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comics
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comics
DMZ
I just finished catching up on the comic, DMZ, by Brian Wood. It’s a Vertigo comic set in the near future and involves a 2nd Civil War in the United States. This Civil War occurs as a result of the American peoples’ anger with the government’s interests in foreign affairs (like Iraq) and rise up against said government in an attempt to overthrow them.
Manhattan ends up being the demilitarized zone and is populated with the folks who couldn’t get out of the city when the war erupted…primarily, the poor, holdouts, and other such types.
The main character is a young reporter who makes his way into the city and learns the realities of living life in the DMZ, and how each faction of the battle attempts to outwit (or outgun) the other.
It’s a sobering, absolutely incredible comic that is a must read for just about anyone today…not just comics fans. It’s obviously fiction, but I can’t help but feel we’re only a couple more good scandals by our current administration away from this happening in our reality.
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comics, funny
Poke-a-WHAT??
Sometimes, Penny Arcade can be absolutely hilarious. I’ve given up on reading his cryptic posts as he seems more interested in exposition than he is in giving us real information. He used to be way funnier when he didn’t take himself so seriously:
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comics
From floppies to trades
So I’ve been thinking quite a while about this, and I’m seriously considering switching my monthly pull list from the comics to trade paperbacks instead. As I’ve gotten older, the comics take a HUGE amount of space, and frankly, I can’t be bothered to locate and pull a bunch of comics to read out of my storage boxes anymore. When you’re an anal retentive like me, you have every comic stored safely in bags and boards and it just becomes easier to download them off the internet (and yes, I DO pay for them in the store too), or just pull a trade off the bookshelf.
Has anyone else been thinking about it? Honestly, it will mean I MIGHT be 3-6 months behind on a book, but frankly, I’m so far behind on my reading it really doesn’t matter. And for those monthly series I MUST keep up with, there’s always the digital comics route till I get the TPB.
Anyone else having the same thoughts? If I do it, I might be selling a bunch on ebay…including a full run of Invincible, The Walking Dead, and other great series…the more I think about it, the more sense it makes.
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comics
Comics
So I'm seriously toying with the idea of selling the comic collection and converting everything into graphic novel format. The idea of having everything in novel form, easy to pull off the shelf and read, sounds rather appealing to me. However, the catch is that I have to somehow sort and sell 15 long boxes worth of comics.
It's been something I've been thinking about for a while. I mean, I love having the floppies, but it makes more sense to have graphic novels that I can pick up and go with, and with just about everything coming out in that format, it makes more sense. Comics are no longer much of a collectibles market, except for maybe golden/silver age books. People no longer trash books when their kid moves out of the house, so there's still FAR too many printings of various issues on the market to really be financially worthwhile. Then added to that is the fact that long running series like my Uncanny X-Men from 135-~500 are just not fully printed in TPB. I know I won't get that full run for a long time to come…but it would be nice if Marvel continued to print/reprint books like these:
This book covers issues 94-131 (including the Giant-Sized intro issue). But even still, this would mean that 10 volumes would need to come out just to catch up with the current series, and I don't see that happening any time in the near future. Granted, I read most of these comics on the laptop these days anyway, but it would still be nice to have a collection on the shelves.
Speaking of, Sandman Absolute Edition vol. 2 has been solicited, but at $99 retail, it's out of reach for many people I know. Fortunately, if you're very interested, In Stock Trades will likely have it on a huge discount. I just looked and they had vol. 1 for sale for 30% off…that's cheaper than Amazon folks.
So folks, any thoughts, perhaps interest in my floppy(ies)? And I don't mean Li'l Schwenk.
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comics
All Star Superman Comic Review
Written by: Grant Morrison
Drawn by: Frank QuitelyMy dad’s generation loved this guy. Partly as a result of both WWII and the Vietnam War, I think Americans felt Superman resonated with the US culture, both in its strength and in its history. Superman was, and always will be, an icon.
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comics
The Escapist Comic Review
Based on the recommendations of a number of blogs and podcasts, I gave the comic The Escapist a try.
). The comic breaks through the fourth and fifth walls (if that’s even possible) and meshes the comics world of The Escapist with their real life escapades for publicity.Normally I’m not a huge fan of limited series, as it’s very difficult to hook a reader, get them caring about the characters and tell a story before six issues are done. But this one is very special, and I consider it one of the best reads of the year. The story ultimately deals with how friendship and loyalty is ultimately much more important than fame and fortune, and a great life lesson for all of us to remember.
I strongly recommend this title, both to hardcore comics readers and casual fans. And it doesn’t hurt that the writer has recently been hired as the Executive Story Editor for the LOST TV franchise.
Hopefully he can get that show back on track. Give it a read -
comics
Comics Podcasts
Yes, I’m a huge geek, we all know this. But, today I found a new podcast to add to my current favorites related to comics and thought I’d share. If you’re a fan of the medium yourself, I’d suggest you check these out:
Around Comics – Great podcast based in Chicago that features Comics 101 episodes on occasion that discuss the history and impact of comics on our culture (and I don’t just mean from the current film industry interest either). Definitely worth a listen if you want to learn more about comics and find out what’s worth reading each week.
Comic News Insider – Great podcast for more general, entertainment-focused news. They touch on comics, film, tv, games, and other mediums that may (or may not in some cases) have to do with comics brands. Very funny and great for more casual readers. Recently featured a GREAT interview with Stan Lee.
Comic Geek Speak – This is about as nerdcore as you’re gonna get. A roundtable of guys talking about comics for 2 hours with a new episode dropping almost every day or so. Honestly, I don’t listen to them all as it just WAY too geeked out for me, but when they have great episodes where they interview a variety of comics industry professionals , and others where they discuss comic sales each month to see how particular brands are doing in the market. I only advise this podcast for those who really know their comics or you’ll likely be lost in the dust. -
comics
Noble Causes Comic Review
Creator and Writer: Jay Faerber
Artist: Various
Publisher: Image ComicsSo, I’d been reading about this comic called Noble Causes written by Jay Faerber. I was introduced to his stuff when he started writing the “new” New Mutants series, which was renamed to New X-Men. I was very skeptical when I started reading New Mutants, as he was a relative unknown, but was very impressed with his work. He really knows how to get you feeling for the characters quickly. That’s no easy feat for an ensemble cast of characters in a comic.
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comics
Fables Comic Review
Writer: Bill Willingham
Artists: Various
Published by: Vertigo (DC Comics)Quite simply put…this is the best comic out in the market right now. If you’re not reading this, regardless if you’re a comics fan or not, then you’re really missing out on something quite amazing. This comic is easily on par with the likes of Sandman and is the next big title in the Vertigo line of comics.
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comics
The Exterminators Comic Review
Written by: Simon Oliver
Art by: Tony Moore
Published by: Vertigo Comics (DC)I just finished the first 8 issues of The Exterminators, a comic that juxtaposes human sociology with the vermin world. The writer was interviewed on Comic Geek Speak last week, and that inspired me to check out this series.
Simon Oliver is a newcomer to the comics world…frankly, he doesn’t read comics, and knows little about the industry. And honestly? I think that’s a good thing. He’s a former camera guy for tv and films here in the Hollywood industry but has travelled all over the world and hails from the UK.
The artist is famous for his work on another reviewed title on this blog, The Walking Dead. His art is funny, gritty, and quite grotesque. PERFECT for this book.
The series is quite graphic, and very reminiscent of Garth Ennis’ Preacher/Hellblazer series of comics. It follows a former convict who gains employment with an Extermination company, and spans through many different genres, sci-fi, conspiracy, horror, etc…
This little-known book is getting a lot of attention, and it’s well-deserved. Unfortunately, Vertigo titles take a LONG time to catch on, so I’m hoping this series continues to gain new readers and expand its base. There are already many plots and twists going on in the comic, but they’re all done really well with very specific reasons. No “Lost” style “Um, we don’t know where we’re going with this” confusion in this title. If you’re grossed out easily by bugs and rats, I wouldn’t suggest reading this one…one of the first issues shows a man’s cadaver literally crawling with maggots. Not pretty.
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adam schwenk
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