Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities Any recommendations

Miner, Umbrella Academy (first series) just wasn't my cup of tea. My major problem with it was that the characters just didn't grab me. They were weird and quirky, yes, but they didn't breathe for me. For Cobie, backgrounds on art are often the deal-breaker on a comic. For me it's characterizations. If everyone feels like a stock character and I don't really care about any of them, that takes me out of the story. I picked it up on LW recommendations, and I can see why they liked it. But it didn't really do anything for me personally.

And, yeah, I've heard excellent things about the colorist!

That's a totally reasonable position, OT.

Characterization's usually important to me, too, and I think UA does have some of that. But mostly it's just out there, which is exactly what I was missing from comics at the time.

UA would never work for me as a monthly book, but in mini-sized doses it does fine.

Do you thing Robo has more of what I'm looking for than Umbrella Academy did, OM?

I think the Atomic Robo guys are more concerned with making an action/comedy series than worrying about long-term development of characters. But AR does not lack character development, I'll put it that way.

It sounds a little more up my alley, then. Not every title has to be on, say, the level of Scalped in characterization. If they grab me and make me want to see what happens next, then that's enough. There was just too little of that feeling in UA for me at all.

Lardy, I think AR won't be what you expect and you'll be glad you got it. It certainly is different enough from everything else that I like having it on my pull list. Trust me that Atomic Robo himself is a really deep character who you'll love almost instantly and that will grow over time.

I was still reading posts last night when I was holding the baby before bed (posting from my phone at this point would have been too hard) and I noticed this. You know, you're certainly right, but I don't know when I started to feel this way. I’ve *always* been a ‘story over the art’ kind of reader, where I’d take a great story with mediocre art but couldn’t stand a beautiful artfully done comic with a bad story. Ever since day one. My father, meanwhile, is the opposite (and he’s given me several speeches about comics being a visual medium, mind you ).

But at one point, possibly after a few film classes I had in college, I started to really pick up on what the artist has to bring to the table other than what the writer and editor tell them to do (mis en scene, dynamic energy in the panels, etc.). And I went and looked at the Golden, Atomic, Silver and Bronze Age stories I co-own and I noticed how the greats did it too. So these days, when I notice an empty background, I truly feel like the artist isn’t trying hard enough, doesn’t know what the hell their doing (and needs an editor) or is actually just trying to make a quick buck. So it grates on me—it’s become my personal pet-peeve.

I hear you on characterizations too, of course, but I’ve come to realize that’s your own pet-peeve too. I enjoy when you take a character to task even if I’m not as vehement about as you are.

Okay, here is a comic book that jumped immediately from a "Random Comic Review" post to "Any Recommendations" as I've just put it down and was so impressed by it that I had to stop whatever I had planned next and post about it. Previously, I had reviewed the Top Cow / Robert Kirkman "Pilot Season" Murderer , which I also recommended. I liked it so much, I hoped it won the contest. Now I'm not so sure, because I just read the third Kirkman outing (I skipped Demonic, the 2nd) and I was pretty blow away. The comic book was Stealth and anyone who is a fan of Robert Kirkman, fascinating characters with just about no analogues in all of comics and incredible twists need to pick it up.

Honestly, the premise starts off pretty strait forward but then has a twist or two that is both incredibly fascinating and also really dynamic in the sense that after only one issue, I was feeling some real emotional concern for these characters.

I'm biting my tongue because I can't really say much about it without giving away the entire thing. Trust: any preconcieved notions you might have about Top Cow, Kirkman or whatever are wrong. I almost passed this up and only decided to get it because Comic Book Resources gave it a glowing review and I'm spending so much more time at home these days I wanted more material to read. Man, am I glad I did!

"Characters" is the word of the day here (naturally as a Kirkman comic) but everything else clicks: artwork, pacing, moodiness...*everything*.

Solid buy! One of the best hooks I've ever read in comics before. The hook, though is not a story-driven hook (like Thunderbolts #1), but a character-driven hook. I'm dying to know what happens to the two main characters.

Hopefully someone buys (I'm looking at you Kirkman fans) and we can discuss some spoilers.

FYI, Top Cow's "Pilot Season" is this thing were they release 5 different one-shots and then the fans vote on their favorite and it gets continued as a series. This year, they are doing 5 Robert Kirkman projects.

Recommended for kids of all ages, but especially to those just learning to read and who are still too young for superheroes, is "The Toon Treasury of Classic Children's Comics." Spanning stories from the dawn of comic books in the late 30s through just before superheroes took over in the early 60s, it's a wonderfully eclectic selection of timeless whimsy, weirdness, and wonder. The $40 price tag is a bit steep, but you can probably find a copy to borrow from your local library.

^This absolutely sounds like something I'll be looking for in the next few years. I definitely want to try out various comics for my son (and next few kids too ) when they can start reading and your description sounds perfect for that.

In a few years I will certainly be on the look out for comics to read with my kids so I will need your advice, Stealth! You know *all* the best Disney, cartoon-related and other groovy ones.

I'm always happy to help.

Looks like growing up with my parents forbidding me from reading superhero comics (the few that were even available in Ecuador) has turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

did anyone get the Manhunter series with Kate Spencer ........ i'm curious, if it's any good.

^ I never read it but I know it has a rabid fan-base.

I was tempted to pick it up but after the writer killed off one of my favourite C-list villains (Monocle) in about the third issue I refused to support him with any of my money.

Still, it may be worth a look if I see it in a cheap back-issue bin one day.

It was a pretty good series that had moments of brillance but then also issues where it seemed to really linger. So yes & no.

Prior to its cancellation, I was on the fence about continuing.

They also did some screwy-things with DC history/continuity that I didn't like and didn't make sense (therefore were distracting). On the other hand, they gave Obsidion an awesome role for the first time since the 80's.

I'm gonna add my voice to all those who have recommended Fables over the years. It really deserves all the praise it's gotten! I've recently read the first three volumes and found them outstanding. I put a lengthier review on the Fables thread proper, but I'd avoid that thread if you're a Fables newbie because, as the thread title states, it does contain spoilers that you might stumble onto. I even decided not to simply cut and paste my post there as it may be considered slightly spoilerish itself.

If you don't know the premise, all the characters from all the fables, fairy tales, nusery rhymes, etc. we grew up with are real. They've been banished by a mysterious entity known only as the Adversary to our world where they must be careful not to draw attention to themselves. All of them are immortal, or at least extremely long-lived, but far from invulnerable. They live as a secret society and have their own government and culture.

Through three volumes, the main characters are at the center or near the center of the the seat of power. Old King Cole is the Mayor of the Fables (as they call themselves), but it's Snow White who is the power behind him. Bigby Wolf (as in Big Bad Wolf) is the Sheriff and is able to take human form. Other core characters are Little Boy Blue, Jack (from "Jack & the Beanstalk" and possible other stories with a lead character named Jack), Bluebeard, Snow's sister Rose Red, the Frog Prince (called the Flycatcher or simply "Fly"), Prince Charming, Goldilocks and a slew of others.

This series is the perfect combination of whimsy and that mature "edginess" that Vertigo is known for. It's not dissimilar in tone to Gaiman's Sandman, I'd say.

Volume 1 "Legends in Exile" sets the table for this world around the mystery of Rose red's murder. It's a very clever story tool to let us meet all the players and has a neat, unexpected resolution to the mystery. I'd recommend you where your Holmes cap while reading it!

Volume 2 "Animal Farm" shows what the Fables who can't pass as human are living and what happens when they get fed up with having to play by the rules because of it.

Volume 3 "Storybook Love" contains a one-, two- and four-parter that kind of have love and romance as a theme. The four-parter really explores the core romance of the book while resolving a certain conflict that's been brewing in a satisfying manner.

So if anyone out there still hasn't tried Fables (assuming I wasn't the last, of course! ), do yourself a favor and try it! All three trades are a great read, and IMO, each volume is better than the previous one! I wasn't absolutely batshit about Fables after the first trade, but I definitely AM after three!

I've been thinking about picking Fables up. My LCS never seems to have it on the shelf, but maybe I'll ask them to bring vol 1 in for me next time I'm in.

From what I've gleaned of your tastes, Arachne, I've a feeling Fables just might be right up your alley!

If you're worried about investing money in the unknown, try your local library! Many LWers have experienced the joys of reading trades for FREE thru the wonder of these magical places! Right, Rocky?

P.S. Stealthie should try Fables, too, if she hasn't already!

I read the first trade. It was good, but it didn't thrill me.

I also read the special, "1001 Nights" I think it was called. That one I liked a lot, probably because it had a more traditional approach than the ongoing.

Alas, my local libraries don't have much in the way of graphic novels. Although, surprisingly they do have some Three-boot Legion trades.

*ahem*

WTF?!?!

I don't try to make sense of it. They seem to buy things at random sometimes. For instance, I just checked and they do have one Fables trade -- the one that collects issues #34 to #41.

Don't start with that one!

LOL Because it's bad or because it's confusing? (Not that I was planning on starting there anyway.)