La neuvième art (comics you've been reading)

[Agiel]

I'm a bigger fan of the European tradition of comics (my view of American superhero comics can be adequately summed up by Pat Mills and Kevin O'Neill's Marshal Law and Garth Ennis' The Boys) and have recently discovered Izneo, which means I no longer have to wait an agonizing couple of daysto receive my comics ordered through Amazon.ca. Of late, I've been finishing up Monsieur Mardi-Gras Descendres (the first two volumes of four have been translated into English by Heavy Metal, though the last issue it appeared in was published in 2008). It's about a cartographer who dies (slips on his son's toy car in the bathroom and breaks his neck on the edge of the bathtub) and ends up in Purgatory where everybody walks around as a skeleton. Humourously, the Kafka-esque bureaucracy of the afterlife puts down on his death certificate that he perished in an "automobile accident".

 

 

Have also looked at Enki Bilal's latest, Julia et Roem. This being Bilal, the story is quite impenetrable at first reading (though my only three years of high school French has something to do with this), but the art is still to die for:

 

Edited March 27, 2013 by Agiel

[obyknven]

I'm a bigger fan of the European tradition of comics 

 

Facepalm.jpg. European BD is not comics. 

http://youtu.be/63pzbvhzGdc

[Gorth]

Not sure what Oby is rambling about...

 

Another one here who grew up with "European" comic culture. Mostly Franco-Belgian stuff (translated) at the time. Haven't read that stuff for ages, since it's very hard to find in most places outside Europe. Mostly American imports, which holds little to no interest.

 

Herge, Peyo, Franquin, Moebius/Giraud, Jodorowsky... too many to mention. Only notable late additions would be Van Hamme. My old albums are getting rather worn and threadbare by now

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

Not sure what Oby is rambling about...

Does anyone ever?

 

On-topic: Sorry OP, I do enjoy a few American/British comics. Will admit that most are predictable crap with hack writers(like Bioware games!) but the few gems are definitely worth picking up.

 

I'm currently closely following Witch Doctor, Saga, Daredevil and Scarlet Spider.

[obyknven]

Not sure what Oby is rambling about...

 

The English term comics derives from the humorous (or "comic") work which predominated in early American newspaper comic strips. It's cheap, non-serious, childish Makulatur. 

The phrase bandes dessinées is derived from the original description of the art form as "drawn strips". The term contains no indication of subject matter, unlike the American terms "comics" and "funnies".

 

La bande dessinee it's some sort of art in difference with comics.  

Only someone who known nothing about BD can name this art as 'Euriopean comics'.

[Gorth]

Heck if I know...

 

I used to get the Danish translations where the word 'comic' never figured. The Danish term literally translated into "drawn series", i.e. probably very close to the bande dessinée in meaning, if not translation.

[Oerwinde]

The last few trades I've picked up were Ex Machina, Saga, Fables, and some Atomic Robo. Atomic Robo needs to be an animated series. Its like a science-based comedy Hellboy.

[Agiel]

Most francophone BD collectors I know when conversing with English speakers usually use the term "comics," and unlike some anglophones don't insist upon the term "graphic novels" to give it an air of literary legitimacy, as oby pointed out that in Europe the form is already considered a serious artistic statement (hence the topic of the title, translating to "the 9th art," though shamefully my rusty French shows and I have forgotten that "art" is masculine and this forum's stupid edit limits makes it too late for me to make the correction). Among the defining traits of European bande dessinée is a particular fondness for large, elaborate scenes that can take up a 2-page spread, and with it, more detailed colour drawings, many times hand-painted (the above spread in Oby's post is from one I'm very fond of, Requiem: Chevalier Vampire drawn by Olivier Ledroit, who goes sinfully unnoticed outside of France. Seriously, I can't stress that enough). 

 

However, that does mean that a 50-100 page album has a turnover rate of months or even a year, where a British and Japanese artist does a 10-15 page black and white comic every week in a serial or a ~30 page colour comic issue every month (which isn't to say I'm knocking on those artists for sacrificing quality for quantity. It's understandable that with that approach it becomes easier to tell larger, sometimes more complex narratives than with the continental European tradition).

 

I don't necessarily stick my nose up at American comics. I am a big fan of Garth Ennis' work (granted, he's British born and raised), though I am of the opinion that the superhero genre has interfered with the medium's artistic growth in the US.

[HoonDing]

My favourite comic is Rode Ridder/Chevalier Rouge, and I still follow the series, but there hasn't really been a decent album out in over ten years. Otherwise, Thorgal and Complainte des landes perdues (I love Rosinski art style).

 

I actually have a lot of Dupuis/Dargaud/Le Lombard/Delcourt stuff lying around in my old home, some of it already quite old and likely quite valuable.

 

Edited March 28, 2013 by Drudanae

[Amentep]

I don't necessarily stick my nose up at American comics. I am a big fan of Garth Ennis' work (granted, he's British born and raised), though I am of the opinion that the superhero genre has interfered with the medium's artistic growth in the US.

 

To be fair, US society - in the form of "child advocates/protectors" prevented the medium from growing up in the 50s when it was expanding and tackling a variety of subjects.  The publishers retreated to "safe" superhero, teen hi-jinks and funny animals.  This fate was sealed when the distribution model in the US began going belly-up in the 70s and everyone moved to the direct market or died.  It did leave room for independents (more than there had been in years in the shrinking mom & pop, spinner-rack days) but superhero comics are the bread and butter of the industry.  If Image weren't doing SPAWN and WITCHBLADE they wouldn't be able to do WALKING DEAD, FATALE or SAGA.

 

I enjoy a good superhero comic though (current highlight for me is Jonathan Hickman's Avengers and New Avengers; his Fantastic Four/FF was a brilliant take on that series).  Besides the aforementioned FATALE, I've been enjoying Hickman's THE MANHATTAN PROJECTS (he has a way with strange alternate reality/sci-fi stuff) and THE SIXTH GUN of late.

[Orogun01]

I enjoy a good superhero comic though (current highlight for me is Jonathan Hickman's Avengers and New Avengers; his Fantastic Four/FF was a brilliant take on that series).  Besides the aforementioned FATALE, I've been enjoying Hickman's THE MANHATTAN PROJECTS (he has a way with strange alternate reality/sci-fi stuff) and THE SIXTH GUN of late.

 

I quit marvel after that whole Schism debacle in the X-Men turned into the Phoenix Five, the blundering stupidity of the characters was too much for me to maintain any suspension of disbelief.

 

Would you recommend any of those for a now jaded ex-Marvel fan?

[Amentep]

 

I enjoy a good superhero comic though (current highlight for me is Jonathan Hickman's Avengers and New Avengers; his Fantastic Four/FF was a brilliant take on that series).  Besides the aforementioned FATALE, I've been enjoying Hickman's THE MANHATTAN PROJECTS (he has a way with strange alternate reality/sci-fi stuff) and THE SIXTH GUN of late.

 

I quit marvel after that whole Schism debacle in the X-Men turned into the Phoenix Five, the blundering stupidity of the characters was too much for me to maintain any suspension of disbelief.

 

Would you recommend any of those for a now jaded ex-Marvel fan?

 

Well I thought Hickman's Fantastic Four/FF was the best take on the group since Stan and Jack.  But I know a lot of other people who can't connect to Hickman's writing, so I'm unsure.

 

Avengers/New Avengers is just starting out, so its harder to say but I think its shaping up along the lines of the Fantastic Four/FF stuff.

 

I skipped all of the crossover events of the past few years, though, to be honest so I don't have the same perspective either.

[rjshae]

Dilbert

Non Sequitur

 

That's about it for me.

[Walsingham]

If you're embarassed by calling them comics then why not get embrassed about referring to 'novels'?

 

I don't give a karate style flying funt what normal people think about "comics." What they ridicule isn't comics, it's nerds. And that means us. We're not going to stop being nerds by changing the name. 

 

On topic, I've been using my downtime to dig through my old Judge Dredd comics. Just awesome.

Edited March 28, 2013 by Walsingham

[Amentep]

I wish Judge Dredd was better reprinted in the US.  Maybe with IDW we'll see some decent reprints come along.

Also wish I could get some Don Lawrence reprints without having to order from strange European countries*.

 

*I think it was Denmark; the use of the € sign had me hightailing out of there, being the poor insensitive USAer I am, so I'm not 100% sure.**

 

**Just kidding

[Hiro Protagonist]

I've decided to go back and read Battle Angel Alita Last Order. It's up to 17 volumes and still going.

[Walsingham]

You can get some very good Dredd compilations now. Great to have them all bound together without the somewhat sketchy other stories 2000AD used to run. Yes Skinless Man I'm looking at you.

[Oerwinde]

This made me go look at what Warren Ellis has been doing lately. Since he shut down the Bad Signal I haven't kept up. Seems Freakangels has a big slipcased collection of all 6 volumes I may want to get. I read the first couple issues of Black Summer, will have to snag the trade of that. Its a shame that it seems most of Avatar Press' books have talented writers with lackluster artists. I'd like to see what kind of book Warren Ellis and Ed McGuinness would do together.

 

@Orogun01 What about a book that the stupidity of the characters is the entire point? In that case I recommend Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

 

 

I enjoy a good superhero comic though (current highlight for me is Jonathan Hickman's Avengers and New Avengers; his Fantastic Four/FF was a brilliant take on that series).  Besides the aforementioned FATALE, I've been enjoying Hickman's THE MANHATTAN PROJECTS (he has a way with strange alternate reality/sci-fi stuff) and THE SIXTH GUN of late.

I quit marvel after that whole Schism debacle in the X-Men turned into the Phoenix Five, the blundering stupidity of the characters was too much for me to maintain any suspension of disbelief.

 

Would you recommend any of those for a now jaded ex-Marvel fan?

 

 

If you managed to stay through Civil War, Dark Reign, various other stupid crossovers, and the dread BND, I would recommend them. Hickman sometimes trips over continuity, but his work on Avengers/new Avengers has been excellent so far. I would also recommend Daredevil, Hawkeye, and Indestructible Hulk(stupid name I know) which are pretty good books. Scarlet Spider is IMO the best book Marvel is currently putting out, and almost makes up for the mediocre(at best) Spidey books.

This made me go look at what Warren Ellis has been doing lately. Since he shut down the Bad Signal I haven't kept up. Seems Freakangels has a big slipcased collection of all 6 volumes I may want to get. I read the first couple issues of Black Summer, will have to snag the trade of that. Its a shame that it seems most of Avatar Press' books have talented writers with lackluster artists. I'd like to see what kind of book Warren Ellis and Ed McGuinness would do together.

I agree for the most part about Avatar. Uber does look like it will have pretty good art though. Edited March 29, 2013 by KaineParker

[Gorth]

Hmm, went back and dusted off some of the old stuff. I think I meed to scour various online stores, heck maybe even Amazon may have some of this stuff.

 

Need to complete my collection of 'Le Cycle de Cyann' (Bourgeon) and 'El Mercenario' (Vicente Segrelles). No, I can't really provide screenshots, as most of them violates the TOS

 

I would love to find some of Arleston's stuff, 'The Shipwrecks of Ythaq', 'Les Maitres Cartographes' and all the "Troy" stuff he wrote, regardless of who drew the stories.

[HoonDing]

Everybody should read Yoko Tsuno.

 

[Amentep]

You can get some very good Dredd compilations now. Great to have them all bound together without the somewhat sketchy other stories 2000AD used to run. Yes Skinless Man I'm looking at you.

 

You'd think so with the omnibus (?) collections they did, but they're difficult to find in my experience.  I think the stores local to me got one volume.

[Walsingham]

 

You can get some very good Dredd compilations now. Great to have them all bound together without the somewhat sketchy other stories 2000AD used to run. Yes Skinless Man I'm looking at you.

 

You'd think so with the omnibus (?) collections they did, but they're difficult to find in my experience.  I think the stores local to me got one volume.

 

That sucks. You can even get them at the local library here.

[AGX-17]

Once you go Sandman you don't go back.

The English term comics derives from the humorous (or "comic") work which predominated in early American newspaper comic strips. It's cheap, non-serious, childish Makulatur.

Ancient Greek. κωμικός (komikos "relating to comedy".) Of course, it's not up to any individual to dictate the evolution (and remember, evolution is not a "race to the top," as many mistakenly believe, evolution is simply change over a long span of time,) of any language. Contrary to what seems to be popular belief, the English language actually originated in Europe, (in a region on the island of Britain known as "England,") a pidgin of various Mediterranean, Germanic, Nordic and other Indo-European sources.

 

Fun Fact: English is the dominant language in the US because of long-term successes by English colonial interests in the 17th and 18th centuries!

Edited April 3, 2013 by AGX-17

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

Well this week, Uber and Hulk were fantastic and Spider-Man was much better than Slott's usual stories.

Once you go Sandman you don't go back.

Gaiman's run was definitely fantastic.