The Return of the son of The Comic Thread

[Musopticon?]

You haven't read Western "manga", have you? I'd dare to call manga a genre if you go by the viewpoint of that...thing's demographic. It's atrocious, relies purely on cliches and tired conventions that were already established back in the 80's of Drego Bowel and tries to meet the needs of the market, never try its wings.

 

Somebody mentioned Valerien and Laureline in good light, I concur. I grew up reading French-Belgian comics, absolutely consuming some authors and they're completely underappreciated. I've thinking of acquiring a couple of compilations, but it's not like it's easy from here and without a credit card.

 

Also, Xardy needs to lay off Kafty, he's taking this thing way too seriously.

 

 

I totally need to sample that Finnish translation of Lieber's works, not because our translators are good in anyway(because they aren't), but that cover screams of me to read it.

 

Kiitos Jora, katson sielt

Edited August 25, 2007 by Musopticon?

[Sand]

But why would a punch to the face hurt more if it was punched by a zombie? I mean, the mechanical force of the impact has to be identical to that of a non-magic person and Superman can withstand the kinetic energy of a 7.62mm bullet hitting his cornea without blinking.

 

Because it isn't really the physical punch that is hurting Superman, but the supernatural power in the punch from the zombie is. Wonder WOman can take out Superman because her powers and weaponry are magic in nature. Her sword can easily cut through Superman's flesh easier than a normal sword can cut a human.

Edited August 25, 2007 by Sand

[Kaftan Barlast]

Xard is a poopie-head

 

 

But why would a punch to the face hurt more if it was punched by a zombie? I mean, the mechanical force of the impact has to be identical to that of a non-magic person and Superman can withstand the kinetic energy of a 7.62mm bullet hitting his cornea without blinking.

 

Because it isn't really the physical punch that is hurting Superman, but the supernatural power in the punch from the zombie is. Wonder WOman can take out Superman because her powers and weaponry are magic in nature. Her sword can easily cut through Superman's flesh easier than a normal sword can cut a human.

 

Have Wonderwoman ever been in a catfight with Big Barda? That would be so awesome

[Blarghagh]

But if the vast majority of Manga is complete crap, then that means that statiosticly speaking, the whole genre is crap. Thus, I win :*"

 

You're funny. Not like "ha ha" funny, though. More like... peculiar.

[Kaftan Barlast]

I dont know about you people, but I hold the vote of majority to be a sacred funding principle of democracy. And if you claim that this basic tenent of decency and civilization cannot be applied to this 'Manga' phenomenon, then you hate freedom.

 

 

So good luck preaching to us about the benefits of japanophilistic culture invasion from Gitmo, buddy.

[Musopticon?]

Damnit, now everyone can see I'm commie...no, waaait!

[Blarghagh]

I dont know about you people, but I hold the vote of majority to be a sacred funding principle of democracy. And if you claim that this basic tenent of decency and civilization cannot be applied to this 'Manga' phenomenon, then you hate freedom.

 

A compelling arguement that eventually boils down to "everything sucks". Fine, I'll be a communist.

[Oerwinde]

The thing that bothers me most about Manga is that 90% of it all looks the same.

[Musopticon?]

I don't think so, and I pretend that I have actually some authority on this, having read my fair share of comics, both American, European and Asia...err, Japanese(Korean comics tend to suck and Hindi are weird).

 

It's true that a lot of stuff that gets licensed to West, I mean the ones you probably know and which likely compose that "90% of it all", look similar simply because 90% of the licensed manga is shounen which tends to garner for a market that expects certain style(that being BESM), but using that generalisation on all manga is a big error. The style is prominent simply because there's a lot of reception for it, but that doesn't mean it is ubiquitous. Far from it.

Edited August 26, 2007 by Musopticon?

[Musopticon?]

Bible Manga announced!

 

 

 

Tyndale House Publishers announced that it is launching a yearly series of Christian manga drawn by Japanese artists in September, as well as a Manga Bible with three manga sections in November. Amazon lists Hidenori Kumai as the author, with Kozumi Shinozawa and Atsuko Ogawa as the illustrators, of the first manga book, Manga Messiah. The Manga Bible will include the entire New Living Translation of the text with three 32-page manga tip-in sections that summarize the narrative.

 

Holy Jesus mother****ing yaoi! This will eventually kill the Internet.

 

 

In one fell swoop, Mus wins the page

[Kaftan Barlast]

...The godless Japanese makes a mockery of Jesus and all that is true and good about the world

 

 

 

That's it. This aggression will not stand, I will be placing a phonecall to the pope first thing in the morning. See if we cant get some of those Opus Dei boys to assassinate these heathens before this spreads any further.

[Pidesco]

Will it have tentacles?

[Kaftan Barlast]

Will it have tentacles?

 

 

Obviously, that is the foundation of Japan.

[Baley]

No, really!

 

(Oh, Lord, I so hope wikipedia doesn't get me banned. Again.)

 

(It's art! Art, people! A-rt! A-R-T! God, you guys can be so ignorant sometimes. I-gnorant! I-G-Whatever!)

Edited August 27, 2007 by Baley

[Calax]

Phh, if you want weird and artsy comics, Europe is the place. We have a very strong artcomic movement here in Sweden and Ive never seen anything remotely as bizarre from asian comics.

 

And Ive never understood what so good about Sandman, I read the first 6 issues and I did not detect any greatness. Fables is alot more interesting in the fairytale/dream genre.

 

 

About the zombie beating up Superman, Kryptonians are notoriously vulnerable to magic. I dare say that magic is more deadly to SUperman than green kryptonite. If the zombie you are refering to, Kaftan, is Solomon Grundy then he was animated by very very very strong magic and his attacks on Superman would hurt him as if he was just a normal human if not worse.

 

 

But why would a punch to the face hurt more if it was punched by a zombie? I mean, the mechanical force of the impact has to be identical to that of a non-magic person and Superman can withstand the kinetic energy of a 7.62mm bullet hitting his cornea without blinking.

sandman doesn't get good until the 7th issue about death

 

At Comic Con I picked up trades 3-8 of Fables. Excellent series.

 

Also, Lucifer totally eclipsed Sandman. Sandman was ok, Lucifer was excellent.

True that.

[Amentep]

Thanks for comic paranoia in 50's (or was it 40's and whatever its official name it was) superheroes really became domineering and nearly only "allowed" form of comics in US. Things are much better now of course, but still, how many ****ing sucky superheroes one country can spit out?

 

There were claims against comics (led by Dr. Fredrick Wertham) as early as 1940 (William Moulton Marston was one of a group of psychologists hired to attest that National Periodical Publications aka DC Comics before creating Wonder Woman). The publication of Wetham's Seduction of the Innocent in 1954 led to congressional hearings about the comic industry.

 

While SotI took on superheroes - notably, Batman (suggesting a homosexual relationship between Bruce Wayne and his ward, Richard Grayson) and Wonder Woman (lesbians and bondage) - it was mostly railing against crime comics and horror comics (which were generally aimed at older and adult audiences).

 

At the Senate Subcommittee for Juvenile Delinquency hearings led by Estes Kefauver, an ill William Gaines, publisher of EC comics whose horror titles - Tales from the Crypt, Vault of Horror and so on - are still talked about today, testified. Unfortunately he was on medication that made his presentation a disaster.

 

At the same time the "kid friendly" comics companies, National/DC, Timely/Marvel, MLJ/Archie, Harvey, and Dell (IIRC) basically used the scare and congressional hearings to build the Comics Code Authority. The Code had guidelines for "acceptable" material for what could be in a comic book, and most of their provisions were directly aimed at taking out EC Comics and Lev Gleason (whose crime comics had drawn the ire of Wertham) who were then dominating comics.

 

With the CCA in place EC ended up unable to publish comics formated books, dropped their horror line for a failed "new initiative" of code approved books and moved MAD into magazine format where it could avoid code regulations. Lev Gleason got of the business in 1955 with no real alternative for him.

 

Wertham actually thought the CCA was a paper tiger, unable to protect children from the evils of comics. He also thought TV was evil as well.

 

****

 

The "cat woman" who beat up Wonder Woman in Alex Ross' Justice series is a version of Cheetah, one of her oldest advesaries.

 

****

 

So the real reason I'm posting is to see what everyone is buying & reading. What's interesting out there? I'm still getting a lot of books but am seriously considering switching to trade paperbacks as I'm no longer able to get to the shops regularly anymore.

 

Major superhero publishers DC and Marvel in the US are gearing up for more "major storylines" again. DC is giving us Final Crisis from Grant Morrison and J. G. Jones with very little actually coming out about what the series is going to be about. Grant, no stranger to hyperbole, has said the series will be "The Lord of the Rings of the DCU".

 

Marvel's entry is Secret Invasion by Brian Michael Bendis and Leniel Yu, with the Skrulls having infiltrated the earth's government and heroes in a bid to take what they believe is theres after the destruction of the Skrull Empire in Annhilation.

 

At the moment I have no plans to buy either...

 

Nonsuperhero titles seem to be making some headway in the market (westerns seem to be doing okay, and horror related comics still seem to be selling well). Translated Manga are still selling like hotcakes to comic fans and non-fans alike. Translated Eurpean comics seem to have lost steam ever since the disasterous DC/Humanoids deal. But Marvel is pairing with French publisher Soleil, so maybe things will right on that front.

 

So anyhow, whatcha reading?

Edited March 5, 2008 by Amentep

[Calax]

I only pick up trades but I got Death of Captain America, Batman Long Halloween, Justice Society America book one of the relaunch (with the KC starman and such). Other than that I'm waiting for Sinestro Corps war to come to trade and the next Justice Society.

[Amentep]

Yeah I read half of Sinestro Corp (as I'm reading trades for GL, but was buying GLC by issues...why I don't know).

 

Justice League relaunch started good but the current Kingdom Come storyline is *really* taking its time to build to anything.

 

I keep hearing good things about the current Captain America run, and probably should break down and check it out.

[Calax]

Yeah I read half of Sinestro Corp (as I'm reading trades for GL, but was buying GLC by issues...why I don't know).

 

Justice League relaunch started good but the current Kingdom Come storyline is *really* taking its time to build to anything.

 

I keep hearing good things about the current Captain America run, and probably should break down and check it out.

it's still done by brubaker. It's really quite fun, and Bucky has more of a role.

[Nikolas]

Is All Star Superman as awesome as the 1st Vol. cover is?

 

I'm also buying Berserk vol. 1 & 2 in english and japanese. Just because Berserk is my religion.

[Amentep]

I haven't read All-Star Superman (which much like All-Star Squadron has an inappropriate acronym... ) but reviews and people I've known all seem to think its really well done. Its supposed to be a modern take on the Silver Age Superman stories, as seen by Grant Morrison.

 

I know a lot of people who read Berserk too, but I just don't have the money to follow a lot of manga anymore (the translations of Junji Ito's work is about all I'm getting anymore).

[Kaftan Barlast]

First of all, the comic thread is not supposed to be necroposted. Once it dies down, you start a new one. Second, Im reading Wolverine's "Get Mystique" story arc, with some nervosity because from whats been going on in the X-titles lately, it seems they're setting Mystique up to be killed off. And I absolutely hate it when my favorite characters are killed, I stopped reading "Y The Last Man" because of that, and thats one of the best titles ever.

 

 

STOP THE UNNESCESSARY VIOLENCE AGAINST female SUPERVILLAINS!!

[Amentep]

First of all, the comic thread is not supposed to be necroposted. Once it dies down, you start a new one.

 

Did not know that.

 

Just remembered there was a comic thread, searched for the name, found a thread and responded to it with some new stuff. Guess I've spent too much time on boards where they don't want you to start a new thread if an old one exists...

 

***

 

Anyhow I'm not really worried they'll kill Mystique; I guess its possible but she's such a hugely popular character it seems to be the kind of thing that would really agitate fans and such (mind you maybe that's why they do it; agitating fans seems to be the only reason most companies kill characters anymore).

Edited March 6, 2008 by Amentep

[Kaftan Barlast]

They did kill Jan Grey and I thought she was pretty popular. But even if they do kill Mystique, no one, and I mean no one, stays dead for long in a marvel comicbook

[Kor Qel Droma]

Kaftan, have you seen the new character pictures from the Watchmen movie yet?