The General Comic Discussion Thread - Part 2

[Gee]

Speaking of Swamp Thing, I recently bought the new boxset collecting Alan Moore's run.

 

[Slick]

Speaking of Swamp Thing, I recently bought the new boxset collecting Alan Moore's run.

Nice I read that run myself on the original DC Universe app and loved it.

 

[Babillygunn]

I love Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing run. It really brought a complexity to the character and a depth. Anatomy Lesson still stands as one of the greatest single-issue comics in history for a reason. I feel like most writers post-Moore try to one-up the complexity of the mythos and it just gets over-complicated.
Scott Snyder did a decent job, to be honest. He leaned into the horror aspects and tried to go more Len Wein style rather than Moore. I thought that worked well.

 

[CrimsonMist]

Speaking of Moore's Swamp Thing, I just got the Absolute Swamp Thing By Alan Moore Vol. 3 hardcover the other day. I waited a very long time, since basically the announcement of the Absolute line, for Alan Moore's Swamp Thing to be collected in this format. While I'm a little iffy on the re-coloring the work was given, because I don't see anything wrong with the original colors at all, seeing the work on such a big canvas is pretty incredible and gives the story an extra punch.

Anyways, COMICS!

Had a lot of catching up to do, but here we are.

JLA/AVENGERS: Since this is the first time I've read the story, and I was very fortunate to get a copy of the new, and very limited TPB edition of the book, I dove into this as soon as I got home. I gotta say, this is probably one of the best superhero comics of all time. It has such scale, and such weight to it, and it embraces all of the inherent absurdities of superhero comics as a matter of fact. There's no irony or self-awareness or this adolescent interpretation of scale. Kurt Busiek is one of comicdom's best writers. He knows how to approach these characters and this situation as a storyteller first, superhero writer second (which is a big reason his Conan run is so good). And of course, George Perez draws the hell out of it. It's unfortunate that even before this reprint, many people were unable to readily get this story in their hands. In an era where these characters dominate TV and movie theaters, there's no reason this can't be an evergreen book. Hopefully there's another reprint down the line with a significantly larger print run.

Wonder Woman Historia #2: This is one of the best books DC has going right now. The first book was so amazing, and this one keeps it up. It's always nice when Gene Ha comes back to do superhero comics. The tone of this book is exactly what I look for in comics. It feels grounded and epic at the same time, and it has a pretty serious tone to it. It's about as "un-Superhero" as it gets, which worries me once this book, if ever, gets to introducing Wonder Woman. There's a certain inevitability in this book that almost seems like it demands a conclusion, rather than a "never the end" style approach to an ending and I think traditional superhero lore never really offers the former, but the latter. But we'll see. Issue 3 comes out in the Fall at some point with Nicola Scott on pencils. Should be more great stuff.

Batman: Killing Time 2: The time jumps in this book got a little obnoxious though I'm having a pretty fun time with it so far. This is Tom King just cutting loose and telling an action packed heist comic. It's much less formal than his other work, though you can see flourishes of an appreciation for elevated pulp literature (namely Jim Thompson and his screenplay for Kubrick's "The Killing"). I expect next issue to be much more explosive and I'm curious how the anecdote about Pentheus of Thebes ties into the larger narrative.

Human Target #6: Solid ending. A very bold ending. I know a lot of people are upset with how this issue played out, and most of those people are people who hate Tom King and yet continue to read his work every month. I've never been a fan of Guy Gardner (see: Swamp Thing #81) so I wasn't bothered by the ending of the issue. The story's been so good thus far and that's why I read comics. Continuity be damned! I'm just annoyed that I have to wait until November for the book to come back.

Robin #12. I have no interest in any of this Shadow War stuff so I just kinda breezed through this one and don't remember any of it. I know I'm gonna end up with those Shadow War tie-ins because I have the title on subscription, and while I'm gonna wait and see how the book picks up once that event is over, I have a very strong feeling that I'm gonna be dropping this book before year's end.

Naomi Season 2 #1: I liked the first mini series, and I enjoyed the character, but I couldn't get into this one. I've generally been pretty sympathetic, if not defensive, in regards to Bendis' time at DC and while it's nothing new, I just found his writing style on this issue so grating that I also had to breeze through and read pages that looked interesting. I unfortunately won't be coming back next for issue 2.

Flash #780: Another weak issue in the haul, but I'll give that an excuse because it was shoe-horned into a pointless event. I still love this book and am eager to see how this book picks up once Death of the Justice Leage and Dark Crisis kick into gear. Jay and Bart were mentioned in this issue and I'd really like to see the both of them back in this book. We're getting there, I feel.

Swamp Thing #11: Another great comic and a very welcome return. Bringing back Tefe Holland was a great move and i hope she's here for the long haul. She's been neglected since the mid-2000s I think, whenever DC cancelled the Diggle/Dysart Swamp Thing run. She's an interesting character who never reached full potential and her use in this book brings about a bunch of cool possibilities. I also really dug the conclusion of the issue. The remaining issues of this book should be nuts!

Action Comics #1041: Dale Eaglesham's artwork took me by surprise mainly because I wasn't expecting him on art duties. Another great issue, though probably a step down from the previous ones because of the art work. Still, one of the best Superman stories in a long time and I'm excited to see where it goes.

Superman Son of Kal-El #9: I told myself I'd give this book until issue 12, but I'm not sure I can go that long. Taylor's CW-soap opera writing style is getting very obnoxious here and I'm beginning to worry that as progressive the story is trying to be, it won't be able to successfully accomplish that without feeling trite and hollow. I love the Dick/John dynamic though, and more teaming up in future stories is welcome. But I really feel like this book is stuck in a rut right now.

The Cimmerian: Hour of the Dragon #1: This is the Ablaze Conan series, which are English reprints of current French Conan comics if I'm not mistaken. We start with the first chapter of Robert E Howard's only Conan novel, previously adapted by Roy Thomas at Marvel back in the 70's and more recently by Tim Truman and Thomas Giorello for Dark Horse. Both adaptations are solid, and this one is just as good. Beautiful artwork: gritty, no-holds-barred, violent, painterly. And the writing is perhaps a bit more hardboiled than Truman's prose. I think this is a 4-issue adaptation, which already makes it feel a little more condensed (Truman's version was 12), but this is still solid. And still better than what Marvel is doing with the character currently.

Nightwing #90: This book shows what a good and capable writer Tom Taylor is. The CW-drama is toned way down and is a much more fun read. Any time Dick and Wally team up usually leads to a good time and this issue was no exception. By and far, one of the best books DC has right now along with The Flash. More interaction between those books would be great.

World's Finest #1: Mark Waid makes a long awaited return to a monthly DC book and it was a lot of fun, all things considered. I like the return to a more classic vibe for Superman and Batman, as the book has a bit of a Silver Age zaniness to it, but I feel like ignoring all of the progress Superman has made as a character over the last decade (and more, considering he and Lois aren't married here) is a little disingenuous and maybe even a little lazy. But the book is just getting started and it has the Doom Patrol in it, and that's always a plus!

 

[Gee]

Found out about KSD's WW Historia book today. Damn, the art in the first issue is amazing. Looking forward to getting the trade.

 

[NDX]

Speaking of Swamp Thing, I recently bought the new boxset collecting Alan Moore's run.

Is that with the original trade colors or the new Absolute colors? I only have vol 1 of Moore's run and want the rest eventually.

 

[Mani-Man]

Welcome to the Comics Week in March


Batman #122

Shadow War continues.
First and foremost, howard porters art is super good here, flows incredible well and its style works here.
Loving all the cover variants…so visual absolutely great.
The arc itself is so far not really super strong, maybe because the whole League, ninjas etc thing isn’t really my beer.
But we will see, letting this story play out more.

Batman: Killing Time #2

So far im very happy with King on this.
The art is good and the writing works, builds tension and mystery.
Only the jumps kind of take you out of the moments here and there.
You get a scene and when you are about to get really into that, it jumps to something else.
But that could be the way I read the story, maybe I need to change my approach on that when I know this jumps are constant.
But overall, so far it’s good.

Monkey Prince #3

As the previous ones, totally bonkers but I enjoy it a lot.
Nothing more to say to it.
I like the characters and overall style very much.


Suicide Squad #14

Utter insanity this is…and I love it.
This is so all out bonkers, going fully crazy…its so much fun.
Sadly if im correctly informed, next issue is the last…that would suck but its definitely worth the read and with 15 issues not the longest.

Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons #2

Wow, I don’t know what else to say to it really.
The art, the way the pages are built, the writing…absolutely fantastic.
Your eyes linger on every page longer because of how it all fits together.
Stunning on all accounts, a must read.

Have a few busy days behind me, doing my weekly comics reading really helped me relax and recharge here.
So while the Shadow War arc is kind of medicore at the moment, the rest of the comics delivered.

 

[Gee]

Is that with the original trade colors or the new Absolute colors? I only have vol 1 of Moore's run and want the rest eventually.

I still have the boxset wrapped, but this review confirms it's the original colouring (timestamped):



However, it's glossy paper in case it's a deal breaker for you.

 

[NDX]

Oof, that does make me rethink it a bit. I prefer matte stock paper but I know that's a rarity these days.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

Oof, that does make me rethink it a bit. I prefer matte stock paper but I know that's a rarity these days.

I don't mind glossy paper as long as its classic coloring. Modern coloring really hampers the experience for me, makes classic comics look less pleasant to look at due to the color pattern they go with.

 

[Babillygunn]

I’m surprised. I’m actually loving Shadow War thus far.

I want to love matte stock paper out of nostalgia, but in reality, the newer glossy paper and especially what you get in prestige formats does give the books a special feel to them.

 

[CrimsonMist]

I've spent a decent amount of money on collected editions the past few weeks.
Recently, I bought the Gallery Edition of Weapon X by Barry Windsor Smith. Gallery Editions are the same size as DC's Absolute line of books but more affordable (45 bucks!). This one was pretty mind blowing. I've always loved this book. It was one of the first graphic novels I bought when I got into comics. But the colors have always turned me off. They were too saturated and apparently this was a problem BWS warned Marvel about but which Marvel never bothered to be mindful of. Until now. Marvel put in the work to restore the colors. The colors more accurately represent the way the story looked in Marvel Comics Presents. Muted and natural. Plus, the oversized reproduction does this story wonders. Lots of small details I never noticed before. Paper quality was great too. A semi gloss or something. Not too thick, not too thin. Felt great to handle. Such an awesome edition that I can finally off load my original hardcover.

Also picked up the Absolute Batman Year One edition. I have a few Absolute books, and while they're great to have at that size, only New Frontier and now Batman Year One, should ever only be read in that form. It's so gorgeous and supplants not just my previous hardcover but even the individual issues since this also includes, as a separate hardcover, the OG Comics blown up to Absolute size.

Anyways, new Comics week:

Speaking of graphic novels, the fourth volume in Ed Brubaker and Sean Philips' "Reckless" graphic novel series came out today. A marked improvement over the previous volume, this one follows Ethan Reckless' assistant Stacy in the investigation of a missing dog and a house that may or may not be haunted. This one was a bit more whimsical and fun than normal, but had the same undercurrent of pulp nihilism that the other books have. Brubaker is such an effortless writer and such a great one. I'm still blown away that he and Philips have pumped 4 of this books out in a year and a half. If you aren't checking this out, you're missing out. This series is something special and a nice reprieve from overwrought cape drama.
That said, Batman/Catwomam #11 came out this week as well and, you guessed it, I still have no idea what this book is about. I'll probably give it a big read through when #12 comes out in June, but until then...::shrugs::
Surprisingly, I enjoyed Superman #10 and will continue atleast through issue 12. This one didn't get caught up in the CW style melodrama that this book has been suffering from lately and I found it advanced the plot and had some very fun and touching moments that I won't spoil, along with a solid, if predictable in hindsight perhaps, cliffhanger.
Small week otherwise for me. But the collected editions more than made up for it.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

Also picked up the Absolute Batman Year One edition. I have a few Absolute books, and while they're great to have at that size, only New Frontier and now Batman Year One, should ever only be read in that form. It's so gorgeous and supplants not just my previous hardcover but even the individual issues since this also includes, as a separate hardcover, the OG Comics blown up to Absolute size.

I own quite a few Deluxes, but only one Absolute; my all-time #1 graphic novel, Kingdom Come. It was bought for me. But I have the standard KC trade for reading. The Absolute is for looking at!

 

[NDX]

I've spent a decent amount of money on collected editions the past few weeks.
Recently, I bought the Gallery Edition of Weapon X by Barry Windsor Smith. Gallery Editions are the same size as DC's Absolute line of books but more affordable (45 bucks!). This one was pretty mind blowing. I've always loved this book. It was one of the first graphic novels I bought when I got into comics. But the colors have always turned me off. They were too saturated and apparently this was a problem BWS warned Marvel about but which Marvel never bothered to be mindful of. Until now. Marvel put in the work to restore the colors. The colors more accurately represent the way the story looked in Marvel Comics Presents. Muted and natural. Plus, the oversized reproduction does this story wonders. Lots of small details I never noticed before. Paper quality was great too. A semi gloss or something. Not too thick, not too thin. Felt great to handle. Such an awesome edition that I can finally off load my original hardcover.

I was wondering if I should double dip on this as I have the Wolvie omnibus with the story. This puts me a lot closer to picking this up now. I know IST has it on sale this week nearly 50% off (but I also just bought the 2 Hickman F4 omnis, so I might have to wait).

 

[CrimsonMist]

I own quite a few Deluxes, but only one Absolute; my all-time #1 graphic novel, Kingdom Come. It was bought for me. But I have the standard KC trade for reading. The Absolute is for looking at!

I have the Absolutes for Alan Moore's Swamp Thing, Watchmen, The Killing Joke, DKR, Year One, and New Frontier. While the Absolutes are DEFINITELY for looking at, I've found the reading experience for New Frontier, Watchmen, and Year One to be significantly more rewarding. In fact, I read New Frontier for the very first time in it's Absolute format and I adamantly refuse to read it in any other format. The scope of the story warrants the size, and it feels so compressed at a standard page size. Put that one, at the very least, on your wish list and obnoxiously bring it up to friends and loved ones around your birthday or Christmas, haha.

I was wondering if I should double dip on this as I have the Wolvie omnibus with the story. This puts me a lot closer to picking this up now. I know IST has it on sale this week nearly 50% off (but I also just bought the 2 Hickman F4 omnis, so I might have to wait).

Here's a look at the book and a comparison to previous editons:

It really is Night & Day and the new presentation is gorgeous.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

I read New Frontier for the very first time in it's Absolute format and I adamantly refuse to read it in any other format. The scope of the story warrants the size, and it feels so compressed at a standard page size. Put that one, at the very least, on your wish list and obnoxiously bring it up to friends and loved ones around your birthday or Christmas, haha.

Thanks for the heads-up - I might just do that!

 

[flickchick85]

New Frontier is the first Absolute Edition I'm considering buying.

 

[Detective Conan]

New Frontier is the first Absolute Edition I'm considering buying.

Masterpiece.

 

[Gee]

I have the deluxe edition of The New Frontier. It's quite big, but still smaller than the Absolute.

Got it signed by the late, great Darwyn Cooke with a nice doodle of Green Lantern.

 

[NDX]

Here's a look at the book and a comparison to previous editons:

It really is Night & Day and the new presentation is gorgeous.

Oh, that is nice. I'll make a decision over the weekend.

 

[Mani-Man]

Comics week, and not really a super strong one

Batgirls #5

Again nothing really to complain about, I enjoy it consistently.

Batman 89 #5

The long breaks between it really don’t help it, I completely forgot if we have seen Selina already.
Anyway, im still not feeling it to be honest.
Visual and from the whole vibe, the writing etc…it doesn’t feel like Batman 89.
Cool is that we get to see Two Face who was teased but never done in Burtons movies.
Im still reading it but im a bit disappointed, expected more from this.

Batman Urban Legends #14

This one too keeps me entertained Consistently and this time with the question you have another story in there that is worth the money.
3 stories in one book, not the worst thing.

Flashpoint Beyond #0

Eh, as expected weak as hell imo.
The Universe served his purpose, and so did Thomas Wayne as batman.
I don’t see further reason to use this universe at all.
And where are we even in terms of the timeline?
Wasn’t he killed or so in Infinite Frontier when he helped Calvin Ellis?
Anyway, not feeling this and will drop it probably.

Superman Son of Kal-El #10

Same too with this as usual, I have a lot of fun with it an Jon really grows into his role.
Still I prefer Jon as a kid, he just was a more interesting character.
The book works and we reached the expected “You cant trust Jay” storyline…nothing groundbreaking here.
But I do want to say that I loved how Lois was written, how smart she dealt with Lex…the writing there was so good.

Wonder Woman #786

Neat, im loving the Trial of the Amazons arc.


Not too much going on to be honest, nothing really outstanding…which don’t get me wrong, is fine too.
Consistent good stuff is fine, not everything has to be huge.

 

[gohei_]

I'm not Really a big Wolvie fan, but that Weapon X Gallery Edition looked so nice so I had to get it. Here's hoping it reads as good as it looks.

 

[Babillygunn]

I have the deluxe edition of The New Frontier. It's quite big, but still smaller than the Absolute.

Got it signed by the late, great Darwyn Cooke with a nice doodle of Green Lantern.

Oh my goodness. That sounds incredible! I’m so envious

 

[Babillygunn]

I own quite a few Deluxes, but only one Absolute; my all-time #1 graphic novel, Kingdom Come. It was bought for me. But I have the standard KC trade for reading. The Absolute is for looking at!

I have the standard and absolute of KC as well. I agree that it is far and away the #1 graphic novel of all time.

 

[NDX]

I have the misprinted Absolute Kingdom Come with the page missing dialogue. I haven't bought an Absolute since.