.
Delano was a bit cerebral, and only one (well, 1.5) of his four major storylines were big "end of the world" type doings - the latter two stroies were very up close and personal. He later came back to do a one-shot and also a two-issue mini, The Horrorist. Delano also set the 40-ish issue range as the normal run for a writer; Ennis went slightly longer but the ballpark tenure remains the normal maximum. And it works.
Stealthie, I know where you stand on Garth Ennis, and you know I disagree. I love the man's wit, style and black humor. To me, Ennis (especially with Steve Dillon) was the peak of the run thus far (but I remain hopeful).
Eddie Campbell did a four-parter best forgotten.
Paul Jenkins had some interesting stuff, but didn't always quite reach the potential. I'd describe his run as a friendlier, less deep and slightly more accessible version of Delano.
Warren Ellis' run was cut short, but was quite good. One extended story plus some one-shots, as I recall.
Brian Azzarello's run was quite good. Rather than try to write London, he brought John to the US for an extended run. And it worked. It was tight and strongly woven, with all arcs and single-issue stories all tying into the grand arc (just as Ennis did. yes, my sort of preference).
Carey was decent, and more in line with the Delano school. His work somewhat dovetailed into Diggle, but Diggle was better. Denise Mina had some neat ideas, but overshot herself early on; I wasn't surprised to see her run shortened.
Posted by Stealth on :
Kent, good point about Delano being responsible for Constantine staying down-to-earth when another, less ambitious and less inventive writer might have taken him the other way.
Re: Ennis, I knew we'd disagree, so I tried to be as polite as I could in my review. And I do think the commercial success of his run deserves a lot of the credit for the book's longevity.
I may check out Jenkins' run based on your review of it, although it's the only HB run that's never been collected, so hopefully I'll find back issues of it cheap.
Glad to hear you liked Diggle, although I still think Carey's first arc, "Red Sepulchre", is the best Hellblazer story to date.
I still can't get over Diggle shooting himself in the foot by quitting the book. I recently read the third and final trade of his run, and I have to say, the Vatican two-parter was every bit as good as the stories from the first two Diggle trades, but the three-parter that tied up his loose ends met my worst fears by seeming rushed and flat.
Hmmmm...methinks I could do an alternate-timeline fanfic that imagines where an extended Diggle run might have done, same as I'm doing with my Avengers fanfics which try to imagine the stories Roger Stern might have written had he not gotten fired.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I'm glad to see all this Hellblazer talk. I'm familiar with the character, but never through his own series. I've read all the Moore Swamp Thing appearances (which were awesome), and the Gaiman Books of Magic mini (also awesome) and have seen him appear here and there. The only ever Hellblazer story I read was the one where he was in prison, I think by Azzerello, which was frightening and very good.
I may have to check out some of these trades. I'm curious about Delano, who is the writer I'm least familiar with out of all the classic Vertigo guys. As a big Ennis fan, I also want to check out his run, which I've never read.
Posted by LardLad on :
Ennis's run (the only one I ever followed on Hellblazer) is very much a prototype run for the Preacher book that he and Dillon would begin right afterward. A lot of the themes and attitude they used in Hellblazer would be picked up and ran with on Preacher. I'm not saying they're identical, but Preacher certainly isn't a huge departure from the kind of work they did on Hellblazer. They even set an arc in America that predicts some of Preacher's themes.
Their run on Hellblazer was the reason I picked up Preacher in the first place. And I was so bored with the issues that followed by Paul Jenkins that I haven't ever picked up Hellblazer ever since.
Oddly enough, I still have never picked up the storyline that Ennis used to start his run, "Dangerous Habits", that details Constantine's bout with lung cancer. I've always meant to pick it up but never got around to it. I started Hellblazer with its first issue under the Vertigo banner (which was when I started picking up Sandman among others), so I missed that first, crucial storyline. It's of not that "Habits" did not feature Steve Dillon art. I believe Dillon's first issue was the first Vertigo banner issue I mentioned.
Posted by rouge on :
The current Hellblazer arc by Milligan is also shaping up to be very, very good. Like a lot of Milligan's stuff, it built slowly, but now that everything's hitting the fan, the payoff's great.
Posted by LardLad on :
I'm curious about Milligan for sure. At one time he was my very favorite writer in comics when he was doing Shade, Enigma, Animal Man and lots of other great stuff for Vertigo. When he went to Marvel, his appeal to me faded very quickly.
I picked up Greek Street number one and found it a confusing mess, so I haven't picked up the following issues. Dunno, maybe I just wasn't in the right mood when I read it? I might check out his Hellblazer in trade if I hear enough good things about it....
Posted by rouge on :
Greek Street got considerably better the next two issues. The recap pages, as narrated by a stripper each issue, actually really help.
Posted by Pov on :
Hay, any recap by a stripper has GOT to be a good thing... Posted by Fat Cramer on :
They certainly have nothing to hide.
Posted by Stealth on :
Cobie, Lardy, Carey's "Red Sepulchre" trade and Diggle's "Joyride" trade are absolute must reads.
Posted by Stealth on :
Madame Xanadu's second arc wrapped up with last week's issue, and it did not disappoint.
Click Here For A SpoilerFans of Wesley Dodds and Dian Belmont should be especially delighted.
With its emphasis on magic and social outcasts and its ties to the Golden Age of the DCU, this is a much more conventional book that typical Vertigo fare, while at the same time it's kind of like in a "Classic Vertigo" style, if anything it recalls the mid-to-late 80s comics from before there was a Vertigo. And there's nothing wrong with any of that.
Posted by rouge on :
To further entice you Lardy, in the latest issue of Hellblazer, Milligan re-introduces some pretty important characters form his Shade run.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
The Madame Xanadu arc has been terrific. Stealth gives an accurate summary of the 'feel' to the whole thing, and I'll add the art is simply outstanding. Its such a great, moody story that feels part early Vertigo, part Bronze Age horror, taking the best from both eras.
On another note, I've dropped Greek Street. I wanted to really like that one, having a great love of Greek mythology, but it just wasn't doing it for me. I'm reading so much Vertigo that I just can't praise the current selection enough these days, but this one falls pretty flat in comparison to Unknown Soldier, Unwritten, Madame Xanadu, Fables or even House of Mystery.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
The latest issue of the Unknown Soldier has begun a story that could perhaps be the best story in all of 2009. Really powerful stuff so far...I'm blown away by how good this comic is. The artist on the latest story is from Africa (I believe it was the Sudan) and his own story of how he had to flee his country is just as powerful (there's a one page of text in the back of the issue). This series simply does not shy away from some terrible topics and finds a way to show characters struggle to keep their dignity and humanity, something that a lot of creators have trouble expressing.
Also excellent is Unwritten which continues to be a treat to read. The story is unique and incredibly interesting and the delivery of the whole thing is also really unique.
Posted by Lardi the Incorruptible on :
Recently, I've been on a bit of an eBay TPB bargain-hunting binge. One recent acquisition is a book I've been coveting for a long, long time, but which I've repeatedly been putting on the backburner. The book is HELLBLAZER: DANGEROUS HABITS, which collects Garth Ennis's initial arc on the title and details Constantine's battle to escape his latest, toughest foe--terminal lung cancer.
My first-ever exposure to Garth Ennis and Hellblazer was when I sampled the book with the creation of the Vertigo line. By that point Ennis had already written the book for nearly two years, something I've only recently realized. I picked up the book for the rest of Ennis's run and dropped it shortly after Paul Jenkins took over. (I followed Ennis to Preacher which wass really thematically comparable to Ennis's work on Hellblazer unlike Jenkins' fairly dry work on the character.)
Anyhow, I remember HABITS being advertized in the Vertigo books as a TPB release and constantly meant to get it. Many years later, I finally did and enjoyed the book immensely. On full display in this arc is Ennis's penchant for creating memorable character interactions and dynamics. The story itself has many Constantine hallmarks, particularly his penchant for conning his way out of bad situations. What really makes the story way above average, though, is Constantine's scenes with a fellow cancer patient with whom he stikes up a friendship.
I recommend this arc to anyone who's either unfamiliar with Constantine or wants a good standalone Ennis story that isn't too over-the-top with many of Ennis's usual hyper-violent/hyper-satiric sensibilities.
Looking up my old Ennis Vertigo issues, I realized there's a lot of Ennis Hellblazer I never read. I always thought HABITS was the only arc before the Vertigo launch. Turns out there's a whopping 16 issues between Habits and the first Vertigo. The TPB BLOODLINES, which collects the bulk of those intermittent issues is out of print, but I was lucky enough to obtain a reasonable one thru eBay which I await delivery of. I'm determined to read that of course, find and read the few issues not collected and then reread the Vertigo issues I have.
Ennis's Hellblazer run is good stuff, and I'm looking forward to (re)discovering it!
Posted by Lardi the Incorruptible on :
Oh, regarding HABITS, I forgot to mention that that storyline was pre-Steve Dillon, so the art was by Will Simpson. Some of you may remember him from the two or three Vamps miniseries put out by Vertigo a decade or so ago. His art on this storyline is pretty decent, but I prefer the Dillon issues by a mile. I also think Simpson did a much better job on Vamps.
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
I got two Andy Diggle Hellblazer trades through the library, Joyride and The Laughing Magician. These stories gave a very human side to John Constantine; you felt some of the misery he'd gone through in his rather tragic life. Some Hellblazer stories are too rough; the character is just a smoking, drinking, devil-fighting thug, little better than the evil forces he's opposing. In these stories, Constantine shows a lot of emotion, kindness, concern for people - yet he's still got that wily con-man way of dealing with nasty situations.
In these stories, Constantine fights a big property developer (who is of course aided by evil forces), after getting back on his feet following a severe down-and-out period.
One of my favourite stories within the two books was actually a sidestep from the main plot, a tale about an underground river in London, whose spirit was much diminished and had been taken over and kept in a separate dimension by a cannibalistic force.
Posted by Stealth on :
Glad you enjoyed them, FC. I hope Diggle returns to Constantine someday, in a one-shot or something.
You might also enjoy Mike Carey's opening Hellblazer arc, Red Sepulchre. I've now almost finished catching up with Carey's run, and looking at it objectively, it had great moments, but it never again scaled the heights of that first arc.
Posted by Jerry on :
Let me ramble on a bit about a Vertigo original - “Shade the Changing Man”. Synchronicity seems to be at work on some level to bring me to want to post about this series. Consider:
1. Lard Lad posted about this series a few months ago on his Roundtable Discussion thread. I realized, then, that it had been years since I had read any of the issues and put the series on my reading list. Well, I finally got around to starting the rereading project early last month. I’m about three quarters of the way through the series.
2. DC released two trade paperbacks last week collecting the first 13 issues of the series. As part of the promotion, the first issue of the series is available for download at the DC website. I own every issue of the series except for issue #1. This promotion finally gave me an opportunity to read that story.
3. Last week, I was reading through this thread and came across a conversation a few pages back about the Sandman’s, “Game of You” storyline. Stealth mentioned not being a fan of the presentation of Wanda, the transgender character, in that story. I recalled posts in other threads, by Stealth and others, critical of the Sean/Shvaughn storyline in the Legion on similar grounds. Colleen Doran illustrated that story. While re-reading Shade, I recalled that Colleen Doran also the drew the “Shade, the Changing Woman” issues of the series, which gave us another controversial take on transgender issues.
4. The Legion/Shade parallel on transgender issues reminded me of similar reactions that the two series received regarding lesbian relationships. Shade’s girlfriend, Kathy George, became sexually and romantically involved with the female character, Lenny, about half way through the series. Fan reaction to the “change” in orientation was similar to fan response in the Legion over the Vi and Ayla relationship.
5. There are some interesting recent posts on this thread about John Constantine. Today, I read the three-part storyline from “Shade, the Changing Man” issues #42 through #44, in which Constantine joined Shade, Kathy, and Lenny on a trip to the past that landed them in the middle of the witch trials of America. The story confronted the issue of abortion as directly, evenly and honestly as any work of fiction that I can recall.
So here I am posting about “Shade, the Changing Man”. I’m not sure that I have a point. Just a few observations. This is a crazy and unique series. At times, it comes fairly close to being incoherent. At other times it feels like an experiment in writing that doesn’t quite hit the mark. Never mind the flaws, though. This series is entertaining just because of all the different things that it tries. The effort to make it something special is interesting on many different levels. When it does manage to hit the mark, it can be quite profound. The artwork is experimental and fun. The series evolves as it goes along. I’m finding that I’m enjoying the later issues more than the early ones. I know Lardi is a fan. Anyone else have any thoughts on this series? If you’ve never read it, I highly recommend the new trades.
Posted by Jerry on :
I finally finished re-reading the Shade sereis. I had forgotten some of the fun characters that were introduced later in the series. How could I have forgotten Shimmy, who entered the series via a sex ad that Lenny responded to? He considered himself to be living art. Pandora, the prostitute statue who Shade's madness brought to life added some depth to the series. Lenny's long ago abandoned daughter, Lilly, came into the picture. Her presence made Lenny a bit more likable, I guess, but less fun. Kathy and Shade's son, George, was tragic and insightful. Andrea Murdoch, the cutthroat writer who stole Kathy's body from its grave evolved into an almost sympathetic character. The last of the Angels developed a series of uncomfortable medical conditions and was then reincarnated as a sympathetic young woman. Sinita was one of my favorites. Shade's final girlfriend ended up having an affair with his wardrobe. What a fun group!
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
Never read Shade but it sounds crazy, in a good way. I checked out the trades at amazon and the covers look a bit psychedelic. Issue #1 is still available for free download at the Vertigo site (downloading as I type).
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
A few updates:
Madame Xanadu - the latest story has been really excellent IMO. The 50's commentary is interesting but I'm glad it doesn't consume the entire storyline. The bugs keep an ongoing sense of uneasiness throughout the storyline that continues to set Madame Xanadu apart from everything else stylistically. And that art!
Unknown Soldier - continues to be excellent and I'm running out of adjectives to praise it. I hope more people will check it out!!
The Unwritten also continues to be very good and the latest issues deepen the mystery. I do hope we get a few answers soon as there is enough mystery going around to keep the series sense of intrigue strong. The commentary the series provides on celebrity, the fans sense of 'ownership' over art and people's need to connect to something 'exotic' is fascinating. This is probably the best work by Carey I've ever read.
House of Mystery - lately I haven't been enjoying HoM as much. Part of the draw for me has been the short stories that are really "out there" and there's been a little too much focus on the plot of the house IMO. Part of my reasons for saying that is we aren't really learning anything. If they aren't going to give us the goods, cut the teasing out and give me something to bite into. Still, I've enjoyed some of the bit players getting more scenes, particularly the dragon.
I'm considering picking up Daytripper or Joe the Barbarian when they arrive but I'll reserve that decision until I'm actually in the comic book store. I already regret missing Air but look forward to collecting that in trades. But while both seem like they could be interesting, both seem like they could go the other way.
Also, as an aside to Lardy, I plan to pick up the latest Scalped trades in the next few weeks (with the aforementioned Air trades) and will review those when I get to them. I can't wait, as both of those series have been just plain excellent from what I've read.
PS - anyone reading Northlanders? I dropped it after a three issue tryout but have been curious if I was too rash in my decision.
Posted by CJ Taylor on :
Cobie, I grabbed a copy of Daytripper. It was a solid read, an intriguing first issue. There's really no way to describe it yet, as I'm not sure what it is about- other than an obituary writer.
The artwork is great, you can see Ba had a hand in it. We're introduced to a man and shown a day in his life. When the cliffhanger happens to close the story, I was invested enough to see what hapens next. With nothing more to recommend it, I still say it's worth the read in and of itself.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I also picked up a copy of Daytripper #1 and I'm glad I did. You put the way I was reacting to it: "solid read, an intriguing first issue". It definitely is hard to describe and all I can really say it was fascinating enough where I feel I have to get #2 just to understand what the comic is about and where this story is going.
The art is great as you say. Ba and Moon do a solid job and yeah, you definitely can see the Ba/Umbrella Academy influence here. I think a good way to describe the entire issue, both art & writing, is: full of atmosphere. A very cool read.
Posted by Stealth on :
The most recent issue of Hellblazer is Peter Milligan's strongest to date, with Constantine investigating dirty supernatural dealings in the Bollywood film industry. Problem is, even though it's an interesting story whose subject matter and subtext obviously mean a lot to Milligan, Constantine himself feels like a fifth wheel. I'm not convinced yet that Milligan isn't just approaching Hellblazer as something to pay the bills so that he can do the stuff that really matters to him. Over the past quarter century of Constantine's existence, there have inevitably developed a stock Constantine characterization and stock Hellblazer situations. Milligan seems to be the priest in charge of a shotgun wedding of these stock elements and the stuff that he's personally interested in. It makes for a good story, just not a good Hellblazer story.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Read the lastest Unknown Soldier last night which kicks off a new story-arc. Wow, this comic is the most hard-boiled thing on the market today. Incredibly intense, even when its a relatively non-violent, slow burn like this in this issue. Here we see what life in the refugee camps was like on a normal day and its just not some place I'd ever want to be. Meanwhile, the Unknown Soldier struggles to maintain his resolution to stay peaceful (which will know will not happen). The realistic setting of the Ugandian Civil War remains ever-present but the story of the Unknown Soldier himself continues to move along, and I can't help but feel there's only a limited number of stories that can be told before things end for him. Hopefully that's a few years away as this comic is one of the best around.
Joshua Drysart (writer) has another editorial page in this issue and its again some pretty powerful stuff. If I was Professor of a Modern African Politics course at a college or university, I think I'd make my students subscribe to this series.
Posted by Stealth on :
The current arc of Madame Xanadu is not engaging me the way the previous ones did. Matt Wagner's scripts have felt like rough drafts with lots of ideas that don't mesh with each other. It's also way too early to bring back the character who has been cast as the villain of the story.
If the last Madame Xanadu arc brought back memories of the late 80s -- Vertigo Before It Had A Name -- this one recalls the mid 90s, when Vertigo had just officially launched and was a bit over-impressed with its own coolness.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I read the first two trades of Air in the last 24 hours (10 issues worth) and that itself says something about how I simply could not put the series down. The series has gotten a lot of praise and I can say honestly, it far exceeds the hype.
Not only is the series completely unique with it's premise, the execution of each issue is as well. In a lot of ways I'm still figuring out what the series is about, and that's not a bad thing. Everytime I get through an issue, my notion of the series changes yet again.
What I know is the lead character Blythe is very engaging and likable. And the sense of mystery is so ever-present that the only thing I can compare it to is Lost. There are a lot of larger themes being discussed: as existential as whether concepts and stories have helped create reality or vice versa, and as strait-forward as how our reliance and definitions of modern maps unfairly influences our view on the world. Plus there is ongoing commentary on airports and security as you'd expect.
The art by M.J. Perkins is terrific. I keep thinking Blythe looks like someone I know, but that could just be good writing.
I can't recommend the series enough. I will put a disclaimer up though: this series asks a bit from the reader in terms of patience and sitting back and letting things unfold. You'll simply be unable to guess where it's going despite all these questions nagging you. But the payoffs do come. And I just couldn't pull away until I finished all the stories I currently own.
And Amelia Earhardt is in it.
Posted by Blacula on :
^^^ Sold. I've been meaning to get into Air for a while and that's just the push I need.
On another note, I noticed the first Unwritten TPB has now been released. I was wondering if anyone who had bought/read/flicked through it could tell me whether it includes those text/info pieces that CK (I think) mentioned upthread?
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Blacula, I haven't seen the TPB myself but I would think it would because usually they are spread troughout each issue, not just at the end.
This is probably the most exciting Vertigo has been since before it was officially Vertigo. Everytime I turn around another great series pops up.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
quote:Originally posted by Stealth: The current arc of Madame Xanadu is not engaging me the way the previous ones did. Matt Wagner's scripts have felt like rough drafts with lots of ideas that don't mesh with each other. It's also way too early to bring back the character who has been cast as the villain of the story.
If the last Madame Xanadu arc brought back memories of the late 80s -- Vertigo Before It Had A Name -- this one recalls the mid 90s, when Vertigo had just officially launched and was a bit over-impressed with its own coolness.
I just read the latest Madame Xanadu myself (#18); I do agree that its not quite as strong as the prior arc, but this latest issue picks things up and kind of gets the story on that level of quality a bit IMO. It was a bit of a slow starter (when compared with that last really excellent two arcs) but hopefully we're cooking again.
Morgaine Le Fay (Morgana here) is a character I usually hate in comic books when she's used but she works well in this series and her return is welcome. Meanwhile, Dr. Occult, whom I've always loved, is also great to have. The main plot hasn't really been explained but I'm hoping there's a bit more to it.
The art by Amy Reader Hadly and Richard Friend is really spectacular stuff--full of energy leaping off every page. They also do a great job having Madame Xanadu appear very powerful and strong on some pages and then very vulnerable and almost "little girlish" in others. Its a great back and forth.
I think its still a solid comic and while this story isn't quite as striking as the earlier ones, its still a pretty solid one--a great ending could be all it needs.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
With the Human Target television series about to begin, it reminded me of the totally excellent Human Target series by Vertigo a few years back (I remember Stu and I collected by not sure who else). It was an excellent, incredible series, and I put it in Lash's "Top 5 Comics" thread I believe when that thread started (2004?).
Peter Milligan wrote the series and it was Milligan at his finest. Each story had some poignant, powerful scenes and was loaded with in depth characterization that went to some pretty dark places. Milligan took the concept of the Human Target, a long time DC property, and made it a series about constant self-discovery. I remember it came out not long after 9/11 and Milligan went right ahead and addressed 9/11 right in the story, not batting an eye or sugar coating anything. He was probably the first writer to do that in a non-tributary way. All of his stories were like that.
This was also the series where I discovered Javier Pulido, who is one of my favorite current artists in comics these days. His work is a little like Darwyn Cooke and Marcos Martin though its completely his own. He also has a very action-oriented, dynamic style despite the clear, crisp lines. He actually is drawing a great Spider-Man story in ASM right now (which reminds me, I'll post something there next).
If you have never checked this series out before I think its totally worth it.
Posted by CJ Taylor on :
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: I also picked up a copy of Daytripper #1 and I'm glad I did. You put the way I was reacting to it: "solid read, an intriguing first issue". It definitely is hard to describe and all I can really say it was fascinating enough where I feel I have to get #2 just to understand what the comic is about and where this story is going.
The art is great as you say. Ba and Moon do a solid job and yeah, you definitely can see the Ba/Umbrella Academy influence here. I think a good way to describe the entire issue, both art & writing, is: full of atmosphere. A very cool read.
Daytripper #2 is out. And a great story to read. It's a done in one type story, as we get a glimpse of a couple of men on vacation, making the most of their trip. I'm not quite sure the tie in to the first issue, but I'm still interested in reading more.
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
Picked up Northlanders Vol. 1 at the library. I would echo Lardi's review of the book (on page 9 of this thread). The language and expressions are pretty much contemporary, but I think that's a lot better than clichéd Viking speech. You really do get a sense of the harshness of their lives. I'll look for Volume 2.
I also read Cairo, by G. Willow Wilson (writer) and M. K. Perker (artist). A pleasant surprise; I was expecting a story about some Americans in Cairo, with interesting visuals of the city. However, the story was a bit more complex, mixing in the fantastic with the everyday events.
There was a good mix of characters: a young Lebanese-American on a spiritual quest, an Orange County girl looking for a meaningful life, a female Israeli soldier stranded in Cairo, a drug smuggler, a journalist, a rather earthly djinn (who doesn't grant wishes but manipulates probabilities), and an assortment of bad guys - who all get entangled with one another. Throw in an Underground Nile Realm and you've got a captivating combination of caper, chase and romance.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
^^Cairo--yet another TPB I'll need to check out (on what appears to be a never-ending list ). Your above summary makes it seem much more interesting than I originally thought it would be when it was solicited.
I had decided to end Comic Book Review month with a bang, saving up the TPB's I was most looking forward to. Things got a little busy so its spilled into most of Feb, but now I've finished and can review. What took me these last few weeks was I reread the first TPB and then read (for the first time) the 2nd, 3rd and 4th TPB's of Scalped, which as anyone who reads it knows, is a contender for the very best series currently in the comic book industry.
And as you might imagine by that above statement, they were beyond excellent. I’m just blown away by how good this series is, that whatever I say really won’t do it justice. Writer Jason Aaron is proving himself to be one of the very best writers in all of comic books and the artists contributing are able to provide a gritty, noirish landscape for the story that adds more layers. In the 2nd or 3rd trade, Garth Ennis provides the introduction and he sums up some of what makes it work so well: the sheer confidence the creators have in the storyline just comes across in spades. They truly believe in it and its made me believe in it.
This is probably the best “crime” comic book to come out in years, though “crime” kind of pigeonholes Scalped a little. Certainly it is the most “noir” comic book on the market, when you consider noir isn’t really about style or plot but is more a certain spirit of the storyline and characters.
And the characters are what make Scalped just so damn interesting. Each one is a complicated, multi-layered person who you can’t help but love, hate, pity, try to distance yourself and always remain utterly fascinated by throughout. While Dash Bad Horse is (was?) the main character of the series, I can’t help but be incredibly fascinated by the secondary players: particularly Dino Poor Bear (the young teenager father who gets himself into trouble in the fourth trade) and Catcher, the old drunk (who at this point is heavily suggested for committing one of the major crimes of the series but I don’t have real confirmation yet). Diesel and Nitz are also fascinating, and though I hate them and cannot wait to see them brutally murdered, I’m glad for the dynamic they bring the series.
Of course, besides Dash the major character is Chief Red Crow and by the end fourth trade he’s emerged as the most fully developed and to me the most fascinating character of all—he’s certainly my favorite though I cannot help but be partially disgusted with myself for thinking that (another tribute to how well Aaron writes the series). Everything about Red Crow, his long history, conflicting emotions that blend together and constant struggles with everyone and everything around him, is one of those rare comic book characters that has just become a force of nature. Every time he appears on the page, everything else must react to him because that’s how strong of a character he is.
Something that really is another incredible thing in the series is the usage of flashbacks by Aaron to help flesh out the history of the series as well as create an ongoing storytelling technique that keeps things fresh and exciting. Its probably the best use of flashbacks I’ve seen in a comic book. It mimics Lost in that way—the flashbacks don’t feel forced but feel like an essential tool to the way the story is told. It feels like there is a never-ending amount to them and each time they all seem to fit without leaving you feeling like you were always missing a piece.
Scalped is certainly not a feel good comic book. You don’t walk away feeling all that optimistic about humanity; of course, that’s what a noir story does. But it is powerful and its moving. I’m hard-pressed to name comics that are clearly better than it, as it certainly ranks as high or higher than the very best in the industry.
Posted by rouge on :
quote:Originally posted by Stealth: The most recent issue of Hellblazer is Peter Milligan's strongest to date, with Constantine investigating dirty supernatural dealings in the Bollywood film industry. Problem is, even though it's an interesting story whose subject matter and subtext obviously mean a lot to Milligan, Constantine himself feels like a fifth wheel. I'm not convinced yet that Milligan isn't just approaching Hellblazer as something to pay the bills so that he can do the stuff that really matters to him. Over the past quarter century of Constantine's existence, there have inevitably developed a stock Constantine characterization and stock Hellblazer situations. Milligan seems to be the priest in charge of a shotgun wedding of these stock elements and the stuff that he's personally interested in. It makes for a good story, just not a good Hellblazer story.
Hmmm, I have a slightly different take on it. I too had some trouble figuring out how Milligan's story meshed with Constantine's character. Most jarring was John's obsession with Phoebe both pre and post mortem. John's had others in his life a lot closer to him than Phoebe, so why did he go off the deep end for what was a nice, but relatively early relationship?
Then it hit me, John's going through a sort of mid-life crisis. He's reaching out for someone or something to give himself some kind of meaning, and that led to this obsession with Phoebe. Not because he loves her so much, but because he's starting to realise he's runnign out of chances to make a connection. Epiphany more or less says this outright at one point (add to that the age jokes Milligan's been piling on). The John of the Dleano years would never act this way, but that John is 15 years or more younger, not a guy stuck in a rut pushing 50.
Given that take, I think Milligan's doing something very interesting with the character: letting him age.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I've caught up on recent issues of House of Mystery (#21-22) which kicked off a new storyline, "A Change in Management" (or something like that). And I'm quite glad this storyline has arrived because its kind of reinstalled my faith in the series. The last arc wasn't doing it for me and kind of dragged on a bit IMO; this one returns the series to the style I'm looking for.
By this time, I think I've figured out what I'm looking for in this series. Some earlier complaints about HoM in the thread mentioned the small stories within the issues were distracting and some people wanted more on the larger plot. I think I'm the opposite: the last storyline, which was largely about the larger plot and had several big consequences (including deaths and other characters joining/rejoining) was good but actually distracting to me. I like the idea of a series with an ongoing, larger plot but with weird, offbeat stories within; it creates a nonsensical type pacing to it that makes it unique among the series I collect. I'm reminded of Gaiman's Sandman volume, "At World's End" which has various characters telling stories (and often stories within stories) and how intriguing and well done that volume is. You can really read that one completely on its own at any time; it stands out. I love the idea of an ongoing series in that style, and that's what House of Mystery is. I thought the Argones story in #21 was terrific--offbeat for sure, but terrifically fun.
That all being said, I am enjoying the larger plot; I like it as it is here, as only partially the story. I like Cain coming on and the subtle changes to the cast. Cress and Ann remain favorites and Blind Buck is a welcome addition. Strawberry should make for some creepy dynamic scenes.
The series veered for a minute, but IMO its back to where I like it. Weird as hell in all ways .
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
BTW, anyone reading and loving Madame Xanadu (like me), I posted a review about Matt Wagner's Zorro series by Dynamite in the "Any Recommendations" thread. I picked it up on the strength of Wagner's writing and thus far have been blown away by how good it is. I think Madame Xanadu fans will highly enjoy it.
Posted by Lardi on :
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: Scalped...is a contender for the very best series currently in the comic book industry.
This is probably the best “crime” comic book to come out in years, though “crime” kind of pigeonholes Scalped a little. Certainly it is the most “noir” comic book on the market, when you consider noir isn’t really about style or plot but is more a certain spirit of the storyline and characters.
Des, I'm overjoyed that you feel so strongly about the book, and that really justified my going out on a limb for it in my recommendation, especially considering how aggressively I went about it. What's even better is that you absolutely get what the series is about in that it's not so much getting from Point A to Point B but more about getting into these characters heads. As you exemplify with Red Crow and Dash, these are far from stock characters--no black or white to be found anywhere, only indistinguishable shades of gray. This is the very definition of what a noir should be!
And in the midst of these character studies, you get so much more. There are plot twists and other surprises, tragedies, social commentaries, crazy action sequences, history lessons, sex, violence......but Aarons takes his time getting around to these things. He's foremost concerned with characters and getting into their heads and showing us the dark places they go.
This method is established very quickly. The first trade ends with a significant murder of a cast member. Does the second trade pick right up from there? No! It rewinds and shows what was going on among all the characters that very same day, including the one who ended up being killed. It's a tour-de-force arc that I think is one of the very best ever to grace the medium. Each of the four or five stories connect but also stand alone as excellent, involving character pieces.
Eventually and methodically Aarons unfolds the uber-plot, but he takes his time. He knows that it's the journey here that's most important, and Aarons intends to bleed every nuance and character bit out of it in the process. Trust me: this is a GOOD thing in the case of Scalped!
And Chief Red Crow is one of the very best characters ever to grace a comics page. Heck, he's probably one of the very best characters period!
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Agreed about Red Crow.
You also bring up a great point. There are tons and tons of trades I could round up as "greatest trades to introduce a reader to a series"; Scalped Vol #1 certainly numbers among them. But the second trade is equally as awesome: I'd rank it as one of the very best--top 5 certainly--of the second volumes of a series that really ups the ante and showcases some damn fine storytelling. Not many series have as strong a showing with the second collection.
Another update on a series: I'm still reading Unwritten by Mike Carey, which if you're not familiar with the title, its a bit hard to explain. Its maintained a level of quality as it enters the latter half of its first year and I'm still not 100% sure where the story is going--which is a good thing. Its such a fascinating notion that I continue to be intrigued. Harry Potter fans should really give this a shot to see a somewhat-similar take on that type of franchise.
And one more: I picked up Joe the Barbarian #1 because it was $0.99 and hey, I'll buy almost anything for that price. Its by Morrison, whom I am a major fan of, so I was curious to see what this offered. Well, by issue's end I've decided I will not follow-up on the second issue and keep going on the title. While Vertigo is just plain freaking brillant these days with like a dozen really great series, there are a few that just aren't my cup of tea, like Greek Street, and now, Joe the Barbarian. It just took way too long to get to where Grant is taking this title and I needed more bang for my buck (literally) with a first issue. And to be honest, I'm a little burnt out on Grant's approach; I've loved his work for years but the latest Batman & Robin stories aren't wowing me and Final Crisis was probably my least favorite of all his work. I'm sure I'll be there for his next series...just not this one.
Posted by rouge on :
Joe the Barbarian #1 is intentionally slow to do two things:
1) Illustrate the banality (or perceived banality) of Joe's life
and
2) Give you an extremely detailed look at the House.
Point number 2 is extremely important because for the rest of the story Joe will be literally fighting for his life to make it from the attic to the kitchen in his altered state of mind. As the house transforms into his Fantasy/Nightmare Kingdom, the reader will need to know where he's at in his journey.
Issue #2 picks up the pace considerably as Joe makes it as far as the Bathroom, but steadily loses ground in his fight to keep his hallucinations at bay. It was really quite riveting and you develop a real sense of fear that this might not end well for Joe.
Although, I'm a guy who REALLY likes Greek Street, so maybe I'm not the right one to make the recommendation .
Posted by Lardi on :
After writing up Scalped in the post above last night, I read #34 shortly afterward (35 came out yesterday, but I won't get to that for a few weeks). In a word: Whoa!
34 was the conclusion of the latest arc entitled "The Gnawing". This issue is very significant to the series. A character who's been there since the beginning meets his or her end. And the way that character dies is really hardcore and significant to the storyline of another character. Also, Red Crow has another defining moment that resolves another recent plotline very nicely, and things are set up for even more shit to hit the fan than usual!
All the big character exploration that I've touted Scalped for having leads to issues like this one where the dominos fall and the plot catches up. I'm not really into the Sopranos, but I've heard that the show would go through long slow spells until everything it's been spinning just suddenly explodes. Well, that's what happened here! One important character dies, several minor ones follow suit, two others who haven't crossed paths suddenly are at odds when a discovery is made and another character learns some life-changing news. It's one great memorable issue (and arc) from a series that keeps me guessing!
"The Gnawing" is one of the best arcs yet in this series. The arc is well-titled also as it begins with a Native American parable about a great tree...and a beaver. Great, great series!
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
Hellblazer: Pandemonium by Jamie Delano and Jock.
The back cover of this book describes him as "silver-tongued con man, blue collar mage, sneering punk - ABSOLUTE BASTARD" - but he's about as far from absolute bastard in this story as he could get.
Attracted by a chador-clad woman in the British Museum, Constantine falls into a well-sprung trap and finds himself volunteered for a special mission in Iraq. A prisoner is causing unbelievable mental trauma for his interrogators and Constantine is the guy they want to sort it out.
He has no choice but to do the job - but manages to handle things in his own way, with little regard for military orders, policies or threats.
A trip to the underworld and a game of poker for souls (including his own) is a bit clichéd for this character, but that's neither the core nor the best part of the story.
Caught in a world of surveillance and brutality (different versions in London and Iraq), he acts with a hard compassion, matched with hard justice at the end. A dose of evil for the evil-doers and an extraction of reward for a couple of good guys delivers a satisfying ending.
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
The Unwritten lagged a bit for me with the story about the warden's two kids, but picked up with the unintended excursion to a ghostly Nazi Germany.
It's partly that I don't really like comics with young kids as a big part of the story - but the latest issue got more into the concept of fiction versus reality, which was more interesting.
Cinderella hopped to another realm, Ultima Thule, looking for the stolen magic artifacts. The polar bears reminded me of The Golden Compass, but maybe the legend of a king who's a polar bear is an ancient one. Everybody forced to smile - was that a dig at Disneyworld? I was happy to see a group of malcontents, albeit a small one. Surprise ending. I was half expecting the Snow Queen, but Click Here For A SpoilerThe Fairy Godmother was a nice twist. Although that may well be a diversion, with the real dictator someone else, like one of Cinderella's step-sisters.
[ March 24, 2010, 03:09 PM: Message edited by: Fat Cramer ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Just when I think I can’t possibly be collecting another Vertigo comic book, Vertigo does it again. In addition to Air, Scalped, Unknown Solider, Unwritten, Fables, Madame Xanadu, Day Tripper, Cinderella, potentially DMZ and the coming I, Zombie, I have now picked up American Vampire #1 and I enjoyed it so much, I will certainly be picking up future issues.
American Vampire is, as you’d obviously guess, a vampire comic book with full-fledged horror senses, but it’s a bit more high concept than that. First, there are two different storylines, running in different time periods. The first, starring Pearl Jones takes place in 1920’s silent-film era Hollywood, a period I find interesting and am glad to see more of. The second, starring the horrific Skinner Sweet takes place in the 1880’s Old West. And apparently both storylines (and they may eventually combine, which I’m not sure) will enter into different time periods in American history, dealing particularly with the history of the two vampires and vampires in general.
The kicker here, is while new writer Scott Snyder does the first story, the master of the macabre himself, Stephen King is writing the second story. And oh yes, it is beyond awesome. I’ve become a very big King fan in recent years and there is no doubt he is truly one of the greatest writers, well, ever. My personal favorite story is Salem’s Lot, which I consider his best & scariest and the best & scariest vampire story I’ve ever read (I admit though I have not read all of King’s books). His half of American Vampire, does not disappoint. It is frighteningly real, which is an apt way to describe King’s brand of horror. It’s never in your face and always feels realistic. I’m really looking forward to reading more.
The first half, by Scott Snyder, was also excellent, and it also had a very eerie feel, with a growing sense of tension within.
I like the notion of two split stories, so you feel like you’re getting double the amount of story you’re paying for. Both felt jam-packed as well with no padding.
Artist Rafael Albuqueque provides great artwork for both stories (artistically tying them together) and pencils and inks have a very grainy sense of realism as well as a dark sense of malice. His art accomplishes what the series sets out to do: feel both like a horror story and an American story.
I know with the heavy prominence of vampires in pop-culture these days there are many who might feel slightly anti-vampire. Have no worries then, because this might just be what you needed. There are no sparkly, loving vampires here. There are only ones that want to rip out your entrails (as it should be). Skinner Sweet, the lead character in King’s story is already shaping up to be one of the most malevolent characters in comicdom and that’s only after one issue. He does not sparkle; he does not have manners. He’s brutal and he’s the perfect response to all these respectable vampires in pop-culture these days.
I give this a recommendation to pick up for anyone looking for something a little more horrific and a little darker. The premise is “if vampires immigrated to the Americas, what would there history have been like” (I believe), though with only one issue the series hasn’t quite gotten there yet. I’ll check back in when I have more to comment on the premise itself; until then I can only praise the substance from #1.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
And following up on a few comments by FC, I'm a bit behind on my reading of Cinderella and Unwritten but agree with a lot of your feelings on recent issues.
In Unwritten the Warden/kids kind of slowed that story down and it was dragging a little for me, but the recent Nazi-centered story has been pretty fantastic so far. Joseph Goebbels is one of those real life figures who I find very terrifying because of what someone like that could accomplish. He works very well here.
I've not caught up on Cinderella hopping to another realm but I am still really enjoying the series. Cinderealla-as-spy is just a really kick-ass concept; and the execution has been terrific. This could easily be an ongoing series so the fact that its a miniseries just leaves me relishing every second of it.
Posted by CJ Taylor on :
Vertigo has got to be the best place for variety in comic books.
Madame X, Fables, House of M, Daytripper - all interesting reads. Except for Fables as a trade, I get these books each month and they are always among the best reads.
I just picked up the first trade of Air- it's got me interested. Like Fables, this will likely become a regular for me.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Read the latest Madame Xanadu story and I'm really digging the current history of Madame X & Morgan Le Fay, and even moreso, the history of Camelot and Merlin. This is an origin I've read in at least a dozen different versions--several of them quite excellent--and Wagner is able to present yet another new way to tell the origin which I'm finding very pleasing. And the art is just incredible. Can't recommend this excellent title enough.
I calso caught up on Cinderella and continue to love it. As I say above, it's a kick-ass concept. It's probably the best spy series out there with Captain America.
Posted by stuorstew on :
I agree completely about Madame Xanadu this current storyline has been nothing short of excellent. Also if anybody is still missing the Martian Manhunter; John Jonzz (or Jones) has been featuring in the last few issues as well.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I also read the latest House of Mystery last night and I'm still loving this series. Of all the Vertigo titles its usually the last I read (except for maybe Unknown Soldier which is so heavy I need to be in the right mindset), but whenever I read it, I'm glad I'm still collecting.
As I said in the past, the narrative structure is my particular favorite part of it, with the oddball horror stories in the middle of the title (this latest "under the bridge" one being especially creepy and good). But lately, I'm enjoying the main characters just as much--particularly Cain, who I'm glad to see as part of the regular cast. Cress & Ann remain scene-stealing favorites.
I also have really grown to like the art of Luca Rossi, who does a bang-up job of adding excitement to the panels where most characters are just talking. There is always the feeling of tension in the series which adds to the effect.
Posted by Officer Taylor on :
Like the Cobester (on the previous page), I also picked up American Vampire #1, lured by the promise of a rare Stephen King comics script. I found it a very strong debut and was pleased by both stories.
Scott Snyder is not a writer I've ever heard before, but he already shows a lot of potential in his half of the story. During the course of Scott's entry we meet two struggling actresses in 1920s L.A.'s silent picture era. They both come across very three-dimensional (though potentially a little too modern-sounding in their speech and attitudes, perhaps), so we feel like we get to know them, especially the brunette who we follow thru the whole story.
We start his story with an ominous ending point, then backtrack to see how things got there. She lucks in to what looks like her big break, but things take a horrific turn.
King's story tells the origin of a character who appears in a couple of scenes in Snyder's story. This one has more action in it, but also has some great interaction between the characters in it. It takes place about forty years prior to the first story and centers around the common character, Skinner Sweet, and his being transported to face being hanged for various crimes. We have several telling scenes to give us a good picture of what this guy's like. The action occurs when Skinner's gang derails the train in an attempt to free him. By the end of King's story we learn why the character belongs in a book with the title 'American Vampire' and see him turned in an unusual way.
Taken together, a bigger picture begins to form. I've a feeling a good part of the larger plot, at least initially, will center around a conflict between a rogue Skinner and a more established, hierarchal vampire group. Neither side seems particularly honorable, though.
The art by Rafael Albuquerque is stunning! I also like how he adjusts his style slightly between both eras to set the appropriate tone. He shows a lot of talent, and I hope he's on the series for its duration. Can't wait to see more!
I think King's on the first five issues, but I think the title will still be fine if Snyder carries on by himself, based on what I saw here. I'm definitely giving the title at least those first five and anticipate I'll be on beyond if they continue to hook me.
Bought #2 today but won't read it for a few weeks. When I do, I'll definitely chime back in! Could be Vertigo's next big thing!
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
^Glad to see you're reading it too Lardy! I agree that the potential is there for this to be Vertigo's next big thing.
I figure I'll also plug another series I've been loving since day one (though I think at this point its clear I'm the only one buying & reading), and that is Unknown Soldier. The latest issues are more of a mystery story but refined by the setting and conflict surrounding the Unknown Soldier. The series remains very heavy and not something you want to read when you're in the mood for something light-hearted. But I think it's pretty powerful stuff. I recommend some of you pick up the first trade and tell me what you think.
I wonder if Drysart, the writer (who I would have put in my best writers list if he wrote more than this one series that I was aware of), will add any light-hearted or humorous elements to the series, even if only for an issue. It would help relieve the heavy tension, but I guess it would contradict the honesty Drysart pours into each page regarding what life is really like over there. I'm sure he's thought about it before.
Posted by Officer Taylor on :
^I have the first Unknown Soldier TP, Des. I bought it months ago along with several others during a big eBay splurge. Like Battlefields, I just haven't gotten around to it. When I do, I'll let ya know what I think.
Meanwhile, I just read Scalped #36 today. This was an excellent issue that is the first of a two-parter focussing on Red Crow's right hand man, Shunka. There is a very surprising revelation about him (no, he's not another mole!) that is presented in a very interesting way. I'm not going to give it away, but it's a terrific device on writer Jason Aaron's part to highlight how Native Americans deal with a certain cultural/societal/social issue that is often on the mind of posters here. I also like how Aaron gives us some historical background on it and contrasts how it's changed since whites imposed their culture on Native Americans. Those bits were just utterly fascinating.
I dunno if y'all can read between the lines and realize what I'm talking about, but I refrained from spoiling it directly so some of you who are reading thru trades or still may give this excellent series a shot may be as surprised and entertained as I am.
Aaron really does a great job of loading this book with slices of American culture, particularly how it is suffering and declining in modern times. The previous issue, 35, was a standalone featuring a couple unrelated at all to the central storyline as they struggle with poverty and trying to remain self-reliant and free from taking government welfare. It was a beautiful story that was both entertaining and revealing of poverty on the reservations.
If you're not reading Scalped or at least giving it a look...why the hell not?!? Posted by Blacula on :
AAAARRGGHHHH! Wrote a long post here that I then lost! Don't you HATE that?!?
Anyway, quick version -
Madame Xanadu - still loving it. Looking forward to the upcoming '6 Senses' arc drawn by all-female artists. Very glad that Wagner has obviously decided to stay around longer than his originally intended one or two storylines.
American Vampire - not on my agenda. Vampires are my least favourite pop-culture monster and I don't like wallowing in the evil deeds of horrible, nihilistic characters when I'm looking to be entertained. For a similar reason I stopped buying...
Scalped - got sick of reading about Red Crow (or should I say evil businessman Lex Luthor 2.0) and his constantly getting away with his crimes. The book is undeniably excellently written with very naturalistic dialogue and some fantastic artwork (horrible colouring though) and I've only read the first three trades so I might wait until there are a few more in the bag and then see if there aren't more reasons for me to get back into the book.
Posted by Officer Taylor on :
quote:Originally posted by Blacula: Scalped - got sick of reading about Red Crow (or should I say evil businessman Lex Luthor 2.0) and his constantly getting away with his crimes. The book is undeniably excellently written with very naturalistic dialogue and some fantastic artwork (horrible colouring though) and I've only read the first three trades so I might wait until there are a few more in the bag and then see if there aren't more reasons for me to get back into the book.
I'll respectfully disagree with you about Scalped, Blacula. Yes, it features Red Crow, a guy who's gotten away with murder and other crimes. But to compare him to Lex Luthor? REALLY?!?! Where Red Crow is concerned, the book is much more about showing how he got to this point, what he has to do to maintain what he has and the constant threats all around him that will eventually be too much. He's very well-rounded, and we really get the sense of who he is and why he's made the choices he has. It's a fascinating character study. If Luthor were even half this interesting, he'd have his own damn book!
Obviously, if Red Crow doesn't interest you, then Scalped isn't gonna be your thing. I often find well-told stories of morally-grey characters to be a lot more interesting than those who always try to do the right thing. I mean, Dash Bad Horse (the series' "good guy") has already had enough moral compromises to make him nearly indistinguishable from Red Crow. But that's a large part of the appeal of the book. As Cobalt said somewhere, Scalped is a very noir book in that it's all about shades of gray.
Posted by Blacula on :
^ I still think he reminds me of evil businessman Lex Luthor during the Byrne years. Since Red Crow is virtually the co-headliner in what is a very character-driven book he of course gets more fleshing out than the writers were able to give Lex Luthor during that period, but in terms of reading about a morally reprehensible character who uses their powerful business connections and force of personality to constantly stay one step ahead of the law, they're cut from the same cloth IMO. (I guess Kingpin might be a similar analogy but I've never read him in anything.)
I agree that the book is obviously meant to have a very morally-grey, noir-ish feel (and I can get into that style every now and then) but from what I read in the first three TPBs there wasn't much 'grey' about Red Crow. Unlike Dash who I agree has been very morally compromised but not to the extent that I'm not invested in his story, Red Crow is all 'black' IMO. I don't have a shred of compassion or sympathy for him and want him done and out of the book so Dash can encounter new adversaries and challenges. And that's a fatal attitude to have toward a character that gets as much page-time as Red Crow does.
Not hating on the rest of the book though which I agree is excellent.
Posted by Officer Taylor on :
Hmmm...I'm not sure how far the third trade goes, Blacula. Have you gotten to the part where the Hmong come to town? Red Crow has kind of a heroic moment in that arc. Also, the issue in which he's put in charge of Gina's journey to the afterlife (as part of the same arc, I think) is very telling.
I guess, well, I'm not a Sopranos fan...but if you like Tony Soprano, I think Red Crow has a very similar appeal. Bad Guy, but very relatable in a way. Then there's the "good guy" Agent Nitz--don't get me started on him!
Also, Dash and Red Crow are reminiscent slightly of Vinny Terranova and Sonny Steelgrave from a classic run of the old TV series Wiseguy. (Great, GREAT series!) Dash is a lot more gray (going into black) than Vinnie ever thought about being, though, especially as of the latest arc "The Gnawing".
Oh, and Scalped is definitely a finite series with a beginning, middle and end, so I wouldn't be on the lookout for Dash to "encounter new adversaries and challenges". Scalped is the story of Dash, Red Crow, Agent Nitz and the Prairie Rose Indian Reservation, pure and simple.
Yeah, if you want any really morally stand-up protagonists, Scalped definitely ain't the book for ya!
Posted by Blacula on :
^ Can't remember if I got to the Hmong arc but I'm pretty sure I haven't read the Gina afterlife story.
I'm sure I would find any attempts to 'humanise' Red Crow as 'too little, too late' anyway. It annoys me when writers set up a character as evil and then go all 'but look, he's not all bad because he misses his dead wife' or something. That doesn't cut it with me.
I think the revelations of Agent Nitz's true self were when I began to go sour on Scalped actually. As above, it seemed like one of those manipulative 'Look, Red Crow isn't that bad because the guy who's trying to put him in jail is WORSE!' kinda things.
Posted by Fanfic Lass on :
quote:Originally posted by Fat Cramer: Hellblazer: Pandemonium by Jamie Delano and Jock.
The back cover of this book describes him as "silver-tongued con man, blue collar mage, sneering punk - ABSOLUTE BASTARD" - but he's about as far from absolute bastard in this story as he could get.
Attracted by a chador-clad woman in the British Museum, Constantine falls into a well-sprung trap and finds himself volunteered for a special mission in Iraq. A prisoner is causing unbelievable mental trauma for his interrogators and Constantine is the guy they want to sort it out.
He has no choice but to do the job - but manages to handle things in his own way, with little regard for military orders, policies or threats.
A trip to the underworld and a game of poker for souls (including his own) is a bit clichéd for this character, but that's neither the core nor the best part of the story.
Caught in a world of surveillance and brutality (different versions in London and Iraq), he acts with a hard compassion, matched with hard justice at the end. A dose of evil for the evil-doers and an extraction of reward for a couple of good guys delivers a satisfying ending.
I finally read Pandemonium last night, and I concur with FC. This is maybe the best Hellblazer story ever told, a must read, and completely accessible for those who don't follow the ongoing. Extra kudos to Jamie Delano for resisting the temptation to de-age Constantine.
Posted by Jerry on :
I spent some time in the Vertigo back issues boxes this weekend. I definitely recommend the Death: The High Cost of Living mini series from 1993, and Death: The Time of Your Life mini from 1996. Both are available in trade for reasonable prices. Gaiman and Bachalo do the honors on both. These are must haves for the Sandman completists, as they follow up on Hazel and Foxglove from the “Game of You Storyline”. Mad Hettie plays a big role in the 1993 series. For those not so well versed in Sandman, either of these series would be a good place to test the waters. They allow you to get a good feel for Death and they tell fairly complete three issue stories. Bachalo’s work on both is superior.
I also took on the monumental task of re-reading the “The Children’s Crusade”. This could be near impossible to track down for anyone who didn’t buy it off the racks. I don’t believe that it was ever collected. It was the Vertigo “event” from 1993. The story wound it’s way through two oversized bookend issues of the Children’s Crusade and five Vertigo annuals that year. The annuals included Black Orchid, Animal Man, Swamp Thing, Doom Patrol, and Arcana (which reintroduced Timothy Hunter). It’s imaginative and complex. It focused on the children from each of these series, and their journey to a mystical realm called Free Country. Free Country is a place where abused and exploited children go to escape from adults in the real world. Each chapter is dense. I loved every minute though. Re-reading this reminded me of how amazing Jamie Delano was in writing Buddy Baker’s daughter Maxine in the Animal Man series. My favorite chapter is the Swamp Thing annual, where Maxine takes on a protective role for Swamp Thing’s daughter Tefe. The series also features Gaiman’s Dead Boy Detectives who are a delight to read. If you ever get a chance, don’t be afraid to dive into this story. It’s well worth the time and expense.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Ooh, I forgot all about the Children's Crusade! Never read it but always wanted to! It always slips my mind. I'll definitely hunt for it in the back issue binds if I can remember.
Posted by Kent Shakespeare on :
not that good, actually.
Posted by Jerry on :
I really enjoyed it - both the first time around and on the re-read. I'm partial to Vertigo of that era, though, and a huge fan of anything Gaiman does.
[ May 02, 2010, 09:11 PM: Message edited by: Jerry ]
Posted by rouge on :
Thought the bookends were decent enough, but the Annuals between were forgettable (and unnecessary to the story to boot).
Posted by Dev Em on :
I think I still have these books. Maybe I'll try digging them out this weekend.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Well, after not reading a single comic for a week thanks to a delightful distraction known as "adjusting to having a baby at home", I was able to sneak a few in tonight while we await the baby's eventual nighttime feeding round #1. Two of them were Vertigo comics, two of the many excellent ones these days.
American Vampire #2 is out and I couldn't wait to read it--and now I'm dying to read #3! Everything Lardy and I said about how good the opening issue was remains the same if not magnified. Not only does Stephen King do the incredible job we're all hoping and expecting in the second half, I have to say with all honesty that Scott Snyder, series creator & writer of the first half, does an equally impressive and awesome job. Both writers excel at showing the true horror of a vampire story, which is a must-have for me in all vampire stories (take note please Twilight). It takes a lot to scare me these days, but I can still take delight in getting just plain old creeped out or impressed by some horrific imagery and storylines. And AV has that in spades. Pearl, our "protagonist" in the first story is not above some gruesome vampire violence, which is a welcome differentiation from the usual reluctant vampire we see these days. Meanwhile, Skinner Sweet, the horrific star of the second half (and important player in Pearl's story as well) is just kind of awesome to see on on the page.
Let me put it this way: to those of you who say you "can't stand vampire stories" and they "are just not my thing". Pick this up and try it. I think you'll be surprised. This is quite different from what you've unfortunately had thrown in your face these days. It's awesomely stylistic and horrifying like Lost Boys was when it debuted.
Meanwhile, I also read the latest Madame Xanadu in which the story switches back to the present (which here is the 1950's I believe) after an incredible few issue detour into the ancient past. I'd almost forgotten Detective John Jones was in the story and it was a great reminder to see him; Wagner does a great job just making the reader want more and more J'onn while at the same time giving us the dosage of Madame Xanadu we really want. The writing is so tight here and the art is so beautiful that I can't recommend this series enough.
So many great Vertigo series I'm collecting these days. Just to round them up: Fables, Scalped, Air, Unknown Soldier, Madame Xanadu, American Vampire, House of Mystery, Unwritten, Daytripper, and soon I, Zombie. Not only do I want to catch up on some classics I missed per all your suggestions, but the Vertigo Crime TPB's are also looking pretty appetizing as well. Plus, one of these days I'll get to DMZ and maybe give Northlanders another try...
[ May 07, 2010, 08:05 AM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Caught up with two more Vertigo titles--both of which are also excellent.
Unwritten ended the story in which Joseph Goebbels played a part and we learn a bit more about the nature of what stories mean in the series. This arc was really excellent and definitely revived my enthusiasm in the series--not that it was waning, but the previous arc at the prison was a little slower than I would have liked. We continue to learn more about the nature of the series while getting some really metaphysical stories. And I also read the latest issue, which was a one-off of one of the characters from earlier in the series, stuck in a a Winnie the Pooh type story which was just great. Carey gives a standalone story that fits in with all the classic Vertigo stories in Sandman, Lucifer and elsewhere. Great stuff.
I also read the latest Daytripper which was also terrific. What a really great, unique series this is. It also really works strongly as a 10 issue maxiseries--if it seemed to be going on indefinitely, I might start to wonder what the point was; but because its self-contained, I can't help but be incredibly intrigued by how each story ends. Each issue is jam-packed with emotional resonance and they really nail on triggering similar feelings within me, the reader, that they, the creative team, obviously have that went into creating the storyline.
Posted by Pov on :
Just now finished reading the $1 "What's Next?" edition of Scalped #1... and so the first trade goes on my June DCBS order. Good call, Lardster! Posted by Officer Taylor on :
quote:Originally posted by Pov: Just now finished reading the $1 "What's Next?" edition of Scalped #1... and so the first trade goes on my June DCBS order. Good call, Lardster!
Wow! It just took one issue? What can I say...I'm good! Posted by Dev Em on :
quote:Originally posted by Officer Taylor:
quote:Originally posted by Pov: Just now finished reading the $1 "What's Next?" edition of Scalped #1... and so the first trade goes on my June DCBS order. Good call, Lardster!
Wow! It just took one issue? What can I say...I'm good!
That's what she said!!!
Posted by Officer Taylor on :
quote:Originally posted by Dev Em:
quote:Originally posted by Officer Taylor:
quote:Originally posted by Pov: Just now finished reading the $1 "What's Next?" edition of Scalped #1... and so the first trade goes on my June DCBS order. Good call, Lardster!
Wow! It just took one issue? What can I say...I'm good!
That's what she said!!!
Badda-BING! Posted by Officer Taylor on :
So...when will the Devinator give in and try Scalped? Posted by Dev Em on :
If it's 1.00, I'll give that a shot.
Posted by rouge on :
Hellblazer was really great again. I'm especially excited now that Lenny and Shade have joined the cast. Can't wait for Shade and John to interact. I think John may find the cure worse than the disease.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I read American Vampire #3 tonight and the series just continues to get better and better. I highly recommend this to anyone who is jaded by vampires due to recent pop-culture phenoms. This is vampires as they should be: freaking terrifying. And seeing it in past historical eras makes it all the better.
This was the first issue so far where I felt like the first story by Scott Snyder was actually even more engaging than Stephen King's second story. Both have been excellent so far but King was edging Snyder out. Here, I felt Snyder is really hitting his pace and we're in for a treat from both.
One of the things I like the most is Rafeal Albuquerque's depiction of the "American Vampires" Skinner Sweet & Pearl when they go into vampire mode. Really wild! It's very EC Comics-esque with some gritty, scariness. You just know limbs and heads are going to be going flying. Posted by rouge on :
Based on recommendations here, I put aside the first trade of Unwritten so my kinds could get it for me for Father's Day. Now I just need time to read it.
Posted by Chief Taylor on :
Currently in the midst of a short vacation, I'm in the midst of catching up on some trades I've been stockpiling for awhile. Last night it was DMZ Vol. 7: War Powers. I initially talked up DMZ Volume One here after picking up a bunch of Vertigo trades at the same time. After reading Volume 1, I quickly gathered up 2-7 and devoured them up to 6 in quick succession. For some reason I stopped short of reading 7, not because the trades were getting any less good but, I guess, because I knew Volume 8 wasn't out, and I wouldn't be able to read more for awhile.
Well, last night I read War Powers and was amazed at how much I recalled of the complex events of the first 6 trades as I read this one. Honestly, it's a pretty complex story, but Wood writes it in a manner that gives you all the information you need to recall prior events. Now, I definitely wouldn't recommend reading these trades out of sequence, don't get me wrong, but it speaks to how memorable the story and characters are that I wouldn't be lost after not having read the last volume since some time last year.
Another thing is that the basic premise has changed as far as the involvement of journalist Matty Roth. Without giving everything away, this is no longer the story of an impartial journalist documenting the goings-on in a war zone. I think anyone who would live in such conditions would find it hard, especially considering the nature of the fictional story of a new American Civil War.
In any case Matty's gone from being a journalist to being a power player politically in the American DMZ that is Manhattan. Wood could have written Matty as a journalist trying to just report from beginning to end in this series, but I think the route he's taken is more realistic and involving.
This volume particularly seems to show Matty's last gasp as a journalist as it opens with him going to Staten Island and witnessing firsthand how some American soldiers on opposing sides may be inclined to ignore what they are supposed to be doing and try to forge peace in their own way. Until it all goes horribly wrong, that is.
Then, it's back to Manhattan where Matty finally makes a surprising choice about what to do when certain dominos fall. Can't say much more without giving away some MAJOR plot developments!
The art, primarily by series co-creator Riccardo Burchielli, is just terrific and everything you'd want it to be for a comic like this one: detailed, gritty and beautiful in its own way. It's a little reminiscent of Geof Darrow's linework, I'd say, but without the more exaggerated flourishes he's added at times. Nice, solid work.
I definitely like this Vertigo comic. Today I bought Volume 8 among a few other trades (all Fables, btw ) purchased with a gift card my lovely wife gave me for Father's Day. I suspect I won't be waiting very long to read it!
(And to a certain poster--I still haven't forgotten! I'll get to it! )
[ July 01, 2010, 01:22 PM: Message edited by: Chief Taylor ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I can't wait to check DMZ out!
Posted by Dev Em on :
I just picked up American Vampire #1. Based solely on you guys and your reviews...and that King is involved.
Posted by Chief Taylor on :
Well, Dev, one thing about LW recommendations--they rarely steer ya wrong! Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
So I cracked into my recent big buy pile of trades and naturally the first one I went for was the latest volume of Scalped I needed to catch up, Volume #5. I admit at first I was hesitant to start the trades from just being tired with the baby but man, once I got to the title page I was freaking hooked again and couldn’t wait to get through it. So much so that I started it last night at 10:00 PM and have finished it now, 14 hours later—I’ve been sneaking it in at work and read more than half during a long lunch.
So much praise has been thrown at Scalped in this thread by Lardy and myself that I don’t want to keep beating a dead horse. I’ll sum it up: this is in my top five best current comics in the market, is the best noir story/serial to come out since the early 40’s and is one of the greatest comics of all time. Still not blown away by my praise? I’ll come for you in your sleep.
I’m not really a person that likes to pick out volumes and say ‘this is my favorite’, but for Scalped I’ve kind of had it in my head that Vol #2, “Casino Boogie” was just my favorite because of how it worked as a bunch of single issues bundled into a larger story. I now think perhaps Vol. #5 is giving it a run for it’s money. It was just so incredibly terrific and Jason Aaron once again flexes his storytelling muscles in using different time periods and different storylines divided by single issues to weave an incredible tapestry that fits perfectly into a 5 issue trade. I wish Jason Aaron wrote EVERY title I collect.
The artwork is spectacular as always with R.M. Guerra gritty style hammering home the violence and bleak sense of hopelessness. What’s different in this volume was there were two stories with fill-in artists and one just happens to be an artist I’ve been praising like a madman lately, Francisco Francavilla, whose work on Zorro restored my faith in art and humanity. He does the Agent Nitz story, right in the middle of the two, and it was really cool to see his style used in crime fiction—and a much more rugged book at that—rather than the adventure/pulp inspired Zorro stuff. Where he truly excels is the way he portrays so much emotion in very simple ways and how he puts together the composition to pace the issue. In my opinion, Agent Nitz is the biggest asshole in the entire comic book, and yet with this story the creative team actually makes you feel something for him and want to see more of what is in store for Nitz.
That is Aaron’s best quality, of course, as we’ve said all along, that he gets you to feel sympathy and empathy for these characters who are the most part people you wish you’d never, ever meet in real life.
More spoiler-specific:
Click Here For A SpoilerLardy, you may have been more aware of this earlier than me, but I totally didn’t realize it was Catcher who killed the agents until I opened up that title page. The trade may be different than any single issue so to let you know, there is a widescreen shot of Catcher on his horse overlooking the terrain; its very beautiful but just filled with sadness. At that moment I realized that not only did Catcher kill Gina, but he probably killed the two agents. And later when you actually see the scene I couldn’t believe at how crazy it is! Catcher is one fucked up dude!
Another great character is of course the guy who sets it all off, the con-artist whose real name I’m not sure if we ever learn (I still didn’t believe him when he told Dash who he is). All we know about him is he’s a master con-artist, is black, and can’t help himself to screwing up. That was a classic noir/crime character and just fits so well with what Scalped is all about.
Dash wasn’t in this trade much until the end and yet by the close I felt this was a major turning point for Dash. He survived something that by all rights should have killed him and I hope he quits the drugs and gets his life together. You couldn’t help but feel this was a turning point.
I have the 6th trade as well and will start it tonight. This has been one of the most rewarding series I’ve read since Preacher. I even got my brothers to read it and they aren’t reading much these days, just this and Walking Dead and rereading Sandman and Preacher for the thousandth time.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
quote:Originally posted by Chief Taylor: Well, Dev, one thing about LW recommendations--they rarely steer ya wrong!
Indeed!
I think you'll like American Vampire, Dev. Skinner Sweet has been in three comics thus far (or is it four now, I'm so behind ), and he's already establishing himself as one of the great vampires EVER.
Posted by Chief Taylor on :
I don't want to respond entirely in spoiler box, so I'll try to be vague. No, Cobie, I didn't know before that story exactly who had killed the FBI agents. I mostly vacillated between it either being Gina or Red Crow. It's pretty ironic who Nitz blames, isn't it, with the real killer being mostly off of Nitz's radar? Yes, there's a lot of story to be told about the actual killer and his or her motivations. "The Gnawing" ends with another interesting development for that character.
Speaking of "The Gnawing"...I think you may be just about to reassess again which trade is your favorite! I thought that was one amazing arc and quite possibly the best of the series so far. Can't wait to read what you think since you'll get through that one really soon!
It's interesting seeing someone experience Scalped thru trades. After reading the first two, I caught up with individual issues and am quite happy to be supporting it monthly. It's a top of the stack book, and I couldn't imagine waiting six months or more for my next fix!
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Well Lardy, you weren’t kidding! I came home and opened up Vol. #6 and within the last four hours read through it all! There were a few interruptions but I really took my time with it just taking it all in, fighting off the need to rush through it all. And “Gnawing”, this volume, man….now that is some damn good reading.
What sets this apart from the two volumes I liked most previous was while they were almost grand experiments in master storytelling, this was more a culmination of the entire series so far that just exploded into your face! This was a major game changer with every single character having things happen to them that changed the direction of the series and some characters not getting out alive. In, it kind of had the Shakespeare feel where everyone in the finale sequences gets killed one after the other—I kept waiting to see who else would buy it.
And the best part is it feels like there is so much more to go in this series! In a way, the title has come full circle with the relationship of Dash and Red Crow growing tighter again and I’m dying to know where they go next.
Click Here For A SpoilerAnd I couldn’t help but cheer when Dash killed that bastard Diesel, especially after Diesel killed Agent Newsome so viciously.
I’m seriously concerned about Falls Down as well, since he’s in probably the most dangerous situation he could be considering whose trailer he was last seen in. I like Officer Falls Down quite a bit and his smaller role as conscious of the series is a welcome perspective.
Catcher acting as Dash’s ally / mentor at last just adds even more irony to Catcher’s role throughout the series. As we’ve said a million times, this is the most noir comic perhaps ever and all noir fans know the genre is always loaded with irony. Catcher fills that role in almost every way possible.
Man! So much happened that I can’t get my reactions all down on paper fast enough. Red Crow and Shunka taking care of business at the end in Minnesota was badass as well! I’ve kind of grown to like Shunka. I hope we get a chance to delve into him a little more since at least one of the more major characters bit it.
Even Matt Fraction’s intro in the trade was pretty groovy. He goes into this huge rant about the infamous American myth “the Alabama Corn Snake” and how it was a person/vigilante who killed this gang of Methodists and I’m thinking “wtf?” and then he ends it with how the Alabama Corn Snake once saved his life at a gas station and he asked the vigilante what he would do when all the Methodists were dead and the ACS replied: “I’m going to write comics”…and that was Jason Aaron. (I figured you’d never seen it before Lardy so I’d summarize it).
Posted by Chief Taylor on :
Funny you should mention Shunka, Cobester. He gets a two-part tale in 36 & 37 that is quite unexpected in its content and revelations. I talked about it a little here without divulging any of the spoilers. I thought it was a terrific spotlight for the character.
In typical Scalped fashion, we don't yet know what happened between Catcher and Officer Falls down as Aaron has used the issues since "The Gnawing" to pull back a little and tell stories like Shunka's, one about Dash's dad and another about a couple on the reservation that are apart from the central cast. This is typical of Aaron's approach, and I wouldn't have it any other way! I'm sure when Aaron does show what happened, it'll be the kickoff to the next big plot movement. (Or maybe it won't, knowing Aaron! )
Posted by Chief Taylor on :
Interesting that they're still having writers intro the trades. A lot of those fall by the wayside as a series progresses thru collections. Have all of them had intros thru the six volumes?
Posted by Pov on :
quote:Originally posted by Chief Taylor: Well, Dev, one thing about LW recommendations--they rarely steer ya wrong!
Even if Cobie has been known to wrong a steer...(mmmoooOOOOO!! O_o )
Posted by Dev Em on :
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Posted by Chief Taylor on :
Man! Whoever thought the Cobalt Kid/bestiality jokes would pop up in "Vertigo Title Review"? Posted by Dev Em on :
Read American Vampire #1.
Great book and I cannot wait to pick up issue #2. Cobie and CT have already laid out the premise very well.
I reallyenjoy the period piece aspect of the first story. Just like I loved Sandman Mystery Theatre, which was set just before our entry into WWII.
It was interesting to see the beginnings of Skinner, especially as to how accidental they really were.
Like I said, cannot wait to grab the second issue this week.
Posted by Dev Em on :
Hopin Scott Snyder friends me on FB. He has a lot of posts about AV on his wall. Dude is gonna be big.
Posted by Chief Taylor on :
I'm thrilled that mine and Cobie's recommendations have hit a home run with you, Dev. Since you're loving Chew based on a push from me, I'm feeling pretty smug right now!
Now all ya gotta do is try Scalped! Posted by Dev Em on :
Soon as I get some extra cash, the first trade is on my list of things to buy.
Posted by Chief Taylor on :
Suh-WEET!!! Posted by Sarcasm Kid on :
My second Sandman review.
...
So, the second Sandman story I'm reviewing was from volume 8, World's End. It's called The Golden Boy, and it's illustrated by Mike Allred.
Gaiman once again utilizes an obscure DC character, this time being Prez, from the short-lived Prez series from the 1970s. He was created by the same man who created the Green Team, Brother Power the Geek, the version of Sandman who appeared later on, and the original freakish Outsiders, Joe Simon. The man who also helped create Captain America.
An Oriental man recounts the story of a different America during the 60s and 70s. Prez Rickard, born in the town of Steadfast, was named "Prez" because his mother believed he was destined for great things. Indeed, the boy showed an amazing amount of depth and a love for his country (not an over-agonizingly "red-blooded, patriotic America man" type of thing), but a respect for it. He also had a bit of a thing for watchmaking and repair, for Steadfast was a town famous for it's clocks. It wasn't until Prez came along that all the clocks were not set at the same time.
In this America, eighteen year-olds were allowed the right to vote, and voted to allow the age limit for presidency lowered to 18. A mysterious man named Boss Smiley, the "Prince" of this world with a head like a giant smiley face, approached Prez. The boy had just turned 18, and offered him the role of American president. In return, Boss Smiley wanted him to work for him, sing his praises, and such. Prez refused, and decided to run for President and win on his own terms. Boss Smiley just smiled.
One night, Prez was approached in his bedroom by Richard Nixon, who informed him that he would indeed be replaced by the young man. Nixon explained, though, that no matter what you do, the American people are going to hate you, and years later they'll wonder why they never appreciated him. Four years of being an empty-figurehead, and all you get is an animatronic display at Disneyworld. Prez was not deterred by Nixon's hopeless words, and still remained determined to fix America.
At 19, Prez was elected president, and turned America into a golden kingdom. He dealt with pollution, nuclear arms, homelessness, corruption in big business. He was all about setting America's problems in order first before worrying about anything else. He even appeared on SNL, and John Belushi, in his later years, described it as one of the most inspiring moments of his life. Near the end of his term, Boss Smiley approached him again. Prez told the smiling stranger that he had all government facilities try and find any info on him, but all they found were rumors. Smiley warned Prez that running for a second term might be dangerous.
During said second term, Prez began dating his former high school sweetheart, Kathy, and planned to marry her. The two were happy, until Kathy was killed in a botched assassination attempt on Prez. The killer was a woman obsessed with Ted Grant, who thought killing the president was a surefire way of getting Grant's attention. Prez had no illwill towards the woman, and even offered her clemency, but still she went to the electric chair.
America didn't dissolve, but Prez became somewhat aloof. He was approached again one night by Boss Smiley, who offered to bring Kathy back to life in return for his servitude. Prez refused. Finishing his second term, Prez dropped out from sight to return to Steadfast.
"It's not that things got bad in America, it's just that they weren't spectacularly good again."
Prez often turned down offers to help the new President, until one day he just disappeared. It would be a few years later when Prez died. No one knew how or when, the stories varied, but everyone knew that somehow, Prez Rickard was dead.
And dead he was. Prez, his spirit pertaining his youthful, 19-year old self, is visited by Death. She explains that you never find out what happens to anyone else when they die. But in the case of his death, Prez is kind of special.
Prez asks Death if she's bringing him to the watchmaker. He explains that he heard, long ago, that if you found a watch in a desert, you have to assume somebody made it. A watchmaker. And if the watch stopped, you repair it.
"I don't think this guy made the watch, Prez. He just runs the local franchise."
She brings him to the guys who'll bring him to his world's heaven, but she hesitates for a moment. Prez arrives, and finds... Boss Smiley, gigantic, in a white suit, with an actual yellow smiley face for a head. He thanks Prez for a job well done and now wants him to sing his praises. But when Prez learns that his love Kathy isn't here anymore, he realizes that there are other worlds, other Americas out there, maybe even a desert of broken watchs, and decides to leave. Smiley threatens him, before Dream intervenes and whisks Prez away from an irate Smiley.
Dream explains that Death asked him to help Prez, and opens a doorway to allow Prez to travel to other worlds. Before he leaves, Prez gives Dream his father's old pocketwatch, which he fixed years ago, as a gift. And he departs.
...
Okay, so, the obvious imagery that Gaiman has with Prez is that of the American Dream. Ideal, positive, strong, and somewhat fleeting, as it will eventually end.
There are parallels with Prez and Jesus Christ, as his time as President makes him something of a messiah figure. He ushered in something of a Golden Age which died down, his pure idealism and the inability to corrupt him, no matter how tempting. Boss Smiley is obviously a devil figure.
Is it possible that Dream's role as the "Prince of Stories" means that the American Dream will always live on in stories and tales? We keep it going because of those stories? Or am I again clutching hairs?
Prez would appear again in a Vertigo Voices one-shot which focused on the remaining, obscure DC characters who appeared in Vertigo stories during the early 90s. Prez, Brother Power, Doctor Occult, Doctor 13, and Tomahawk. Prez's was done by Ed Brubaker and Eric Shanower, about a Generation X teen who went on a road trip looking for Prez, who he believed was his father.
The reason I've been thinking of this story is that, well, it's something of an inspiration now. You guys have heard that I've been attempting to get an appointment at DC Comics, to try and get a writing job and try and fix the mess they've made with Arsenal and Lian. I mean, I'm far from perfect, I don't have any conceited ideas of me being a Christ figure or anything. I'm not THAT egotistical. But, if he could run America, I could at least hope to do something. That, and I am about the same age as he was when he ran for president.
I guess I can't help but equate these stories to my own life, in a weird way.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Dev, that's great about American Vampire! Glad you liked it and you're on board. Totally agree about Scott Snyder--guy is going to be big time eventually once people discover his work.
Catching up on a few titles:
Daytripper - As we reach the latter half of this maxiseries, I'm still amazed by how good each issue of the series has been so far. The Fabio Moon / Gabriel Ba creative team has shown me some good stuff in the past on various titles (Umbrella Academy, etc.) but here I think they've officially arrived. The best word I can use to describe every issue is 'poignant'. You walk away from each issue just heavily thinking about what you just read. Great stuff.
Unwritten - Meanwhile, Unwritten continues to a Vertigo title par excellence, and it's current arc is bringing things to a head in a way that has me really looking forward to the "15th Book Release" date event on the horizon. I've praised this title enough in this thread that doing so further will just be me repeating myself--all I can say is the odd / cool premise of this title just keeps drawing me in. I'm especially intrigued with recent developments with Lizzie and hope we get her story now; it appears at the latest issue's close that we're going to be seeing some 19th Century Dickens' London which should be a lot of fun, considering Carey won't be pulling any punches with the reality of the era.
House of Mystery - HoM continues to be a comic I'm loving and the new arc kicks things off in another direction which should move along the larger general story in a nice way. I recently started a thread on House of Mystery #25 which was the 'Exquisite Corpse' issue with mulitple writers putting the subsequent writer into a literary corner (including Paul Levitz); I thought it was a terrific story but unfortunately no one replied to the thread (I get it Legion World, I get it ). It's that kind of variance in the time of structure you get with HoM that I find so appealing. In #26 there is a short story in the middle called "Ziggy" which is a really awesome and incredibly creepy 8 pager that makes me wish we could see more. It's one of those horror premises that is very basic but terrifying when the 'less is more' approach is taken and should me into a movie to scare the hell out of pre-teens.
All three of these series are fantastic and I highly recommend them all (along with the various other Vertigo titles I collect: Unknown Soldier, Scalped, Air, Madame Xanadu, American Vampire, iZombie and of course, Fables).
Posted by Outdoor Miner on :
Madame Xanadu #24 is just what the doctor ordered after the most recent good but overly long storyline: A solid one-shot.
Artist Marley Zarcone (about whom I know nothing) has a cartoony but effective style that works fine here.
Posted by CJ Taylor on :
OM, I'm glad to see someone else liked it. It was a good read all around. Wagner's use of sterotypes had me wondering if folks would jump to offended before looking past them to a good story set in a volatile time period.
And Zarcone's art really took the creepy factor of the story and gave it a different look. Like TWD, it's gruesome where it needs to be, but not over the top or jarring with the rest of the book.
Posted by CJ Taylor on :
Anyone read any good Vertigo stories lately?
Posted by Outdoor Miner on :
The Unwritten continues to be a great book, though I can't really do it justice review-wise.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
American Vampire continues to be ass-kickingly awesome, doing for vampires what Walking Dead has done for zombies in comics. Namely, removes the bad taste of any ‘lesser works’ with those horror monster icons from your mouth and reminds you how damn scary they can be. Four issues into it, and I’m still loving the fact that half of the issue is the Scott Snyder story featuring Pearl (which is the scarier of the two) and the other half is the Stephen King story featuring Skinner Sweet (which is King creating intense & weird characters—what he does best) with the awesome art of Rafael Albuquerque uniting them both. I think after the initial arc, the series will turn into a strait-up one story per issue format, and I’m cool with that, as it might be appropriate for it to do so at that time.
Anyone who has thought “man, why are vampires so lame?” but really wishes they could read a vampire story that is frightening and awesome at the same time: this is the comic you never realized you were waiting for.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
quote:Originally posted by Outdoor Miner: Madame Xanadu #24 is just what the doctor ordered after the most recent good but overly long storyline: A solid one-shot.
Artist Marley Zarcone (about whom I know nothing) has a cartoony but effective style that works fine here.
quote:Originally posted by CJ Taylor: OM, I'm glad to see someone else liked it. It was a good read all around. Wagner's use of sterotypes had me wondering if folks would jump to offended before looking past them to a good story set in a volatile time period.
And Zarcone's art really took the creepy factor of the story and gave it a different look. Like TWD, it's gruesome where it needs to be, but not over the top or jarring with the rest of the book.
I third your opinions--a solid story by Wagner with some great art by Zarcone. It's got me looking forward to the rest of these 'done-in-on but connected to a larger story' stories (the title might be ending but I'll enjoy it until the end).
I agree about the Zarone art, which was gruesome in places, as you say, but at other times, very classic and beautiful.
Posted by CJ Taylor on :
With the November solicitis out, Madame X is officially ending.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
A contender for the best comic I’ve read all year, and possibly the most poignant, was Unknown Soldier #21 by the ever-powerful Joshua Drysart, who is joined for one issue by Rick Veitch, who is doing interior artwork for the first time in what feels like forever. The story follows the ‘life’ of one Avtomat Kalashnikova, the most infamous of all semi-automatic rifles in the history of the world, as it is the most widely used by terrorists, organized crime and resistance movements throughout the world. It begins in Russia and makes its way through Africa, and is a very historically accurate, yet full of soul and tragedy. This is one of those Vertigo stories that really feels like ‘old school Vertigo’, in the tradition of Sandman and later Preacher and so many other great series; a moving, done in one issue that really leaves you thinking. Great stuff.
House of Mystery also remains a great read in my opinion. The overall story is growing more and more interesting and with a ton of characters having their own storylines as well. Lately it feels like all the most interesting characters are having ample screen time, which I’m glad to see. The story within a story this issue, by Sturges and Brendan McCarthy, was really groovy, about a Viet Nam soldier (drafted against his will), experiencing an acid trip while out with his unit, is suddenly in the midst of combat and finds an ancient man who wants to teach him the means to be a sorcerer (including time travel usage). It’s a great little story where you’re unsure of it’s a trip or reality, complete with the sudden jolt of the reality of war at the close, but then the ending is a terrific “House of Mystery” ending.
I really recommend Unknown Soldier #21 if you’re looking for a solid story; I’d recommend the whole series but be aware it ends with #25. And House of Mystery continues to be a unique, cool series that I’m glad I’m buying.
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
Joshua Drysart made some wry comments at San Diego about how Unknown Soldier was too serious and realistic to be a success - like he should have included zombies and giant apes to get the thing to sell. That got me interested in the book (I'd heard good things about it, it just never made the buy list.)
So I was planning to get the trades, although they got bumped by other stuff (like Turf and Time Bomb - thanks to Cobie & Chief) in the last order.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Yeah, Unknown Soldier is the epitomy of serious & realistic. More so than any other comic on the market.
That means it's sometimes a little depressing but not neccessarily entirely so. The words 'poignant' and 'powerful' are the ones I most frequently use to describe it.
Posted by rouge on :
Madame Xanadu #26 was really good. A sad but endearing story of a lost boy who stinks. I'm really digging how Wagner is able to tailor these individual stories to his guest artist so well.
I originally wasn't too sad to hear this was getting canceled as I thought it was close to running its course, but issues like this make me realise how much potential is still there.
Posted by Pov on :
quote:Originally posted by Outdoor Miner: The Unwritten continues to be a great book, though I can't really do it justice review-wise.
The second trade is coming in my next DCBS shipment... can't wait. Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Yeah, it's a very hard book to review. All I know is it's excellent.
Posted by Dev Em on :
Jeez Louise. Just read through American Vampire 2 - 5.
Freakin Amazing. BUY THIS BOOK!!!
I think this one is gonna get it's own thread. Gonna reread it and start one soon.
[ August 26, 2010, 08:19 PM: Message edited by: Dev Em ]
Posted by Outdoor Miner on :
quote:Originally posted by Pov:
quote:Originally posted by Outdoor Miner: The Unwritten continues to be a great book, though I can't really do it justice review-wise.
The second trade is coming in my next DCBS shipment... can't wait.
Cool. Hope you enjoy the story as much as I have.
Posted by rouge on :
The preview for Unwritten just didn't look interesting. I don't dig Harry Potter, so even a send up of it seems like it wouldn't be something I'd enjoy. I got the first trade based on good word of mouth, but it still sits on my shelf unread. I think I just need to be sold on it.
Posted by Chief Taylor on :
quote:Originally posted by rouge: The preview for Unwritten just didn't look interesting. I don't dig Harry Potter, so even a send up of it seems like it wouldn't be something I'd enjoy. I got the first trade based on good word of mouth, but it still sits on my shelf unread. I think I just need to be sold on it.
I bought that one to for the same reason--the word of mouth. And like you, mine has sat on the shelf unread because I wasn't inclined to get it in the first place. (Of course I have a HUGE backlog of unread TPBs anyway...) It's low on my "things to read" list. This is despite the fact that I DO dig Harry Potter.
Posted by Pov on :
quote:Originally posted by Outdoor Miner:
quote:Originally posted by Pov:
quote:Originally posted by Outdoor Miner: The Unwritten continues to be a great book, though I can't really do it justice review-wise.
The second trade is coming in my next DCBS shipment... can't wait.
Cool. Hope you enjoy the story as much as I have.
Definitely enjoying it.
CT and Rouge, I wish I could explain what appears to be happening here that would get you to at least give the trade a chance...
OM, am I wrong in my interpretation that Tom's father has written him into these immensely popular books to give him the abilities needed to combat Pullman and his unseen (as of the 2nd trade) bosses? That's what I took from the Jud Suss two-parter, anyway... Love how Tom was able to Click Here For A Spoilerunravel the "canker" the Nazis built around the original novel .
Posted by Chief Taylor on :
Pov, I DO have the trade but just haven't put it anywhere near the top of my read pile. Like rouge, I bought it because of the word of mouth. I guess it's the preview they put in the books before #1 was released. Those pages were just underwhelming. I know, it's not fair to judge a book by its first few pages, but sometimes, that's all we have to judge whether or not to drop the money on something.
That said, I bought the trade, so it WILL get read! Eventually....
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
With the recent discussion of Unwritten, it's timely, because I've just caught up on the recent issues. I want to give you guys a whole beautiful paragraph about why you should read it immediately, but it's actually rather hard to put into words. Like Outdoor Miner said earlier in the thread, it's a difficult series to describe.
Know that there are excellent characters with excellent characterization. An incredibly complex and cool plotline with all kinds of twists and mysterious. Gorgeous artwork.
But one thing I can say is if you liked Sandman, you'll like Unwritten. It's the comic most like Sandman to come out since Sandman in terms of themes and narrative / metaphorical nature of the story-telling, it's quite similar to Gaiman's approach in Sandman. This series has a specific plot and characters, but in a much bigger picture, it's a story about stories. It's a narrative about the nature of fiction and how it shapes reality, and people who loved Dream of the Endless and that aspect of Gaiman's Sandman will love this series.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I also caught up on Daytripper, which is now approaching it's final issue. What a great series by Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba--each issue is really moving. The 9th issue really began to tie it all together and almost felt like the final issue; I know there is one more to come, so I'm curious as to what else will be added to this already excellent maxiseries.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
quote:Originally posted by Fat Cramer: I also read Cairo, by G. Willow Wilson (writer) and M. K. Perker (artist). A pleasant surprise; I was expecting a story about some Americans in Cairo, with interesting visuals of the city. However, the story was a bit more complex, mixing in the fantastic with the everyday events.
There was a good mix of characters: a young Lebanese-American on a spiritual quest, an Orange County girl looking for a meaningful life, a female Israeli soldier stranded in Cairo, a drug smuggler, a journalist, a rather earthly djinn (who doesn't grant wishes but manipulates probabilities), and an assortment of bad guys - who all get entangled with one another. Throw in an Underground Nile Realm and you've got a captivating combination of caper, chase and romance.
Based on FC's review several months ago, I picked up the Cairo OGN (see, it pays to review, people read your recs!); I'm really glad I did, because I thought it was an excellent and fascinating read. I previously had read the first two TPB’s of Air and praised them in this thread, and I hadn’t realized that the same creative team responsible for Air also did Cairo first. I can see some strong similarities between Cairo and Air in terms of themes and tones and this is a very good thing.
Like FC says above, the very best thing about Cairo is how Wilson and Perker are able to weave together the fantastical elements of Egyptian history of various eras with modern political overtones. Muslim and Israeli tensions may take centerstage for a few pages and then the next few pages will involve a djinn or the awesome Under-Nile legend (a river below the Nile that runs in the opposite direction). That combination was a terrific was to make fantasy elements seem incredibly realistic; like my review of Air, the only real comparison I can make is the way the television show Lost.
The story centers on 6 major characters and each one is fleshed out really well, undergoing their own personal journey. In the middle to end parts, I was suddenly amazed by how moving each character’s journey had become. Wilson re-uses the phrase “your boundaries are your journey” a few times and it was done incredibly well. She also does a really beautiful job at showing how one of the characters, Shaheed, interrupts the Qur’an one way in the beginning and midway through comes to realize he was interrupting it completely wrong; he eventually begins to see it as uplifting, strong message, in the way it was originally intended. It’s incredibly topical right now, but that takes a backseat to the poignant way Wilson writes the sequence.
I didn’t really know much about G. Willow Wilson before this until I read the back cover for her brief auto-biographical summary. I didn’t realize she was a woman and I didn’t realize she converted to Islam in her early 20’s. Both of those things obviously inform her writing in a deep way and I can understand her perspective more by knowing that. She’s really talented and I not only will be buying the rest of the Air trades as I always planned, but I will be following her around to whatever project she does next.
M. K. Perker, her partner in crime, has a great connection with the author and they seem to compliment each other very well. At first, Perker’s art is a little cartoony, but as the story goes on, you get used to it quickly and come appreciate Perker’s strong points, particularly his facial expressions and how he provides an element of ‘wonder’ to the fantastical elements of the story.
I was very pleased with this read. To be perfectly honest, I’ve grown incredibly tired of political statements about the Middle East and require some sort of originality in stories with that setting; I was delighted to find not only was this a very original take, it was not preachy at all, and the setting truly informed the characters and story.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
While traveling heavily for the last week, I brought along several TPB's to read on the planes. One was a story I read several years ago, but wanted to reread, Death: the High Cost of Living by Neil Gaiman. Most people know this, but for those that do not, this is a supplement to Gaiman's Sandman series, and features Dream's sister, Death, who was hugely popular in the 1990's.
The reason for rereading this was because while I've reread a lot of Gaiman's Sandman over the years, I've never reread this. It wasn't my favorite of his stories and IMO isn't one of his very best, but it is a solid, strong story that has all the facets of the 'Gaiman charm'.
It has extremely likable walk-on characters, a story that feels very 'small scale' yet epic in terms of characterization, and has that quintessential 1990's Gaiman outlook on the world that may have just inspired the 'emo outlook'. In fact, Sexton, the teenager who hangs around Death the whole story, is the most emo character ever in comic books--doing the typical teenager "the world sucks and isn't worth living" bit, while acting as if his worldview is the most informed and poignant of anyone's. Naturally, he's still just a teenager and totally has no idea what he's talking about, but Gaiman is always sure to show how sometimes he's not that far off the mark.
This is definitely a story worth getting for someone whose never read it.
Posted by Chief Taylor on :
I read American Vampire # 6 last night, and I must say that this book is looking very healthy post-Stephen King if this first offering is a good indication! This is an especially good thing because the first five issues didn't exactly knock my socks off as they progressed. Though they were ripe with some decent moments of characterization, the two split stories of those issues went to some predictable places plotwise. Worse, King's Skinner Sweet story was downright confusing read in monthly format. It was hard to remember who's who and what's what, especially among the good guys in his story.
But with number six, Snyder goes it alone and shows quite a bit of promise as this arc changes the setting to the formative years of what we now know Las Vegas to be. As with his focus on early Hollywood in his first arc, Snyder shows us Vegas as it is about to become the Sin City it is (in)famous for being. Snyder shows how it began to attract the gambling and partying element as it catered to workers who were constructing the nearby Hoover Dam in their downtime.
We meet Vegas's sheriff who is dealing with the town's overnight growth and especially all the crime this brings with it. His police force is far too understaffed and underfunded to deal with this negative side effect of his town's growth. He doesn't know it yet, but the latest crime he's investigating heralds the presence of another unsavory element in his town--vampires. And by the end of this issue we learn our old friend Skinner Sweet has already dug his nails into the town.
Honestly, the issue would be fascinating to me even without the vampiric elements. If this were simply the story of nascient Las Vegas and a sheriff trying to deal with a sudden overwhelming criminal element, I'd really be enjoying the story on that alone. It seems Snyder's one of those writers who's gifted with telling interesting historically-set stories. Having already interested me in silent film-era Hollywood, he's awakened another interest I never knew I had in learning part of how Vegas became Vegas. That's quite a talent in my book.
Snyder also has his secret weapon in Rafael Albuquerque, his tremendously gifted artistic collaborator. Albuquerque has already drawn three American historical settings in this series and pulled them all off terrifically while subtly changing his style for each. He's terrific with setting the story's mood and selling the characters to us. I'd say he's as much the star here as Snyder, and I hope they are together for the long haul.
I was kind of iffy about whether I'd continue with this book for much longer after the initial arc and with the $3.99 price tag staying even with reduced story pages, but this issue seems to show that this series has a lot of life to it and should be well worth the cost! I hope it lives up to the promise!
[ October 03, 2010, 07:01 PM: Message edited by: Chief Taylor ]
Posted by Blacula on :
The 6 Senses storyline in Madame Xanadu is nearly finished (along with the whole series <sob>) and while I haven't loved it as much as I did Wagner's earlier stories - I have to say it has been pretty dang good, and I *love* the creative risk he took by having each of these issues be about a totally new character with the lovely Madame only popping up for at most a couple of pages here and there to help/hinder our protagonists/antogonists along their paths.
My only criticism with it this month was that we spent so long building up to the big confrontation between Madame and the baddie and then it was over in such a quick flash. I really needed a longer, more satisfying fight there.
The experiment with having each issue drawn by a different (female) artist has been good too - though this month's artwork did take a little while to get used to. This artist clearly comes from a fashion sketching/design background which suited this story but meant lots of weird, angular figures.
This book has had such a welcome place on my pull-list since it began, I'm really going to miss it when it's gone.
Posted by Blacula on :
I also just bought all three Trades of The Young Liars. Did anyone here read that book? I think I remember hearing good things about it around the traps.
Will post a review once I'm done with it.
Posted by Outdoor Miner on :
I scanned through a few issues in the store and thought it was OK, but something about it kept me from committing to it as a purchase. hard to put my finger on it, but I don't think I cared about the characters much.
I agree with your thoughts on Madame Xanadu. Definitely going to miss that book. This issue did seem like Wagner was more interested in the modd piece he was creating and just kind of shoe-horned the title character in at the end.
The baddie might be a conglomerate of various real-life celebs, but much of her history is clearly drawn from model/singer Nico of Velvet Underground/solo fame.
Posted by Chief Taylor on :
quote:Originally posted by Blacula: I also just bought all three Trades of The Young Liars. Did anyone here read that book? I think I remember hearing good things about it around the traps.
Will post a review once I'm done with it.
Cobie loved the HELL out of Young Liars, Blac! Scroll thru the pages of this thread, and I think you'll find he had some interesting thoughts to share on it.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
quote:Originally posted by Chief Taylor:
quote:Originally posted by Blacula: I also just bought all three Trades of The Young Liars. Did anyone here read that book? I think I remember hearing good things about it around the traps.
Will post a review once I'm done with it.
Cobie loved the HELL out of Young Liars, Blac! Scroll thru the pages of this thread, and I think you'll find he had some interesting thoughts to share on it.
Yeah, see numerous back pages of this thread for tons and tons of praise I heaped on Young Liars! I was totally loving it when it came out and was trying desperately to get others to try it to stave off cancellation. It remains one of my favorite comics to come out in the last 10 years, and I hereafter now consider David Lapham a "mad genius" of the comic book industry.
I will give you a disclaimer though: this is some pretty weird, bizarre stuff. So you may want to try to be in the mood for things to get weird when you read it; because man, will they EVER. I'm talking Pollack Doom Patrol weird (but much better of course). The story, the characters, the progress of the whole thing--all weird on all levels.
But man, was it great. And fun. And freaking crazy.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
So today I read the final issue of the 10-part Daytripper series by Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba. Wow, what a series! I'm totally glad I picked this up (on CJ's recommendation--that's Ceej!) to begin with and followed it through. It's a really difficult story to describe and I can easily see many readers not liking it or getting it, but personally I thought it was really beautiful.
The final 2 issues were especially powerful, and I was really moved by the last one. The series was about death, life, relationships, and a sense of 'home' among other things. Ba and Moon made the series very central to Brazil and their own lives, yet touched on themes in such a way that I think anyone could relate to it.
Really great, unique series, and a highlight of 2010's comic book output.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
quote:Originally posted by Chief Taylor: I read American Vampire # 6 last night, and I must say that this book is looking very healthy post-Stephen King if this first offering is a good indication! This is an especially good thing because the first five issues didn't exactly knock my socks off as they progressed. Though they were ripe with some decent moments of characterization, the two split stories of those issues went to some predictable places plotwise. Worse, King's Skinner Sweet story was downright confusing read in monthly format. It was hard to remember who's who and what's what, especially among the good guys in his story.
But with number six, Snyder goes it alone and shows quite a bit of promise as this arc changes the setting to the formative years of what we now know Las Vegas to be. As with his focus on early Hollywood in his first arc, Snyder shows us Vegas as it is about to become the Sin City it is (in)famous for being. Snyder shows how it began to attract the gambling and partying element as it catered to workers who were constructing the nearby Hoover Dam in their downtime.
We meet Vegas's sheriff who is dealing with the town's overnight growth and especially all the crime this brings with it. His police force is far too understaffed and underfunded to deal with this negative side effect of his town's growth. He doesn't know it yet, but the latest crime he's investigating heralds the presence of another unsavory element in his town--vampires. And by the end of this issue we learn our old friend Skinner Sweet has already dug his nails into the town.
Honestly, the issue would be fascinating to me even without the vampiric elements. If this were simply the story of nascient Las Vegas and a sheriff trying to deal with a sudden overwhelming criminal element, I'd really be enjoying the story on that alone. It seems Snyder's one of those writers who's gifted with telling interesting historically-set stories. Having already interested me in silent film-era Hollywood, he's awakened another interest I never knew I had in learning part of how Vegas became Vegas. That's quite a talent in my book.
Snyder also has his secret weapon in Rafael Albuquerque, his tremendously gifted artistic collaborator. Albuquerque has already drawn three American historical settings in this series and pulled them all off terrifically while subtly changing his style for each. He's terrific with setting the story's mood and selling the characters to us. I'd say he's as much the star here as Snyder, and I hope they are together for the long haul.
I was kind of iffy about whether I'd continue with this book for much longer after the initial arc and with the $3.99 price tag staying even with reduced story pages, but this issue seems to show that this series has a lot of life to it and should be well worth the cost! I hope it lives up to the promise!
I couldn't agree more! Especially with #7 now also out, expanding on #6's story, I'm enjoying this arc even more than I did the first arc. Snyder and Albuquerque are delivering on all levels, with the tone & pacing picking up and shifting perfectly so that you're totally engrossed in the story.
I totally agree that the history of Las Vegas, influenced by the development of the Boulder Dam while the country dealt with the Depression and came out of prohibition, is just fascinating. I could read a comic book based on that alone.
Add in the vampire element with Skinner Sweet (who may be the single best new comic book character in 2010), and a murder mystery (multiple ones actually, including the Chief's father), and this story has several great layers to it.
I'm enjoying how Snyder brings in new characters like Cash and make you curious about them and care about them immediately.
Felicia Book and her history with Skinner Sweet is a welcome element to the mythos of the series, and now it appears Pearl is about to join the story as well (I was a little surprised considering how packed it already is).
And recent news that this series is going back to $2.99 is good as well.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
What can best be described as an all-Vertigo Anthology/Crossover takes place in House of Mystery Annual #2, which features Madame Xanadu, John Constantine, I,Zombie, Lucifer and the House of Mystery gang. Each one has their individual story with a larger story running through it, featured four cursed trick or treaters forced to continue trick or treating for over 60 years, where they've developed into a pretty rotten bunch.
I thought it was pretty groovy! I liked that all the character's main creators were involved (Wagner did MX, Roberson & Allred did I,Zombie, etc).
Man, those trick or treaters were nasty!
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Well, one of the best comics of the last 2 years has come to an end as Unknown Soldier #24 and #25 brought the series to a conclusion. I've raved about this comic since inception and I really hope others check it out in trades in the future, particularly FC who expressed some interest in it. It has been one of the more powerful and realistic comics I've ever read and I think the subject matter has just been too serious and too harsh for people to take.
The final issues were an excellent finish, each one providing some really great. #24 gave a really terrific "Holy Shit!" moment that completely turned one of the facets of the serious on it's head and I was kicking myself for never suspecting. I loved how the original Unknown Soldier, whose only had a hinted at presence in this comic, ties himself into it and in a wonderful twist.
#25 brings the series to it's inevitable conclusion. It's fitting that the previous issue had a shocker because there were no major surprises here--the series ended the way it should end. Powerfully.
Anytime a reader wants things to get serious...wants things to get heavy...want things to matter: this is where you should turn.
Posted by Blacula on :
From Amy Reeder-Hadley's interview at CBR re: Madame Xanadu -
"I think I found out in the summertime that it was being canceled. What I heard was that it had nothing to do with me leaving the book or DC characters going back into the DCU. It had solely to do with the sales. Vertigo had to look at their books that were under a certain bracket and cancel them. So that’s why “Madame Xanadu” is canceled. That’s the only reason I was given. It’s a shame."
OK fellow Legion World MX fans. I've got the pitchforks, you bring the torches. Now let's find out who wasn't supporting this book! ... sobbing :cry:
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Anytime a good book like this is cancelled, I hope another Teen Titan is murdered. Posted by Dave Hackett on :
With the Demise of Madame X, I'm down to just iZombie and Hellblazer from Vertigo (well, "Joe the Barbarian" too, but the last issue was dropped from December solicits and never re-solicited, so I don't expect it for a good long while).
May be time to look for a new series to latch on to.
Posted by Blacula on :
^ I keep meaning to pick up The Unwritten but I don't hear anyone talking about that anymore. Has all the buzz on that book died now? Is anyone here reading it? Recommend it?
In the meantime, I'm slowly making my way through Young Liars in TPB format and can definitely recommend that if you haven't read it Dave. I'm not saying you'll like it since it's... well, hard to explain and I imagine it could be very polarizing for readers. But it's so one of a kind that it's definitely worth a read.
And yes, I will be reviewing it once I'm done Cobalt Kid. If a book as out there as this one is can be reviewed.
Posted by Poverty LASH on :
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: Anytime a good book like this is cancelled, I hope another Teen Titan is murdered.
QFT! Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
The Unwritten is better than ever right now and I highly recommend jumping in!!
Posted by Pov on :
I just preordered the third trade with this month's books. Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
^You'll be pleased!
I finally read the final issue of Madame Xanadu which as expected, was another excellent story by the incredible creative team. Many of us have gone on and on about how good a series this was and how much it sucks that it's getting cancelled, so I won't beat a dead horse. I'm really going to miss this excellent series.
I did like how Wagner ended the series on a high note that gave a sense of excitement for the oncoming Silver Age. It almost made me want to break out Cooke's New Frontier.
Should this series restart without Wagner, I'll probably play 'fickle comic fan' and not buy it. Posted by Fat Cramer on :
Air, v.1-3, by G. Willow Wilson and M.K. Parker
When I saw the previews for Air, it looked like another homeland security tale, with airplanes and Muslim terrorists, so I gave it a pass. Then I read Cairo by G. Willow Wilson and was impressed enough to give this other work of hers a try.
There are terrorists, hijacking and airline security issues, but not for the reasons we've come to expect. Air deals with another reality beyond our everyday world (and I love other reality stories), the power of symbols and the importance of maps.
Blythe is a stewardess who is afraid of heights, so she pops Halcion to get through her days. On one flight, a passenger hands her a package and she finds herself immersed in plots and counterplots, the Etesian Front, Interpol, a lost country (lost because people forgot about it), sky gypsies, a feathered serpent and a "jury-rigged and completely illegal" airport that hovers above the Earth. She also embarks on a relationship with the mysterious and elusive Zayn, although she seldom knows where, not to mention who, he is. Some girls have all the fun....
The core of the story revolves around an ancient Aztec device, the Hyperprax Engine, which would open up a new age of air flight. Few people have the natural talent needed to fly a Hyperprax craft, and Blythe is one of them: she learns to fly an airplane, essentially, by thinking. "They thought if they could build a machine that treated the whole world as a series of symbols, they could travel from poiint to point by interpreting reality instead of moving through it."
Of course, different factions are trying to get their hands on this machine and therein lies the adventure, interwoven with the love story. What is real and what is Halcion-induced hallucination or dream, I wasn't sure, but I was captivated by Blythe's quest to put all the pieces together. Happy ending, too. What more could you want?
Posted by Chief Lardy on :
quote:Originally posted by Fat Cramer: Air, v.1-3, by G. Willow Wilson and M.K. Parker
....Happy ending, too. What more could you want?
^"Happy ending"? Is Air over?
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
Sorry, happy ending to those three volumes, lovers re-united and all that. There's a Volume 4 (out this month) taking it up to issue #24 but I think that's it for the series.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Yeah, Vol #4 is the final volume of the series, bringing it to conclusion.
Glad you liked it, FC! I need to get Vol #3 and #4 and wrap up this excellent series.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
When it came time to start putting together the second annual Comic Book Review Month, one of the really cool ideas to come out was from Fat Cramer who suggested a challenger to Legion World for someone to at last put together a solid review of Unwritten. Month and month out, all the readers of Unwritten (including myself) proclaim it as one of the best comic books in the industry but add in “it’s really difficult to even review it or explain it”. And that’s pretty true! But I figured I’d try anyway.
I caught up on the latest two issues, which helps move things along to the next storyline in which the three main characters are still on the run from the mysterious group hunting them, while also the authorities, and so journey across the pond to the United States to visit Herman Mellville’s old house which is in a town that is basically a big tribute to Moby Dick (this is true). This comic is a comic book thriving on metaphor and allegory and that comes into play here as Tommy, the lead character, is in search of his own white whale—namely the truth bringing together the entire series.
In fact, that helps me backtrack a little to the premise of the series. Keeping in mind the first thing mentioned—on how difficult it is to explain—I’ll try my best to sum it up very loosely. Tom Taylor is the lead character, whose father also wrote 14 Tommy Taylor novels that are very similar to Harry Potter, and achieved the same sort of crazy success. In fact, many fans think Tom Taylor actually *is* Tommy Taylor. As the series has progressed, we the readers are constantly asking ourselves that as well. This dovetails nicely into what the series is about, which is namely fiction vs. reality, and our own interpretation of what that means. It also focuses on the various story-telling methods and narrative structures in literature as the creators use them in varying ways, and the they are actually important to the story itself. When you look at the comic book Sandman, by Neil Gaiman, you can see it was a series about stories; that is entirely the case here, even moreso.
It’s much more complicated than that, but hey, you’ve got to read it to understand. But to whet your appetite: homes of authors come into play; locations used in novels that really exist come into play; Frankenstein has popped up; Nazi Propaganda man Josef Goebells played a part; and each story-arc has things like that. Writer Mike Carey and artist Peter Gross both provide layer upon layer in so many ways each issue. I can’t wait until it’s built up a solid 30 issues or so, so I can do a reread.
Meanwhile, getting back to the story at hand: as Tommy searches for answers, this story focuses more on the three characters and recent developments; namely, the revelations about Lizzie and a possible budding romance and the ramifications of the recent vampire attack on Savoy. I’m really glad to see this as once again it takes things back to character, so that while the awesome story and impressive story-telling feats remain, we get solid character moments as well.
The series has a huge sense of mystery to it; a sense of adventure as the lead characters venture off into new places; a sense of romance; a sense of danger as they are on the run; and a constantly building mythology that is fascinating and very smart.
This is a contender for best series in comic books. It’s smart and it’s unique.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
American Vampire had yet another great issue, though it kind of serves as a break-up of the larger story as we re-focus back on Pearl & Henry and what they’ve been up to, while also learning the fate of Hattie from the first arc, which further ups the stakes of this story (no pun intended).
I’m really into the current story so I wish we could get back to it, but I am very curious as to how all the various facets & characters will interact as the storyline culminates.
Mateus Santoluco steps in as artist for this issue—is he here permanently? I really like Albuquerque so I hope not, though Santoluco does a great job. Both artists draw the American vampires as just over the top ferocious and crazy and it’s just really cool to see. Those images are downright scary!
Pearl is a terrific character and I’m enjoying her continued usage. The scene where she wonders what scares Henry—all the while we the readers see them having sex and her reverting to her grotesque vampire form to bite him—was well done.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
While the overall plot(s) of House of Mystery roll along in the latest issues (revealing a few important secrets), it’s the usage of different story-telling techniques that continues to be the major draw of this series for me. In #32, Abel has the characters get involved in a murder mystery in the beginning of the story, which provides all sorts of fun scenes when they decide they’d rather start ad-libbing their own lines and taking things in their own direction. In #33, the short story told within (by Cain, so you know it will be out there) is really fantastic, and Sturges & Lloyd provide a creepy, ironic short story that makes sure the ending gives you both what you didn’t expect and a little of what you did expect. I love these little short stories, especially when they are offbeat and have the appearance of being nonsensical but are actually quite carefully crafted.
House of Mystery is still a series I’m enjoying quite a bit. It’s not the best Vertigo title—not on par with Fables or Unwritten or some of the recent cancelled/finished series—but it’s still a very solid read each month. It makes sure it’s very different from everything else and that variety is a huge plus for my reading enjoyment.
I found Poet (the younger version from his past before he died) hitting on Ann to be a really odd scene, even though it made sense story-wise. Ann is probably my favorite character, as who doesn’t love a female Pirate Captain whose love interest is a dragon?
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Lardy, my sister put a message on my Facebook about Scalped which she just started reading--I made sure to give you proper credit for spreading the word! (In case you didn't see it).
Posted by Chief Lardy on :
Cool! Noted and commented upon!
Posted by Dave Hackett on :
Hellblazer continues to be top notch stuff. This month was a nice done-in-one to clear the air after the wedding stuff for the past six issues or so. John and Epiphany are deciding where to live, when John's apartment is targeted for development. Evicting John Constantine is never a good idea.
Posted by Dave Hackett on :
Final issue of "Joe the Barbarian" shipped yesterday. It was good story and had a satisfactory ending. I think the series could have been easily five issues instead of eight and had the same impact, and the delays were inexcusable, but all and all an enjoyable read.
Posted by Pov on :
Word from sdcc that Unwritten is going dooubletime for 10 months starting with #31... each month followed by a .5 issue that's both tangent to the main story and a seperate story thread in itself entitled "Tommy Taylor and The War of Words", in the vein of popular one-off stories we've seen previously. Other artists will contribute to the .5 issues.
Sounds ambitious, can't wait to see how it all plays out.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
It fits for the title, in the way they play off of different formats of media. Cool!
Other than Azzerello's new title, anything new announced?
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Just want to voice an opinion I suspect all readers of American Vampire share, that the spin-off miniseries has been utterly kickass so far. Exquisitely written with incredible art, its an awesome blend of pulp, horror and war comics.
Meanwhile, the main title continues to be fantastic as well. I'm loving how the two series at once provide the two different WWII theaters, the Pacific and European. That's a lot of characters getting some screen time and Snyder makes them all interesting. Book's daughter and others will assuredly continue to play a big role in the main series and I'm enjoying their 'solo' adventure off to the side.
Also, the Phillipines vampires are hella-scary!
Posted by Lard Lad on :
I finally got into the right mood and read a couple of Vertigo trades I'd bought on eBay lots a while ago based on the recommendation of one Mr. Cobaltus. These are the first two trades ("Haunted House" and "Easy Kill") of the latest Unknown Soldier series that was cancelled fairly recently.
In a word: wow.
Based on the first fourteen issues collected in those trades, Unknown Soldier deserved to be recognized as one of Vertigo's Elite series. Instead, it's sales were in the toilet, so it ended with issue 25.
This series is a combination of two essential elements: 1) the trappings of the classic DC character reimagined into a compelling mystery, not as to whom the title character is but as to how or why he's apparently been trained and programmed as a highly trained black ops soldier with him having no memory of same, and 2) the real world backdrop of Uganda circa 2002 amidst an insurgency rife with human rights violations.
It's the latter of these particularly that drew me into this book. While I had heard vaguely of such things as children being kidnapped and conditioned to become part of insurgent armies, I'd never heard of the LRA or Joseph Kony or of the Acholi or of Musevini. Writer Joshua Dysart educated me through his dramatizations about something that I suppose the news media doesn't find "sexy" enough to cover the way it should. It's absolutely horrifying to know that things like this happens in the real world. I mean, I knew it did, but to see specifics and know that what I was seeing dramatized here wasn't a stretch at all was disturbing in a way that pure fiction is not.
But on top of all that, Unknown Soldier is a great story with memorable, compelling characters. The title character is complex and conflicted. His wife, who becomes estranged from him thru the circumstances of the story, and an ex-CIA agent with some apparent knowledge of the Soldier's origin are his main supporting characters. Also prominent are an actress trying to bring attention to Uganda's conditions and a young boy who the Soldier rescues from the LRA's conscription. All of them draw you into the story and make you want to read more.
These volumes just feel like important and necessary reads. If you read them, I don't think you'll regret that you had, even though the images and the horrors within are all the more terrifying because they are based on truth. Utterly compelling reading.
I know after I finished both volumes, I looked up Kony and the LRA to find out what happened to them. We heard a lot about Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein, but even what those two have done may not compare to the horrors this man and his LRA terrorists have committed in Africa. And both are still on the loose and spreading their terror further and further.
My only regret is that I don't already have the two concluding volumes to read now. Well, that and that there aren't going to be any more.
Thanks, Des!
[ August 20, 2011, 08:19 PM: Message edited by: Lard Lad ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I knew you would love it. It was a fantastic series on every level. I think maybe it was too heavy and intense for a lot of casual fans. But honestly even though it felt incredibly important there was never a sense of it being preachy. It had fantastic characters, an action-packed adventure feel and a badass tone and atmosphere.
By far one of the best series in years. Though I wish it went longer, it was a potent dose of comic book excellence while it was around and I hope others check it out.
Oh, and the Unknown Soldier continuity twists and turns at the end were awesome.
Posted by Lard Lad on :
quote:Originally posted by Lard Lad: I finally got into the right mood and read a couple of Vertigo trades I'd bought on eBay lots a while ago based on the recommendation of one Mr. Cobaltus. These are the first two trades ("Haunted House" and "Easy Kill") of the latest Unknown Soldier series that was cancelled fairly recently.
In a word: wow.
Based on the first fourteen issues collected in those trades, Unknown Soldier deserved to be recognized as one of Vertigo's Elite series. Instead, it's sales were in the toilet, so it ended with issue 25.
This series is a combination of two essential elements: 1) the trappings of the classic DC character reimagined into a compelling mystery, not as to whom the title character is but as to how or why he's apparently been trained and programmed as a highly trained black ops soldier with him having no memory of same, and 2) the real world backdrop of Uganda circa 2002 amidst an insurgency rife with human rights violations.
It's the latter of these particularly that drew me into this book. While I had heard vaguely of such things as children being kidnapped and conditioned to become part of insurgent armies, I'd never heard of the LRA or Joseph Kony or of the Acholi or of Musevini. Writer Joshua Dysart educated me through his dramatizations about something that I suppose the news media doesn't find "sexy" enough to cover the way it should. It's absolutely horrifying to know that things like this happens in the real world. I mean, I knew it did, but to see specifics and know that what I was seeing dramatized here wasn't a stretch at all was disturbing in a way that pure fiction is not.
But on top of all that, Unknown Soldier is a great story with memorable, compelling characters. The title character is complex and conflicted. His wife, who becomes estranged from him thru the circumstances of the story, and an ex-CIA agent with some apparent knowledge of the Soldier's origin are his main supporting characters. Also prominent are an actress trying to bring attention to Uganda's conditions and a young boy who the Soldier rescues from the LRA's conscription. All of them draw you into the story and make you want to read more.
These volumes just feel like important and necessary reads. If you read them, I don't think you'll regret that you had, even though the images and the horrors within are all the more terrifying because they are based on truth. Utterly compelling reading.
I know after I finished both volumes, I looked up Kony and the LRA to find out what happened to them. We heard a lot about Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein, but even what those two have done may not compare to the horrors this man and his LRA terrorists have committed in Africa. And both are still on the loose and spreading their terror further and further.
My only regret is that I don't already have the two concluding volumes to read now. Well, that and that there aren't going to be any more.
Thanks, Des!
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid:
I knew you would love it. It was a fantastic series on every level. I think maybe it was too heavy and intense for a lot of casual fans. But honestly even though it felt incredibly important there was never a sense of it being preachy. It had fantastic characters, an action-packed adventure feel and a badass tone and atmosphere.
By far one of the best series in years. Though I wish it went longer, it was a potent dose of comic book excellence while it was around and I hope others check it out.
Oh, and the Unknown Soldier continuity twists and turns at the end were awesome.
No, it wasn't preachy, but it made you care, nonetheless. Foremost, it was an excellent, gripping story with with involving characters. All with some heartwrenching, unpredictable twists. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of it! In the end what more could you ask for in a book?
Posted by Power Boy on :
Thanks for the reviews ... I've been wondering about this one
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
So I've been catching up on some Vertigo comics before DC unleashes far too many comics at once. And in recent months, one Vertigo comic in particular has made the jump from "most promissing new series" to "current classic, high-quality series head and shoulders above the rest". I'm talking about the amazing American Vampire.
We've thrown a lot of praise at this comic in this thread and all of that remains true. From a story-telling perspective, the writing, art and characterization is as good as it gets in comic books these days. I feel that the latest stories set in WWII--both the main ongoing in the Pacific and the tie-in miniseries "Survival of the Fittest" in Europe--have taken the series to a new level, putting it on par with Y: the Last Man, Fables, Sandman, and all the other great Vertigo series of the past. Yes, it really is that good.
It's a rare thing when a series consistently combines mystery / suspense, pure adreniline filled action and a major dose of true horror; yet AV does that every issue. Both of the current storylines truly are scary as all hell. There are some damn frightening moments each issue.
I'm loving the Pacific theater story because we get to see Skinner, Pearl and Henry (all three of whom have become some of the most fully realized characters in comics already). But the story in Germany with the shift in focus to a new character and previously supporting-role only character is equally fantastic.
Quite simply, this is the best vampire story I've read since Salem's Lot; which coincidently, is what I consider the single greatest vampire story of all time (yes, including Stoker's Dracula).
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I also read the latest issue of Unwritten which is spending some time moving the overall larger story-arc forward, which is what is really needed at this point. Solicitations for upcoming months reveal we are going to get a plethora of answers revealed at long last, and I'm glad to hear it. I think we've hit that point where answers need to be given, things need to be made clearer and the story needs to transition to something of a penultimate act.
As Tommy & co. focus on flashback's to Wilson Taylor's life and an awesome new character introduced, we get a bit of a side story that delves into a narrative about comic books, pulp fiction and other early "American" forms of story-telling at the beginning of the last century. Since Unwritten is absolutely a book that discusses and explores 'writing' as a concept, this was a topic that had to come up eventually. I admit that at first I was a little hesitant because I feel like I've recently read several great stories that were more about discussing comics as a medium than the actual story within (Image's "Bulletproof Coffin" being one of the best). However, the delivery has been quite good so far. There are certainly several poignant points of view made that clicked for me.
I also enjoy the idea of a famous pulp writer from the 1930's being a woman using a psuedonym. Wilson and her discussing the Shadow and Doc Savage as those pulps were then coming out is interesting and lets the reader feel for the briefest of moments what it might have been like to live during a time when original pulp stories were coming right off the newstands.
Overall, I'm still enjoying Unwritten immensely. I sometimes forget about it when I'm thinking about all the other great Vertigo titles like Fables, American Vampire and Scalped, but I also end up enjoying the latest issues when I get around to them. Its maintained its experimental personality and that's kept things surprising and interesting.
Posted by Lard Lad on :
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: So I've been catching up on some Vertigo comics before DC unleashes far too many comics at once. And in recent months, one Vertigo comic in particular has made the jump from "most promissing new series" to "current classic, high-quality series head and shoulders above the rest". I'm talking about the amazing American Vampire.
We've thrown a lot of praise at this comic in this thread and all of that remains true. From a story-telling perspective, the writing, art and characterization is as good as it gets in comic books these days. I feel that the latest stories set in WWII--both the main ongoing in the Pacific and the tie-in miniseries "Survival of the Fittest" in Europe--have taken the series to a new level, putting it on par with Y: the Last Man, Fables, Sandman, and all the other great Vertigo series of the past. Yes, it really is that good.
It's a rare thing when a series consistently combines mystery / suspense, pure adreniline filled action and a major dose of true horror; yet AV does that every issue. Both of the current storylines truly are scary as all hell. There are some damn frightening moments each issue.
I'm loving the Pacific theater story because we get to see Skinner, Pearl and Henry (all three of whom have become some of the most fully realized characters in comics already). But the story in Germany with the shift in focus to a new character and previously supporting-role only character is equally fantastic.
Quite simply, this is the best vampire story I've read since Salem's Lot; which coincidently, is what I consider the single greatest vampire story of all time (yes, including Stoker's Dracula).
Cobester, as fellow mods on Gym'll's, I think it's past time we gave AmVamp its own thread, eh? I mean, fuck, Severed's got IT'S own thread, and it just came out!
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Agreed!
(sometimes I feel like I start too many threads here, so I'd be glad if the honors went to you!)
Posted by Lard Lad on :
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: Agreed!
(sometimes I feel like I start too many threads here, so I'd be glad if the honors went to you!)
Awright, but you asked for it... Posted by Fat Cramer on :
I just finished Air, volume 4 (the final volume). It was a fascinating story, and my first thought on finishing it was that I have to go back and reread it from the beginning.
As an adventure story, it's pretty straight-forward, lots of variety and well-paced. However, the ideas behind the story often seemed just beyond my grasp - all that stuff about symbols and Quezecoatl. I guess I'll never be a hyperpract.
This isn't a condemnation by any means: it's rare to find a comic/graphic novel that makes you think this much and introduces ideas you hadn't considered before.
Whatever G. Willow Wilson may write in the future will certainly attract my attention. (I haven't read her relaunch of Mystic yet.)
Posted by Blacula on :
^ I've been meaning to read Air for a while. Once I finally finish my Young Liars, Scalped and Y: The Last Man trades I think that one will be next.
Posted by Lard Lad on :
quote:Originally posted by Blacula: ^ I've been meaning to read Air for a while. Once I finally finish my Young Liars, Scalped and Y: The Last Man trades I think that one will be next.
Still collecting Scalped trades, eh, Blacula? Good to hear! Wasn't sure if you were still following it due to your displeasure with the character of Red Crow.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Also, def review Young Liars when you read them! Perhaps the most out there series (in an awesome way) of the last 10 years!
I still need to get Air vol 3&4 and can't wait for it. Utterly fantastic series.
Posted by Blacula on :
Lard Lad: The writing/art in the first three Scalped TPBs was definitely good enough that I could overlook my annoyance with Red Crow and buy the rest (though I haven't actually had time to read them yet). I think I might wait until the series is finished and then start reading it again from the beginning. I find some of these finite Vertigo series' read better that way.
Cobalt Kid: I read the first TPB of Young Liars a while ago and was blown away by how crazy it was. Literally every issue ended in the most out-there shock or cliff-hanger. I definitely enjoyed it but decided I would leave reading the rest until I had time to properly enjoy them all. I'll start that series again soon too and definitely do a review.
Posted by Lard Lad on :
I look forward to reading your thoughts when you catch up on Scalped, Blac!
Speaking of Scalped, I read Scalped #51 recently, the first part of the "Knuckle Up" arc (this arc being the penultimate 5-parter of the series with another to follow that brings the book to a close with issue 60).
We're almost ready to turn out the lights on one of the greatest books running, and the opener to this arc definitely feels like that's the case. Red Crow is suddenly looking to clean up the Prairie Rose reservation and is making some enemies in the process. Dash and another injured party look to exact some revenge on someone they they feel has it coming. And overall characters seem to be converging. Plus, the issue ends with one character's most loyal ally apparently preparing for a shocking betrayal!
This is Aaron and Guera's masterpiece, and I'm stoked to see where it ends up, even as I dread only having 9 issues left to savor. The writing and art are topnotch in such a way that I think these creators should go down as one of the classic writer/artist combos. I never knew how much I needed a crime noir comic set on an Indian reservation until I discovered Scalped!
Simply put, I think Scalped is arguably the best series on the stands right now, and I strongly encourage anyone who has thought about trying it or who likes noirish entertainment with a heavy dose of character to do yourself a favor and TRY IT OUT, ALREADY!
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
As Vertigo begins to consolidate its line a bit, one of the titles I’ve been collecting, House of Mystery is coming to an end. I’m actually pleased to see this happening, as even though I’ve enjoyed HoM over the years, it’s always been my least favorite of the Vertigo titles and I’ve considered dropping it several times. What’s stopped me from doing so is the fact that I like the story-within-a-story aspect to it, which made it so different.
Yet, as the series progressed, one of the most jarring things was the bigger picture mythology became increasingly confusing and complex without any real resolution to it. It had gotten so unwieldy that it didn’t really make any sense and I realized I wasn’t really caring if it did anymore. Matt Sturges was forced with #41 to wrap up the storyline and I’m glad the deadline was there, because at least he was able to finish things up and put a bow around it. I’ll never know if this was his original intention but I appreciate the closure and am ready to move on.
There is an issue #42 to come with three short stories that I’ll probably pick up, including one by Fables’ Bill Willingham and one by former HoS writer Steven T. Seagle. As I said, I like the super-weird short story aspect of it all.
Undoubtedly, this series was getting the axe from me as my pull list is growing in light of such incredible independent and creator owned now coming out, plus DC’s DCnU titles being much better than I originally thought. Still, I don’t regret buying it because every few issues had some real moments of pure brilliance.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Also, the Vertigo comics are running a preview for Marzi, an OGN written by someone who was a child in the Ukraine during the Chernobyl meltdown and grew up right after. The preview pages are rife with tension and anxiety and I really enjoyed them! I may pick this up.
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Re: Scalped # 52.
Lots of really cool stuff happened, but best of all--
THE NUNCHUKS ARE BACK, BABY!!! Posted by Dave Hackett on :
Hellblazer #285 - "The Devil's Trenchcoat" keeps rolling along as things start to come together (as well as getting messier). John tries to track down the forces Gemma made a deal with, while the Trenchcoat claims new victims and makes its way to new York and eventually to the same mafia family that has John in its sites after the botched curse form the previous issue. I liked the description of the coat as a lightning rod for all the garbage magic around John, and that without it he's vulnerable to a lot of things he wasn't before.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Fans of the Unwritten are probably like me right now and flipping over the awesomeness that is coming these next few months. We got a taste of it with the latest issue, as Tommy & company start getting real answers for the first time all series. The 3+ year build-up actually works to great effect here because I'm anxiously awaiting each little tidbit that Carey delivers, and so far he's not letting me down on the promise of more info.
Plus, seeing Tommy start coming into his own in his understanding of the magic is also nice to see.
Posted by Dave Hackett on :
Hellblazer Annual 2011 was easily my book of the week. What a great stand alone story that echos Milligan's tone in the main series. If anyone's interested in what the main series is like these days this is a perfect entry point.
John's called back to Liverpool to investigate the disappearance of his childhood friend 40 years ago. It quickly becomes apparent that he was the victim of "Suicide Bridge", a phantom structure that still calls out to children today. Things go bad, as usual, and John struggles to try and save the lost souls the bridge harbors, but John's also struggling for redemption as there's a reason his friend ended up at the bridge, and we're reminded why it's never safe to be a friend of Constantine.
Posted by Dave Hackett on :
Hellblazer # 286 The Devil's Trenchcoat concludes with John confronting the hitman wearing his coat, while also dealing with Gemma's messy bargain and the ever encroaching presence of his Father-in-Law. An emotional ending as Gemma is able to manipulate John for a change due to his own guilt and sets up the next arc in which John will return to Hell to bargain for his lost sister. Great stuff.
Posted by Power Boy on :
I did think the 286 wrapped up a bit too quickly, I was expecting a full on new story arc where John goes to New York and the entire mafia are after him.
can't wait for John to go to Hell and see him interact with his sister !
I'll have to pick up the Hellblazer Annual, I skipped it on the shelves because it wasn't drawn by Camuncoli ...
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Unwritten has now entered a phase where I think its reaching the heights of other past Vertigo greats, such as Sandman, Y: the Last Man, Fables and others. The most recent issues have been so fantastic that the series has gradually rose to the top of my reading pile each month.
Carey & Gross are weaving an incredibly complex series here. I think perhaps only Sandman the level of depth that Unwritten has, in terms of analyzing the idea of 'stories'.
The other ongoing Vertigo series I'm collecting right now, Fables and American Vampire, are fantastic, and this is not only right there alongside them, but an arguement could be made that it is better even. (And wow, only three Vertigo series right now? I guess that will change with all the new launches coming up).
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
^ At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I'll reiterate again how damn good Unwritten has gotten in the last few months. It's suddenly emerged as a comic I want at the very top of my pile every month.
Meanwhile, I see Vertigo is launching (4) new series in the next month or so. They all look interesting in their own ways and I will hopefully try most of them out. Certainly Saucer County looks good, and I'll naturally pick up Fairest for a few issues because of the Fables tie-in. Anyone else plan to pick up some of these?
Also, anyone collecting Spaceman? I didn't continue after #1 because it just didn't seem like it was for me. I'm curious if anyone kept going and what their thoughts are.
Posted by Lard Lad on :
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: Also, anyone collecting Spaceman? I didn't continue after #1 because it just didn't seem like it was for me. I'm curious if anyone kept going and what their thoughts are.
I bought the first two issues and decided not to continue. The first didn't do much for me. The second almost hooked me, but I decided not enough. I think that if Azzarello didn't have that annoying feaux-futuristic dialogue in it, it'd be much better actually. Oh well. Reviewers aren't exactly lavishing praise on it at the websites I trust, so I don't think it's just me.
As for Unwritten, I've owned that first trade for almost 2 years and still haven't gotten to it! maybe soon-ish?
BTW, how caught up are you on Scalped, Cobie? Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I'm way behind on Scalped! I'm hoping to put in a big trade order sometime soon since I've got so many things I want to catch-up on or check out.
Especially with it coming to an end soon, I'm thinking of just picking up all the trades I'm missing and then grabbing the last 1 or 2 once they're out.
I'm not much of a TPB person at all, but I have to admit there's a certain level of enjoyability in sitting down with a nice thick six issues of Scalped to sink my teeth into at one clip.
Posted by Jerry on :
Saucer Country #1
As a former resident of New Mexico, who has a great love for the state, I couldn't pass this book up after reading the solicitations. I'm really glad I got it. It captures the unique spirit of New Mexico. Governor Alvarado promises to be a complex and interesting character. It looks like the supporting cast is going to be solid. The mixture of politics and aliens is a perfect fit for the Vertigo brand.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Looking forward to checking it out, Jerry! This one looked like it could be the best of Vertigo's new four.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
quote:Originally posted by Jerry: Saucer Country #1
As a former resident of New Mexico, who has a great love for the state, I couldn't pass this book up after reading the solicitations. I'm really glad I got it. It captures the unique spirit of New Mexico. Governor Alvarado promises to be a complex and interesting character. It looks like the supporting cast is going to be solid. The mixture of politics and aliens is a perfect fit for the Vertigo brand.
Also checked it out. It was actually a bit different than what I thought it would be, though in a good way.
It's kind of an odd thing. I found the alien aspect of it kind of 'meh'; I even found the running for President aspect of it kind of 'meh'. But the part about a woman who may have been abused overcoming that trauma really seemed to work here. It was chilling and I felt very sympathetic and I cheered her on during the speech moment. I can see how Cornell can use the idea of alien abduction as a not so subtle allegory to the loss of empowerment someone abused (physically, sexually or even other ways) might feel. That was well done.
It wasn’t my favorite Vertigo launch, especially considering how well done Unwritten, Scalped and American Vampire are right now. But it was certainly unique and with a very strong lead character, and I can see how with those two things, the potential is pretty strong.
Posted by Lard Lad on :
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: Fans of the Unwritten are probably like me right now and flipping over the awesomeness that is coming these next few months. We got a taste of it with the latest issue, as Tommy & company start getting real answers for the first time all series. The 3+ year build-up actually works to great effect here because I'm anxiously awaiting each little tidbit that Carey delivers, and so far he's not letting me down on the promise of more info.
Plus, seeing Tommy start coming into his own in his understanding of the magic is also nice to see.
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: Unwritten has now entered a phase where I think its reaching the heights of other past Vertigo greats, such as Sandman, Y: the Last Man, Fables and others. The most recent issues have been so fantastic that the series has gradually rose to the top of my reading pile each month.
Carey & Gross are weaving an incredibly complex series here. I think perhaps only Sandman the level of depth that Unwritten has, in terms of analyzing the idea of 'stories'.
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: ^ At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I'll reiterate again how damn good Unwritten has gotten in the last few months. It's suddenly emerged as a comic I want at the very top of my pile every month.
Awright, Awright, Aw-effin'-RIGHT, already! I finally read that first Unwritten trade I've been sitting on for nearly two years last week......and I thought it was very good!
A good foundation was set up in the opening arc for the mystery and mythology swirling around Tom Taylor and his world. I can see enough in those issues alone to set up years worth of stories. Then, issue 5, which rounds out the trade, shows potential for even more stories beyond that with its focus on Rudyard Kipling and how his story ties into the larger mythology the book is bringing across.
Basically, it was an entertaining read in and of itself, but i can just see that the best is yet to come. That's a recipe for a great series and one that Vertigo has particularly excelled with over countless successful books it's put out over the decades. (It doesn't hurt either that the artist is Peter Gross, btw.)
So, yeah, I'll be picking up subsequent trades very soon and will likely continue to collect the series as such for the foreseeable future.
So...LEAVE ME THE **** ALONE ABOUT UNWRITTEN, ALREADY, COBIE!!! Posted by Power Boy on :
quote:Originally posted by Jerry: Saucer Country #1
As a former resident of New Mexico, who has a great love for the state, I couldn't pass this book up after reading the solicitations. I'm really glad I got it. It captures the unique spirit of New Mexico. Governor Alvarado promises to be a complex and interesting character. It looks like the supporting cast is going to be solid. The mixture of politics and aliens is a perfect fit for the Vertigo brand.
I enjoyed this (... but there's a but in there .... like Cobes ... )
I thought it was like a new tv show I would watch and follow BUT ... in this era ... comics really need to bring it because there is so much good coming out .. .
so i will definitely get number 2 ... I found it satisfying but not world shattering.
Posted by Power Boy on :
Re: Unwritten
very good but ... a bit too heavy on the literature nerd aspect ... and I wish they were a bit more abstract on the Harry Potter correlation ... I find it heavy handed.
but ... when not showing off how smart it is I really enjoy it when it runs with the ball ... like it is now.
Unwritten is a little awkward to me because comics are already metaphorical (literally good versus evil) and then to change it and have these characters exploring their situation inside the metaphor ... is awkward.
hmm that's just me, I buy it so obviously I like it but, I feel annoyed by it sometimes.
(sorry don't mean to be a buzzkill)
[ March 28, 2012, 05:42 PM: Message edited by: Power Boy ]
Posted by Lard Lad on :
I also recently read the first 2 vols. of 100 Bullets, which I bought for half price during a sale my CBS had about two months ago.
The premise, if you're unfamiliar, revolves around a mysterious guy named Agent Graves approaching average joes, giving them irrefutable evidence of someone's culpability for something bad that happened to the joes and then giving them a gun with untraceable bullets to get their revenge if they so choose. But even across the two trades, you learn that there's a lot more going on behind the scenes than that simple set-up which revolves around Graves' motives and an organization called the Trust.
It's a pretty gripping crime series with very appropriate, stylized art by Eduardo Risso. I can see already how writer Brian Azzarello earned his rep on this book even if it didn't always work on all of his other projects.
I'd say that so far it's not as great of a crime book as Criminal or Scalped, but this is definitely a series I'll be buying further trades of. I initially bought the first issue or two when it first came out, but didn't continue. The initial 3-issue storyline is pretty good, but you kinda get lost in all the urban slang in a way that can turn you off. But it gets much better from there, and you learn to appreciate the initial arc for what it was in that it had so much to set up for the series.
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Reposted, in case Mr. Cobaltus missed this at the bottom of the previous page....
quote:Originally posted by Lard Lad:
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: Fans of the Unwritten are probably like me right now and flipping over the awesomeness that is coming these next few months. We got a taste of it with the latest issue, as Tommy & company start getting real answers for the first time all series. The 3+ year build-up actually works to great effect here because I'm anxiously awaiting each little tidbit that Carey delivers, and so far he's not letting me down on the promise of more info.
Plus, seeing Tommy start coming into his own in his understanding of the magic is also nice to see.
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: Unwritten has now entered a phase where I think its reaching the heights of other past Vertigo greats, such as Sandman, Y: the Last Man, Fables and others. The most recent issues have been so fantastic that the series has gradually rose to the top of my reading pile each month.
Carey & Gross are weaving an incredibly complex series here. I think perhaps only Sandman the level of depth that Unwritten has, in terms of analyzing the idea of 'stories'.
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: ^ At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I'll reiterate again how damn good Unwritten has gotten in the last few months. It's suddenly emerged as a comic I want at the very top of my pile every month.
Awright, Awright, Aw-effin'-RIGHT, already! I finally read that first Unwritten trade I've been sitting on for nearly two years last week......and I thought it was very good!
A good foundation was set up in the opening arc for the mystery and mythology swirling around Tom Taylor and his world. I can see enough in those issues alone to set up years worth of stories. Then, issue 5, which rounds out the trade, shows potential for even more stories beyond that with its focus on Rudyard Kipling and how his story ties into the larger mythology the book is bringing across.
Basically, it was an entertaining read in and of itself, but i can just see that the best is yet to come. That's a recipe for a great series and one that Vertigo has particularly excelled with over countless successful books it's put out over the decades. (It doesn't hurt either that the artist is Peter Gross, btw.)
So, yeah, I'll be picking up subsequent trades very soon and will likely continue to collect the series as such for the foreseeable future.
So...LEAVE ME THE **** ALONE ABOUT UNWRITTEN, ALREADY, COBIE!!!
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
^
Totally missed that, as you surmised!
Glad you enjoyed it! I think you'll continue to enjoy as it goes forward, and I suspect it reads even better in trades. It stays very good for quite awhile and then around #30 just gets so freaking good it hurts.
I'll leave you alone for 6 months and then start pestering you for a read / review of the next trade. Like I should be doing with Scalped. Posted by Pov on :
Lardie, I ended up with an extra copy of the fifth trade of UNWRITTEN, collecting 25 thru 30... let me know when you're ready for it and you can PM me where I can mail it...
I'm looking forward to seeing how the next trades are put together... I saw from the previews that Carey was very ambitious in his storytelling, what with two concurrent stories running each month over last summer(?)... the main story and a separate yet related narrative in the ".5" issues. Have I got that right, Des? Didn't that start with #31, and where exactly does it stop?
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
You have it right and it ended up being genius. The .5 issues were each a revelation while the main story picked up steam--and them BAM!!, it all came together in a fantastic way.
I was actually a bit skeptical when I heard about it, but I was quickly proven wrong.
Posted by Pov on :
As far as other Vertigo books, I'm trying out the 4 "new" Vertigo titles-- Saucer Country, Fairest, The New Deadwardians and Dominique Laveau: Voodoo Child-- thanks to DCBS' 75% 0ff bundle. I'm perfectly willing to pay coverprice for FAIREST, so I'm really getting the rest for free... If any of them are good, it's a win/win. Posted by Pov on :
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: You have it right and it ended up being genius. The .5 issues were each a revelation while the main story picked up steam--and them BAM!!, it all came together in a fantastic way.
I was actually a bit skeptical when I heard about it, but I was quickly proven wrong.
COOL. Can't wait to get the trade. Posted by Lard Lad on :
Did anyone pick up New Deadwardians? Although the premise sounds terrific, a coupla flip-thrus at the store didn't impress me enough to pick it up. Hopefully, someone who's actually read it can give a clear picture for us....
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
^ did same exact thing as you. And actually was curious if anyone grabbed it.
(I also passed on Voodoo Child.)
And after considering Saucer County #2 for awhile, I put it back on the shelf. #1 was good (not great but good) but I just wasn't feeling excited enough to continue with the next issue. Perhaps I'll be swayed.
Posted by Power Boy on :
I picked up the New Deadwardians ...
I'm in for number 2 but it better get damn good by number 2 and/or 3.
I liked the art, the set up seemed like some mish mash of things i've read/seen before ... which is ok 'cause it's still in my interest ...
There is a cliffhanger ending, which didn't quite effect me as much as it should have because I didn't fall in love with the main character or story. I need some more back story or story in general before I care that this world is knocked topsy turvy.
Anyway, I enjoyed it, was worth the cash but like I said ... it better get good really quick .. especially with it's current competition.
I would rate it well above Fairest. (IMO) fairly above Saucer Country ... about on par with IZombie ... and trailing Unwritten. (even before Unwritten picked up the can of whup ass that has been the last few issues)
Except there's not a lot of fresh in the New Deadwardians .. in premise or characters ... the setting is fairly interesting ... an alternative history ... but it will take a talented scribe to fulfill that potential. (this so far seems more like a movie IMO ala sherlock holmes or abraham lincoln vampire hunter ... )
You know what #1 reminded me of .... A PILOT ... for tv ... where it has to spend a bunch of time setting the scene and introducing ... usually I think tv pilots or a mess or thrown in everything and the kitchen sink and the following season can't compete with it's pilot.
New Deadwardians #1 was ok. it definitely ticks all the boxes of a good comic book but just didn't excite me with anything wow worthy. it's still kinda cool though.
[ April 12, 2012, 05:17 PM: Message edited by: Power Boy ]
Posted by Power Boy on :
I did also get Voodoo Child ... and I barely remember it ...
It is well below any of the comics I mentioned above ... it hardly seems professional even. Which is disappointing because the writer is supposed to be a good writer.
art is 90s esque. the plot .... jumps the fricking orca whale ... so that i had a hard time seeing how the main character got from point a to point b.
In fact, i'd say Voodoo Child is ... bad.
-----------------------------------------
not so sure about getting sauer country 2 myself ... i thought it was allright despite average art ... but i thought the explanation of the whole mystery in the first issue was ... pretty average. I was hoping we would have to figure out what happened to her and what was ging on over the course of the series ... and at the end of issue one i felt like i knew everything i wanted to know about the book, and didnt care about the things i didnt know.
i'll probably flip through #2 on the stands and put in back on the shelf.
Posted by Power Boy on :
quote:Originally posted by Lard Lad: I also recently read the first 2 vols. of 100 Bullets, which I bought for half price during a sale my CBS had about two months ago.
The premise, if you're unfamiliar, revolves around a mysterious guy named Agent Graves approaching average joes, giving them irrefutable evidence of someone's culpability for something bad that happened to the joes and then giving them a gun with untraceable bullets to get their revenge if they so choose. But even across the two trades, you learn that there's a lot more going on behind the scenes than that simple set-up which revolves around Graves' motives and an organization called the Trust.
It's a pretty gripping crime series with very appropriate, stylized art by Eduardo Risso. I can see already how writer Brian Azzarello earned his rep on this book even if it didn't always work on all of his other projects.
I'd say that so far it's not as great of a crime book as Criminal or Scalped, but this is definitely a series I'll be buying further trades of. I initially bought the first issue or two when it first came out, but didn't continue. The initial 3-issue storyline is pretty good, but you kinda get lost in all the urban slang in a way that can turn you off. But it gets much better from there, and you learn to appreciate the initial arc for what it was in that it had so much to set up for the series.
I recently picked up trades one and two and ... i'd echo what you said ... I am much more interested in the major players than each issue's story .. but I can see the snowball building.
and there's a lot of hook and mystery that has me wanting more. my enjoyment of this comic built as i read issues.
Posted by Power Boy on :
I also picked up the first two trades of Unknown Soldier a while ago, I thought they were good enough to read but I think they were just too dark and depressing for me, the main character is a bit too conflicted to keep me interested ... and the book is really about dragging you into his mental illness and turmoil .... pretty well done just not my cup of tea right now.
Posted by Lard Lad on :
quote:Originally posted by Power Boy: I picked up the New Deadwardians ...
I'm in for number 2 but it better get damn good by number 2 and/or 3.
I liked the art, the set up seemed like some mish mash of things i've read/seen before ... which is ok 'cause it's still in my interest ...
There is a cliffhanger ending, which didn't quite effect me as much as it should have because I didn't fall in love with the main character or story. I need some more back story or story in general before I care that this world is knocked topsy turvy.
Anyway, I enjoyed it, was worth the cash but like I said ... it better get good really quick .. especially with it's current competition.
I would rate it well above Fairest. (IMO) fairly above Saucer Country ... about on par with IZombie ... and trailing Unwritten. (even before Unwritten picked up the can of whup ass that has been the last few issues)
Except there's not a lot of fresh in the New Deadwardians .. in premise or characters ... the setting is fairly interesting ... an alternative history ... but it will take a talented scribe to fulfill that potential. (this so far seems more like a movie IMO ala sherlock holmes or abraham lincoln vampire hunter ... )
You know what #1 reminded me of .... A PILOT ... for tv ... where it has to spend a bunch of time setting the scene and introducing ... usually I think tv pilots or a mess or thrown in everything and the kitchen sink and the following season can't compete with it's pilot.
New Deadwardians #1 was ok. it definitely ticks all the boxes of a good comic book but just didn't excite me with anything wow worthy. it's still kinda cool though.
Thanks for the review, Peebz! Between your mostly-positive review and this glowing 4 and a half star review I found on CBR, I think I may give it a chance. It makes sense that a Victorian zombie/vampire mash-up might work with it being in a more subdued style than normal for those genres.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Lots of good reviews Peebs! You've helped confirm for me my own feelings on Saucer County and Voodoo Child.
Unknown Soldier is definitely not an easy series on the reader. If you're not in the right mindset to deal with that type of all too real tragedy, it could be easy to want to pass.
Def looking forward to your review of New Deadwardians, Lardy!
I've never read any 100 Bullets at all but both your reviews have me curious. Glad to know that there is a little bit of 'getting through the first arc'.
Posted by Power Boy on :
quote:Originally posted by Lard Lad:
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: Also, anyone collecting Spaceman? I didn't continue after #1 because it just didn't seem like it was for me. I'm curious if anyone kept going and what their thoughts are.
I bought the first two issues and decided not to continue. The first didn't do much for me. The second almost hooked me, but I decided not enough. I think that if Azzarello didn't have that annoying feaux-futuristic dialogue in it, it'd be much better actually. Oh well. Reviewers aren't exactly lavishing praise on it at the websites I trust, so I don't think it's just me.
As for Unwritten, I've owned that first trade for almost 2 years and still haven't gotten to it! maybe soon-ish?
BTW, how caught up are you on Scalped, Cobie?
I'm waiting for the trade of Spaceman, I thought it was interesting but it moved slow for me so I think it might be a lot better as a trade ....
I've also been waiting on the edge of my seat for the softcover of American Vampire 2!! I check for it every time I go to the CBS!!! Posted by Lard Lad on :
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: Def looking forward to your review of New Deadwardians, Lardy!
Well, it'll be awhile! If I buy it next week, you'll see my reaction mid-to-late May! Posted by Lard Lad on :
quote:Originally posted by Power Boy: I also picked up the first two trades of Unknown Soldier a while ago, I thought they were good enough to read but I think they were just too dark and depressing for me, the main character is a bit too conflicted to keep me interested ... and the book is really about dragging you into his mental illness and turmoil .... pretty well done just not my cup of tea right now.
It's def not for everyone, as Cobie says. If you like some escapism, Soldier's a little too real for comfort. I enjoyed it, though. Still gotta get those concluding trades....
Posted by Lard Lad on :
I'll let y'all know what I think about Saucer County #1 when I get to it. I read so many good reviews that I had to try it out.
Posted by Lard Lad on :
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: I've never read any 100 Bullets at all but both your reviews have me curious. Glad to know that there is a little bit of 'getting through the first arc'.
I definitely intend to eventually complete the series in trades, Des. I think there's enough similar appeal to those great Brullips comics that you and I love that you'll like 100 Bullets as well. But it's no copycat. It's its own thing and has its own contemporary style, as opposed to Brullips' kinda throwback vibe present in all of their stuff (if you know what I mean).
Posted by Jerry on :
I posted earlier that I enjoyed the first issue of Saucer Country. I was even more impressed by issue #2. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it is an incredibly original concept with some intelligent writing.
Posted by Sarcasm Kid on :
I've been enjoying Saucer Country because it doesn't smell of a typical comic involving an alien invasion, and we're still left to wonder if there really are aliens or if it's just psychosis.
Posted by Lard Lad on :
quote:Originally posted by Jerry: I posted earlier that I enjoyed the first issue of Saucer Country. I was even more impressed by issue #2. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it is an incredibly original concept with some intelligent writing.
quote:Originally posted by Sarcasm Kid: I've been enjoying Saucer Country because it doesn't smell of a typical comic involving an alien invasion, and we're still left to wonder if there really are aliens or if it's just psychosis.
Ya know what? I just read issue #1, and I think I may be in for at least the first arc! We have an interesting lead, a promising supporting cast and a premise which looks to be unpredictable. It kind of has an X-Files-type appeal to it except that we are the Scullys instead of the Mulders, if that makes any sense. I mean, we kind of see more in the first issue to be skeptical when what we saw on the X-Files tended to make us more believers.
I will say that there probably IS more going on here than just the obvious explanation of the characters being whack-jobs. I tend to believe, though, that the explanation is something LESS than full-scale alien invasion.
Like I said, I pretty much dug the issue, and if Jerry says it gets even better with number 2, that bodes very well!
P.S. I also liked the art. Maybe it wasn't anything that will light the internet ablaze, but it told the story well and made me relate to the characters. What more could you want?
Posted by Lard Lad on :
I forgot to look for New Deadwardians when I returned to the CBS this past week. Hopefully, the one copy left was/still is there. My odds are decent since the feebs at the shop seem stuck on crap (imo) like AvX. Posted by Lard Lad on :
Re: Scalped #57
Damn! With only 3 more issues remaining, Scalped is just KILLING it! Honestly, it's shaping up to be, imo, potentially the very best Vertigo series EVER! And if you're the best Vertigo ever, well, there's a damn good argument that you might just be the best comic series ever!!!
Issue 57 is the second part of the very last 5-part arc of Scalped. Trying to be as spoiler-free as possible, I'll just say that the previous arc ended with a climactic moment that's been set up since the series began. Issue 56 picks up on the story several months later. starting there and picking up heavily in the current issue, the dominos from all the remaining plot danglers start to fall in unexpected and dramatic fashion.
Honestly, even as a second part of a final story, 57 is just an absolute masterpiece in its execution! Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera have grown together so much over their 5 years together on this book that it's just ridiculous how outstanding they are as storytellers. This issue has a series of suspenseful, tense scenes that just build and intertwine so perfectly. In the end you just feel the claustrophobia that some of the characters are feeling as a noose tightens around one's neck, another struggles with ending things on their own terms and another seeks fulfillment of their own twisted mission. Then, everything turns on its head and we head toward showdowns that we've seen coming but are left breathless waiting to see their outcomes.
I think you could read this issue cold, without ever having read anything of it prior and still get what's going on and potentially be able to really, really enjoy it, regardless. I think that even though Guera's art has a level of gritty-ugly stylization to it, that any fan of the medium who sees it can appreciate it and be entranced by it.
I can't say enough about Aaron & Guera's artistic collaboraters either. Colorist Guilia Brusco and letterer Sal Cipriano complement the story so perfectly. No flashy distractions from the story. They just aid and abet in such a way as to make the story as effective as possible.
If there is a moral to this issue, it is that the things you've done in the past will always return to bite you in the ass. That's true of a lot of fiction and, indeed, of other issues of this very comic, but is just true to the Nth degree here as master storytellers head down the homestretch toward a finale they've been building toward from the beginning.
Scalped is quite simply one of the best books ever produced, and it's great to see it ending on its own terms as relatively few are able to do. I will miss it like nobody's business, but I know I can always revisit it like an one would old veteran scarred by battle but whose tales never fail to fascinate.
I just can't recommend Scalped with enough superlatives to do it justice! Even though I say this and know that it is not everyone's cup of tea, I just want you guys to know how passionate I am about it. If you like tough, gritty, high-quality shows like The Sopranos or [u]The Shield[/i], well, just imagine something on 2 dimensions and four colors that could go toe-to-toe with those guys and possibly deliver a knockout punch! If there's any justice, some network like HBO or AMC will take a long, hard look at this book and adapt it for television in a manner that respects the source material.
Fifty seven down...three to go, Prairie Rose Indian Reservation. Hoka hey!
Posted by Power Boy on :
Scalped is awesome ... I'm in denial about it ending. The last and this final story arc have been two of my favorites so far.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I can't wait to pick up where I left off on the trades--I may wait til the finale to read them in one big push.
Even without reading the last several story arcs, I can agree Scalped ranks among the best comic book series of all time. It has every element needed to qualify it for a master piece.
Going one step further, I'd say its one of the best noir stories of all time. Not noir in the oft-misused sense of 'black & white' or 'crime', but real noir; where characters fight against forces beyond their control to escape what's coming to them but simply cannot. And usually, as Lardy says, it's something they deserve.
The comparison to the Shield is very apt. I consider the Shield the best crime / cop / modern noir show of all time (and whoever is 2nd is a far distant 2nd). Scalped captures that same gritty, realistic, tragic, noir sensibility.
Sucks that it's ending...but man, how great that we get to see the proper end? I can't wait to read it!
Lardy recommending Scalped to me is one of the great recommendations EVER for me. It helped reinvigorate me for comics in general, and stop putting up with the mediocrity that is so in abundance. I can't thank you enough big guy!
[ April 23, 2012, 05:36 PM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Dave Hackett on :
Saucer Country has really stalled out and it's a shame, because it started out great. The last two issues have been an extended info dump on the history of UFOs (combining "real" stuff with things Cornell is adding to the world of the book). But it's literally been two full issues of NOTHING happening and just having two different lecturers describing alien encounters from first the mythological aspect, and then the physical aspect. It's great to see Cornell is so invested in his subject matter, but there's no indication as to what data is relevant and what isn't, and in the meantime he's inadvertanlty killed all momentum and interest. maybe it will read better collected, but a two month break in a story that's barely starting is perplexing to say the least.
Posted by Power Boy on :
Just a few comments about the finale of Scalped
Could it have ended any other way? I thought maybe 4 issues back that the series was dragging but .. then Aaron crammed so much in (it could've gone a couple issues more in some ways) ... that this really feels like an ending! As much as I'd love to see them again, I think this story is finished.
and it didn't end exactly how I thought it would.
Every character is still the same but, different.
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Punk Rock Jesus #1 was AWESOME! Writer/artist Sean Murphy (who previously drew Joe the Barbarian and American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest shows he is more than capable of doing double-duty in the debut of this Vertigo mini!
The story concerns the cloning of none other than Jesus Christ via DNA recovered from the Shroud of Turin for the focus of a new reality show. Sounds wild, right? This first issue sets up the concept very well as we see the media frenzy build up around a virgin mother chosen by the producers of the reality show to bear the cloned child. We get a well-rounded idea of the religious ramifications, see the dirty corporate dealings and meet various members of the cast in 32 story-packed pages. It ends with the birth of the child, along with an unexpected consequence.
The art here is presented in black and white, a kind of rarity in the main Vertigo line. I think it serves Murphy's art very well as his incredibly detailed linework is on full display and doesn't really need any bells or whistles to make it pop. His art tells the story well, is packed with detail and his faces and body language are very expressive.
Offhand, I'd say this is the best new Vertigo project since American Vampire and Scalped if this issue is any indication. Too bad its only a mini-series! Murphy is as talented a writer as he is an artist from what is on display here!
Posted by Lard Lad on :
^ Oh, by the way....PRJ is 32 ad-free pages of story per issue at only $2.99! I thought this was just for the first issue, but it's the same EVERY issue! PRJ and Morning Glories over at Image give ya the most bang for yer buck!
Posted by Lard Lad on :
I read PRJ #2 last night. Still very excellent!
This issue spotlighted Gwen, the young mother of the supposedly cloned Jesus and how hard the simultaneous isolation and lack of privacy is getting to her. All the while, the producers of the reality TV show are manipulating her into turning to alcohol and other ways to make the show more enjoyable to the viewers.
At the same time we learn more about another of the series' major characters, bodyguard/head of the show's security detail Thomas McKael. He has a bloody past with the Irish Republican Army and is starting to see protecting Gwen and little Chris as his chance to atone.
Their stories converge as Thomas helps Gwen leave the compound where the show has her isolated to find out what happened to her parents. Unfortunately, they find that out in the world where both are two of the most famous people in the world, they face great danger from zealots and fans alike.
Can't emphasize enough what a terrific artist Sean Murphy is and how gorgeous his lines look in this black and white format! Now, showing incredible writing skill to go with it, PRJ looks to be perhaps the sleeper of the year, even amid such a dearth of exciting launches that have characterized 2012 in comics!
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
So I took your advice and grabbed Punk Rock Jesus #1, and like so often in the past, you definitely didn't let me down! Wow, what a totally fantastic, phenomena opening! As you said, one of the best debut issues EVER for a comic! Already I'm feeling this will be a great fit in the pantheon of Vertigo greats.
Sean Murphy is a force to be reckoned with. His art is intense and gritty, and his writing is super heavy in plot, non-stop in characterization and when it's all combined there isn't one wasted moment or panel. To say I'm impressed is an understatement. And I agree, the black and white format adds a little something extra by letting his finished pencils shine unhindered.
The story itself is pretty brilliant at first glance but when you get into the first issue you quickly see its more than just a good premise. There are some serious questions being asked, and the characters react in some realistic and even scary ways.
The twist near the close of #1 is one I saw coming because I'm kind of immersed in "Jesus Conspiracy" lore (even though I'm Catholic). But it definitely opens up some major possibilities of how it may play out.
I'm gonna grab #2 & #3, and get it on my pull for the rest. Major kudos to Lardy for BRRing (=Buying, Reviewing and Recommending--new Gymlls term!).
Posted by Pov on :
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: (even though I'm Catholic)
We won't hold it against you, Cobie... although your preacher might...
BaDUMbum *ksssssshhh!!!*
Sorry...
Seriously now-- based on the recs here, PRJ gets a look-see when the first trade shows up for my DCBS preorders.
Posted by Lard Lad on :
This is truly the end of an era.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Vertigo is dead.
I hate this NuCokeDC
Posted by Power Boy on :
<--- wonders where the next great book like Y the Last Man will come from.
Hang in there Image.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Image, Dark Horse and company have been the heirs of Vertigo anyway these last couple of years.
Wherever Berger turns up, that's where some real excitement will be. Posted by Jerry on :
Berger has had a remarkable career with Vertigo and DC. She says she is ready for a change, and after 30 years who can blame her. Nelson's words were kind and true. This is the first I'm hearing of Time Warp and the Sandman mini. Looking forward to both. Best to Karen.
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
I'm cutting Unwritten from the pull list. I'd thought about cutting it during the Moby Dick story and got the same feeling now. It just seems to go on and on, then things pick up and get interesting... I don't know. I think the last issue with all the killing just got me fed up. Death doesn't sell comics to this reader.
Posted by Power Boy on :
I am trailing off on Unwritten as well ... I get random issues now ... whcih dosn't really work since the story is so complicated.
I think they should've ended it when he found the whale ... had a face off with the murderer guy ...
I'm not even sure what the book could be about with those plot lines finished.
Posted by Pov on :
I just read Unwritten vol.6, TT and the War of Words. While I liked it, especially the chapters from the 1/2 issues, I too was wondering "So where else is there for the story to go?" I saw that vol. 7 will be in next month's solicits and plan on ordering it, but all of the launching story points have been addressed-- Leviathan, Pullman and the Cabal as we know it, Tom growing into his power-- I'll have to see the next trrade and decide from there what I'm doing with the title. Is there an endgame for the series? Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Yeah, the ending to the 6th trade (which Peebs summarizes) seemed like a natural ending to the series, and it was pretty damn fantastic. I was pretty surprised when another issue came out!
I'm kind of left scratching my head wondering how the series continues. But I'll prob stick it out longer because I enjoyed those issues so much that I can't help but have faith there is more good to come.
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I hope Beauty and the Beast survive at least!![[Wink]](wink.gif)
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Looks like bad things are in store for Fabletown! And who are in those body bags? ![[Bump]](graemlins/bump.gif)
and updated reviews.![[sigh]](graemlins/sigh.gif)
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) if you wait more than another week to pick it up! A history buff like you needs to read this to see how it sheds light on the injustices done to Native Americans from a modern perspective!![[LOL]](graemlins/lol.gif)
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YOU'RE MISSING OUT ON A SALE HERE, GUYS!!!
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