La neuvième art (comics you've been reading)

[Pidesco]

Everybody should read Yoko Tsuno.

 

 

My dad likes Yoko Tsuno, but I've never been a big fan of the art. Valerian is where it's at (or Laureline, rather).

[Oerwinde]

 

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.

 

While I enjoyed Sandman, I found I mostly just wanted to read about the endless, the hundreds of little side-stories that had no relevance to the ongoing narrative bugged me.

 

The best thing to come out of Sandman was Lucifer, which is fighting with Transmetropolitan as my favorite Vertigo book.

[Amentep]

Carmine Infantino - probably best know for working with DC's The Flash and his stint as DC's publisher - passed away.  http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=44738

 

Also passing this week was George Gladir, co-creator (with the late Dan DeCarlo) of Sabrina the Teenage Witch -

http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2013/04/george-gladir-co-creator-of-archies-sabrina-passes-away/

 

As well as Fred creator of Philémon - http://www.lobservateurdebeauvais.fr/article/02/04/2013/puiseux-le-hauberger--deces-du-dessinateur-fred/6855

[Meshugger]

Fear Agent

 

 

Starts like a simple comic about a space mercenary named Heath Huston, which is a drunk wise-guy that somehow gets the work done...barely. But later it turns out that this one has a depth that i certainly wouldn't expect from this kind of a comic. The ending is so goddamn perfect that i have trouble expressing it in words. One of the best comics that i have ever read.

 

 

The Boys

 

 

Whenever a superhero (and there's quite a lot of them) gets out of hand, the C.I.A. call in "The Boys", who are specially trained to take care of problems such as these. Sadly, the premise is the best thing about this comic. The artwork is uneven from issue to issue, and for some reason, almost every damn superhero is a depraved *******. They try to approach the subject of hunting people that have come on to hard times, but the subject is never handled with any dept. The ending pulls a little twist, but all in all, it is just above avarage.

 

 

Transmetropolitan

 

 

Hunter S. Thompson in a Cyperpunk-future. Only read three issues so far, seems ok. The artwork is great though.

[Gorgon]

I have been cleaning out my appartment all day and I found myself procrastinating and reading this again .

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgJT4eQOIoI

 

It's a grimy fantasy thingie set in war torn medieval France. It's very text heavy, but in a good way. I bought the series ages ago to try and improve my French.

 

Francois Burgeon was always really good at 'taking you there'. If that makes any sense.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

Well Saga was surprising this week. Avenging Spider-Man is superior to the main book again. Invincible Universe looks to be promising.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

Daredevil was damn good this week.

[Oerwinde]

I ordered two more trades of Atomic Robo from Amazon almost a month ago and they still haven't shipped. I should also get around to reading my trade of Fairest.

[Amentep]

I just finished Sword of Sorcery's most recent 3 issues (I think the last hasn't came out).

 

it's amazing for a fantasy semi-anthology that they shied away from fantasy world, instead doing modern age urban fantasy.

 

Also too much New 52 John Constantine.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

I just finished Sword of Sorcery's most recent 3 issues (I think the last hasn't came out).

 

it's amazing for a fantasy semi-anthology that they shied away from fantasy world, instead doing modern age urban fantasy.

 

Also too much New 52 John Constantine.

 

I picked up #1 of SoS and couldn't get into it, IMO Demon Knights is much better.

 

Also, Happy 75th Superman!

[Oerwinde]

Word is Guy Gardner is going over to the Red Lanterns. I haven't really kept up with the GL stuff since they killed Mogo, but GG is my favorite lantern and his brief stint as a red back around Blackest Night was pretty awesome, so I might pick it up again.

[Amentep]

I picked up #1 of SoS and couldn't get into it, IMO Demon Knights is much better.

 

When the new 52 was announced, Demon Knights was the title I was most interested in. There were a lot of DC's fantasy characters and others that could fit the title. Paul Cornell was coming off two well done comic book works KNIGHT AND SQUIRE and CAPTAIN BRITON AND MI13. Cornell in interviews was playing up the idea of an adventurous fantasy story lobbing around references to LOTR and Dragon Age.

 

And then the book we got was a group of people stuck in a town being snarky to one another while the big bad went around killing everyone in their path (for no clear reason) while searching for some MacGuffin. Needless to say I thought it was terrible. After four issues I gave up on it; sadly it was the Paul Cornell who'd written some really poor Doctor Who stories, and not the one who wrote some really good Doctor Who stories who showed up.

 

That said I'd agree the SoS 1st issue was bad. If I hadn't bought the 1st and 2nd issue together I'd probably have dropped it with #1. Same thing happened with the recent KATANA title; although in KATANA's case, I think the 2nd issue was actually intended to be the 1st and the published 1st issue was a last minute editorial edict comic.

 

Also, Happy 75th Superman!

 

Mark Waid's 75th Anniversary Quiz:

 

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=44987

 

I only got #3 and #8.

[Drowsy Emperor]

Corto Maltese. 

 

Literary and artistic peak of the comic book medium.

[Amentep]

Another series that is only spottily available here (unless you import and can read French).

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

Word is Guy Gardner is going over to the Red Lanterns. I haven't really kept up with the GL stuff since they killed Mogo, but GG is my favorite lantern and his brief stint as a red back around Blackest Night was pretty awesome, so I might pick it up again.

I might have to pick up a Lantern book if that happens. I just hope the creative team is decent.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

 

I picked up #1 of SoS and couldn't get into it, IMO Demon Knights is much better.

 

When the new 52 was announced, Demon Knights was the title I was most interested in. There were a lot of DC's fantasy characters and others that could fit the title. Paul Cornell was coming off two well done comic book works KNIGHT AND SQUIRE and CAPTAIN BRITON AND MI13. Cornell in interviews was playing up the idea of an adventurous fantasy story lobbing around references to LOTR and Dragon Age.

And then the book we got was a group of people stuck in a town being snarky to one another while the big bad went around killing everyone in their path (for no clear reason) while searching for some MacGuffin. Needless to say I thought it was terrible. After four issues I gave up on it; sadly it was the Paul Cornell who'd written some really poor Doctor Who stories, and not the one who wrote some really good Doctor Who stories who showed up.

That said I'd agree the SoS 1st issue was bad. If I hadn't bought the 1st and 2nd issue together I'd probably have dropped it with #1. Same thing happened with the recent KATANA title; although in KATANA's case, I think the 2nd issue was actually intended to be the 1st and the published 1st issue was a last minute editorial edict comic.

 

Also, Happy 75th Superman!

 

Mark Waid's 75th Anniversary Quiz:http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=44987

I only got #3 and #8.

LOL, DK is like SoS then. It picks up rather nicely around issue 6, IMO. IIRC, SoS and DK are on the chopping block.

 

I only got 1 right in that quiz...

[Gfted1]

Bought a digital collection of the first 6 editions of Astonishing X-Men. The Marvel app offers the first 24 episodes in four 6 episode collections so Ill pick those up too as I work my way through. I also need to download the DC app.

[Amentep]

LOL, DK is like SoS then. It picks up rather nicely around issue 6, IMO. IIRC, SoS and DK are on the chopping block.

 

I only got 1 right in that quiz...

I might go back and pick up the DKs since Cornell left and the time jump(?) to see if it lives up to the potential I saw in the title.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

Bought a digital collection of the first 6 editions of Astonishing X-Men. The Marvel app offers the first 24 episodes in four 6 episode collections so Ill pick those up too as I work my way through. I also need to download the DC app.

I have fond memories of Whedon's run on that book.

I might go back and pick up the DKs since Cornell left and the time jump(?) to see if it lives up to the potential I saw in the title.

I'd recommend that. I may hype the book a bit more than it deserves because of my bias for Kirby creations however.

 

The new Scarlet Spider has been amazing, so I'd check that out if you haven't already(although #15 was a bit of a disappointment).

[Drowsy Emperor]

Another series that is only spottily available here (unless you import and can read French).

 

Which one?

 

You can find Corto Maltese English editions on ebay. 

 

I doubt there would be much interest in CM in the US. You have to know quite a bit of european/world history and literature to be able to appreciate it fully.

 

Black and white art isn't in vogue either.

Edited April 20, 2013 by Drowsy Emperor

[Gfted1]

Started reading the New 52. Picked up the first four editions (0-3) and have only read the first so far. Pretty good, I hadnt read the SHAZAM origin before so that was all new to me. As an aside, I know I havent read comics in ~20 years, but when the hell did they start costing $2.99-$3.99 each? I realize its not a lot but I cant help but feel a bit snookered every time I press the purchase button.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

Started reading the New 52. Picked up the first four editions (0-3) and have only read the first so far. Pretty good, I hadnt read the SHAZAM origin before so that was all new to me. As an aside, I know I havent read comics in ~20 years, but when the hell did they start costing $2.99-$3.99 each? I realize its not a lot but I cant help but feel a bit snookered every time I press the purchase button.

Well DC had a whole "holding the line at 2.99" thing, but apparently that was retconned with the New52...

 

Of course, Marvel's slogan "We charge an extra buck, we don't give a f**k!" has been used for he last few years.

[Amentep]

 

Another series that is only spottily available here (unless you import and can read French).

 

Which one?

 

You can find Corto Maltese English editions on ebay.

 

From what I can tell, Sous le signe du Capricorne, La maison doree de Samarkand, and Mu (and possibly one other) have as yet not been translated (completely) into English.

 

The other question I'd have is, as an uninitiated person, which story would be the best to start with?

Edited April 22, 2013 by Amentep

[Drowsy Emperor]

 

 

Another series that is only spottily available here (unless you import and can read French).

 

Which one?

 

You can find Corto Maltese English editions on ebay.

 

From what I can tell, Sous le signe du Capricorne, La maison doree de Samarkand, and Mu (and possibly one other) have as yet not been translated (completely) into English.

 

The other question I'd have is, as an uninitiated person, which story would be the best to start with?

 

 

The best way to read Corto Maltese is in the chronological order of the character's life. Meaning, the earliest adventure, called "Youth" should be the first one followed by the rest in order of publication: Ballad of the Salt Sea, Sign of the Capricorn etc.

The thing to keep in mind is that there is a radical shift in the art style as "Youth" was one of the last released albums. The drawing style became simpler and more elegant over time. 

Ballad of the Salt Sea was the first one published and its visually much denser and unrefined. Its followed by 4 albums of short stories which are followed by 7 albums with a single story (including Youth).

Youth, Helvetians and Mu should be read in color, as they're practically empty line art. The rest are better in black and white.

The pinnacle of both the art and storytelling are Corto Maltese in Siberia and La maison doree Samarkand, with Tango, Celts and Corto in Venice following suit.

Mu and Helvetians, the last two are probably the worst. They're dreamlike and at times impenetrable except on a superficial level.

Edited April 22, 2013 by Drowsy Emperor

[Shryke]

i've never been a comic reader really, but recently i've been giving it a shot

 

currently working my way through the Civil War comics - catching up on all these old storylines i've heard about