Comics

[jordanmichael]

since i notice a lot of my threads derail into talking about comics, and we really need an uplifting thread, i made this. hopefully this because an updating thread where you can just post reviews, previews, or just talk about shit you are excited about. similar to the "current reading material" thread. just one of those threads that never goes away. hopefully.

let's start off with some previews you might enjoy

craig thompson's "blankets"

otis frampton's "oddly normal"

in other news i read issue #17 of pvp. why can't all comic strips be like pvp? i read the comics section of my newspaper today. they all blow. calvin and hobbes is the only one i think is actually good. i have an emotionally attachment to garfield, i will admit. such a big character from my childhood. i also don't see why everyone likes boondocks. i think the cartooning is ugly. it can have it's moments though, but not normally.

also, in the realm of webcomics, i think pet professional is pretty good. you people might not like it though.

recently i have been reading comics on greg nog's site. he has a really good style of cartooning. you should check it out.

speaking of cartooning, if anyone here is any good at cartooning and wants to do a web comic called "pirate vs. viking" talk to me. *SELF PROMOTING WHORE*

[Ah_Pook]

i bought used copies of Akira v1 and 2 and the Watchmen TPB earlier tonight. im pretty happy about it, probably gonna read some Watchmen here in a bit. eventually im going to get all of the Akira volumes used, because i really want them all but at $25 a pop its a bit much.

[jordanmichael]

i bought used copies of Akira v1 and 2 and the Watchmen TPB earlier tonight. im pretty happy about it, probably gonna read some Watchmen here in a bit. eventually im going to get all of the Akira volumes used, because i really want them all but at $25 a pop its a bit much.

akira is one of those classics like jimmy corrigan, hellboy, and sin city that i still haven't read. i plan on buying them all at wizard world philly in less than a month!

just for reference, clikc "WWW" and you can see my livejournal. every wednesday i post the comics i bought that week. if you really want to know what's on my pull list.

edit: if you haven't read watchmen yet, the key is to pay attention to the small stuff in the panels, and the text at the end of each chapter.

along with blankets, it is my favorite ever.

[Nicholson]

God, dude, most comics I've read recently have sucked, and I really hate spending money on them. I don't want to get too into it, because I've got other venues for such things, but in terms of good comics I've read recently?

Like A Velvet Glove Cast In Iron by Daniel Clowes is really good, and I just read that recently, although it's been around for ages.

I went to the comic shop on Free Comic Book Day, and the Joel Priddy short story in the Superior Showcase thing Adhouse put out was pretty solid as well.

But, if we're going to have a comics thread, might as well throw this out there: As far as I'm concerned, Jordan, the most punchable thing you've ever said was about how Grant Morrison tries too hard to be weird, because, oh god, just fuck the people who say that, and I'm pretty sure you're just parroting other people who've said it, it's an agreed upon thing for a lot of people, but NO NO NO. His best stuff is when he's being weird, and he's never being weird just for the sake of it. I'm getting pissed about the suckiness of the Seven Soldiers thing, but you would probably be a much better person were you to read stuff like The Invisibles, and his Doom Patrol run (my favorite comics EVER, buy the trades) and really take the lessons there to heart. You might just not like the guy, but basically, if you read superhero comics on a regular basis (or even if you don't) and can't hang with Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol (two trades so far- Crawling From The Wreckage and The Painting That Ate Paris) I don't want to know you. The only excuse I'll take for shit like that is having an engrained bias against superheros, just thinking they're silly, and you don't take any of that shit. That's not the case with you, so yeah, Doom Patrol.

It's not inherently dealbreaker, like my decision I came to a few weeks back that if someone doesn't like Calvin And Hobbes, I don't want to know them. This rule doesn't apply to non-nerdy people who don't have an instilled "superheros are pretty sweet" part of their brain. To those people I'd make more specific recommendations.

[jordanmichael]

God, dude, most comics I've read recently have sucked, and I really hate spending money on them. I don't want to get too into it, because I've got other venues for such things, but in terms of good comics I've read recently?

Like A Velvet Glove Cast In Iron by Daniel Clowes is really good, and I just read that recently, although it's been around for ages.

I went to the comic shop on Free Comic Book Day, and the Joel Priddy short story in the Superior Showcase thing Adhouse put out was pretty solid as well.

But, if we're going to have a comics thread, might as well throw this out there: As far as I'm concerned, Jordan, the most punchable thing you've ever said was about how Grant Morrison tries too hard to be weird, because, oh god, just fuck the people who say that, and I'm pretty sure you're just parroting other people who've said it, it's an agreed upon thing for a lot of people, but NO NO NO. His best stuff is when he's being weird, and he's never being weird just for the sake of it. I'm getting pissed about the suckiness of the Seven Soldiers thing, but you would probably be a much better person were you to read stuff like The Invisibles, and his Doom Patrol run (my favorite comics EVER, buy the trades) and really take the lessons there to heart. You might just not like the guy, but basically, if you read superhero comics on a regular basis (or even if you don't) and can't hang with Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol (two trades so far- Crawling From The Wreckage and The Painting That Ate Paris) I don't want to know you. The only excuse I'll take for shit like that is having an engrained bias against superheros, just thinking they're silly, and you don't take any of that shit. That's not the case with you, so yeah, Doom Patrol.

It's not inherently dealbreaker, like my decision I came to a few weeks back that if someone doesn't like Calvin And Hobbes, I don't want to know them. This rule doesn't apply to non-nerdy people who don't have an instilled "superheros are pretty sweet" part of their brain. To those people I'd make more specific recommendations.

clowes is coming out with a new graphic novel this june. i think june. may-july. if you like clowes i suggest james kolchaka's "superfuckers" which comes out the same time.

grant morrison is a GOOD writer, but he does what i dislike the most when writer do it. the vague symbolism. if you have something to say, say it. don't give me vague images so that i'll assume that you have something to say. although, i am reading his comic about eastern gods, vimanarama. it's decent. i have one of his seven soldiers books on the bottom of my "to read" pile.

i grew up on superheroes. the majority of what a read is superhero stuff. that is mostly because it is the easiest to get my hands on. i am adding a LOT more indies/small press/non-cape books to my pull list.

let me take this time to give another preview. ben rosen's insult to injury. it is a mini comic created by a 15 year old kid from jersey. he is a pretty cool guy. we normally talk indie rock and comics on the bendis board. he is the one who told me about the decemberists concert on npr.

[jordanmichael]

i brought this up, and i hate to self promote, but you can check out the first chapter script here.

[Andrew_TSKS]

damn, greg nog's comic strip about the olive garden job is HILARIOUS. hella props, there, greg!

[jordanmichael]

damn, greg nog's comic strip about the olive garden job is HILARIOUS. hella props, there, greg!

it is. i was making all my friends read it.

[jebreject]

i kinda wish i hadn't gotten out of comics, but then again, when i got out of comics i got into music, and really, i think music is a much better thing to be obsessed about.

[jordanmichael]

i kinda wish i hadn't gotten out of comics, but then again, when i got out of comics i got into music, and really, i think music is a much better thing to be obsessed about.

see, i love the mixture. there is a certain art to find the right song to go with what comic you're reading.

[Nicholson]

It's pretty easy to be into both.

That said: If you were in the position of not being hardcore into comics, not actively seeking out being on the tip (because doing that's kind of soul-crushing, what with all the grossness and shit) but just had people recommending stuff to you that they really really liked, whereas you were on the tip actively seeking out new music, that would be cool. I kind of hate being on the comics tip, and was thinking about stopping reading comics for at least a year a few months back.

There's some good stuff. It's a good art form, with a lot of good work within it, but being in the shit and actively seeking it out is kind of hard to recommend to all but those with the smallest amount of social skills and a decent amount of disposable income.

[jordanmichael]

It's pretty easy to be into both.

it is, but with me, one dominants over the other. i don't spend nearly as much on music as i do on comics. i used to get about a new cd a week, now i am down to one, maybe two a month. comics are costing me a lot of money.

[rockmeamadeus]

I actively read every single issue of X-Men that comes out... stand in the aisle of Mr. Paperback until I finish. Then I put it back, without paying for it, and pick up Asimov's to bring home with me. Crikey I love that mag.
Back on topic: Anyone here read Metropolitan? I am far from a comic nerd and don't know who did it... only that it ruled alot.

[jordanmichael]

I actively read every single issue of X-Men that comes out... stand in the aisle of Mr. Paperback until I finish. Then I put it back, without paying for it, and pick up Asimov's to bring home with me. Crikey I love that mag.
Back on topic: Anyone here read Metropolitan? I am far from a comic nerd and don't know who did it... only that it ruled alot.

which x-men? all of them have been pretty shitty, except astonishing x-men. joss whedon is amazing, and that book is up for a lot of eisners.

are you talking about metropolitan or transmetropolitan?

[rockmeamadeus]

My friend, you didn't grow up with the X-Men, as I did. And I'm talking just 'X-Men'. Gambit was my first hero... loved that guy.
Shit, how can you hate the X-Men??? What's not to like?

As far as that title... I was pretty sure it was plain old metropolitan... but I can't check it because right now I'm on campus at the computer center, it's 1 am, and I'm deep in the throes of a Marcus Aurelius term paper. Deep, man. I'll mention more about it this weekend...

Ooooo what about ...1492 was it? The alternate reality comic? With all the Marvel heroes and stuff?? THAT fucking RULED....

[jordanmichael]

My friend, you didn't grow up with the X-Men, as I did. And I'm talking just 'X-Men'. Gambit was my first hero... loved that guy.
Shit, how can you hate the X-Men??? What's not to like?

As far as that title... I was pretty sure it was plain old metropolitan... but I can't check it because right now I'm on campus at the computer center, it's 1 am, and I'm deep in the throes of a Marcus Aurelius term paper. Deep, man. I'll mention more about it this weekend...

Ooooo what about ...1492 was it? The alternate reality comic? With all the Marvel heroes and stuff?? THAT fucking RULED....

1602. 1492 was the year columbus sailed the ocean blue. i called it 1492 a few times as well. i have all those issues, but i completely forgot to read them. thanks for reminding me! i'll read the series tomorrow after school.


how can i hate the x-men? it isn't a hate, it is disappointment. in uncanny x-men, chris claremont is writing a horrible story with talking dinosaurs. it's so sad to see someone who came up with such great stories be reduced to that. in regular x-men, they are against the golgatha. it's good, but the writer is peter milligan, and i expect the best from him.

i didn't grow up with the x-men like you did? i learned to read and write by copying down the names of the characters on the back of the x-men action figure box. the x-men were my entire life. i didn't have friends, so i just played with x-men toys all day. that is actualy how i started writing. when i was 6 i would have giant epics that would go on for monthes, like story archs in a comic. had it not been for x-men i would not be literate, or be able to write.

[rockmeamadeus]

had it not been for x-men i would not be literate, or be able to write.

So show a little respect, yo. And I'm not picky myself about such things as 'writing great stories' and 'plots'... it's a motherfuckin' COMIC BOOK for pete's sake. That's what I dig about X-Men... it's just a fun comic to read.

Oh man. Oh MAN. For some reason the 7th book of the Meditations made me think of Silver Surfer, don't ask why... you won't want to know.
But dude... that guy... oh man. Just a lonesome traveller, surfing around looking for his home and his woman... the Kerouac of the cosmos, if you will. <Sigh> And all that interior dialogue...

[jordanmichael]

had it not been for x-men i would not be literate, or be able to write.

So show a little respect, yo. And I'm not picky myself about such things as 'writing great stories' and 'plots'... it's a motherfuckin' COMIC BOOK for pete's sake. That's what I dig about X-Men... it's just a fun comic to read.

see i disagree. comics can say something. no matter how mainstream they are. here comes my point...

Just a lonesome traveller, surfing around looking for his home and his woman... the Kerouac of the cosmos, if you will. <Sigh> And all that interior dialogue...

the silver surfer was used as stan lee's voice (even though he was created by jack kirby) for greater issues. when an author wants to say something about us, as people, they pick up the the silver surfer. or, if you are reading the incredible hulk, like i am, you know that the hulk is on an island fighting monsters for issue after issue. doesn't seem like it means anything? this story arch is peter david's (the writer) view on "blue state" vs. "red state" america.

[rockmeamadeus]

Is this the same Peter David who wrote 'Imzadi' and a bunch of other Star Trek: TNG novels?? Please say yes...

   ^   Yo, I get geek points for that. Whoever's keeping score, make sure to makr me some.

[jordanmichael]

Is this the same Peter David who wrote 'Imzadi' and a bunch of other Star Trek: TNG novels?? Please say yes...

   ^   Yo, I get geek points for that. Whoever's keeping score, make sure to makr me some.

to be honest, i don't know. the only star trek i am involved in is the old shatner show i tivo.

[rockmeamadeus]

Alright, kid, I gotta leave off our mild comic discussion here... unless you're going to help me talk about utilitarianism in Marcus Aurelius?? Barring that, let's just agree that the Silver Surfer rules and leave it at that... X-Men hate aside.

[FreddyKnuckles]

I read that Mill jive Utilitarianism.  no fun.  good luck.

[rockmeamadeus]

You know what, I actually dug Mill. I didn't 'dig' him like I dig Charlie Parker, mind you... but for being British, the dude was tight. I like the idea of 'happiness for the greatest amount of people'... I think it's bullshit... but I like it.

[Andrew_TSKS]

Is this the same Peter David who wrote 'Imzadi' and a bunch of other Star Trek: TNG novels?? Please say yes...

   ^   Yo, I get geek points for that. Whoever's keeping score, make sure to makr me some.

that's him. he also writes humorous fantasy novels.

[rockmeamadeus]

Thanks, Andrew... man he rules.