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What comic books have you read today?11515

past performance is no guarantee of future actions. KatKomics private msg quote post Address this user
"We Only Find Them When They're Dead"....on issue 4 and now I have to stop reading it.

I've enjoyed the story so far but the panel design/layout makes reading the story a chore rather than flowing and enjoyable- I'm out!!!
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If the viagra is working you should be well over a 9.8. xkonk private msg quote post Address this user
@KatKomics yeah, I've been back on forth on that series. After the first couple issues I wanted the story to go a certain direction... it did, so I stuck around, but the art isn't my cup of tea. I might give it to the end of the usual 6 issue arc.
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If the viagra is working you should be well over a 9.8. xkonk private msg quote post Address this user
Read the Ballad of Beta Ray Bill (Thor 337-340) TPB that I got in the gift exchange. I don't read a lot of Thor but it was solid. Makes me wonder what Lady Sif got up to afterward.
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Hold your tongue and say, "I live on a pirate ship." Fads89 private msg quote post Address this user



Sam and His Talking Gun #1 was a great read! One of the best new books I've read in a while.
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If the viagra is working you should be well over a 9.8. xkonk private msg quote post Address this user
Finished the Crisis on Infinite Earths TPB that I got in the holiday exchange. For a non-DC reader, I was surprised by the number of characters that I recognized. TV, movies, and the forum have done a good job.
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COLLECTOR dielinfinite private msg quote post Address this user



Quickly read Alien: The Original Screenplay before bed. It’s notable that this was the last Alien comic produced by Dark Horse before the rights reverted to Marvel/Disney. Unfortunately I can’t see them pursuing interesting projects like this one (Dark Horse was forced to cancel a similar mini-series adapting the original Predator screenplay due to the sale as well). I just hope Marvel can resist the urge to incorporate Aliens into their main Marvel Universe the way they did with Conan.

The idea was to take Dan O’Bannon’s original screenplay and make an adaptation of that from scratch, ignoring elements and visual language developed for the film and relying on the descriptions in the script.

This is interesting but also somewhat to the book’s detriment simply because the look of everything from the original film has become so iconic. They were never going to create anything even as good as the design for the derelict ship or the alien itself.

That said, some design elements, like the space suits and a couple of panels here and there felt like they were ripped out of Prometheus. Though in a way you can almost give it a pass seeing how much the original film inspired what we imagine as science fiction.





Anyways, the story is fairly similar to the finished film, unlike the Alien 3 unproduced script adaptation, though no characters share names with their film counterparts.

The two major changes are that the derelict ship does not carry the alien eggs, though one is found and is assumed to have killed the pilot. Following a scrawled image left by the pilot they instead find the eggs inside a pyramid left by mysterious alien civilization. The idea of the temple and some of the various design elements are again reminiscent of Prometheus so I’m curious to revisit the creation of that film to see if it consciously pulled unused ideas from Alien.

Anyways, the second and more substantial change is the omission of an Ash analog and that whole subplot, including any mention of “the company” at all, making this story all that much more straightforward. Granted the company itself never played that big a role in the first film aside from the twist with Ash but it nevertheless became a major feature of the franchise.

Additionally, the comic includes a a couple of scenes that where not in film’s theatrical cut but included in the later alternate cut. The first being where the Ripley analog initially refuses to let the crew back onto the ship after they’ve encountered the face hugger and a scene where she finds that the the alien has cocooned its victims to the wall for later consumption.

As wish most adaptations, pacing is a bit of an issue. The chestburster scene for example blows by in two pages for a total of nine frames so doesn’t have the time to build the fear and tension that it did in the movie. And being only a five issue mini-series it feels like it takes its time at the start but seems to rush through the end.

Still, it’s an interesting read for fans of the franchise if you can get past the comparatively weak visual design.

On a tangential note, I really hate how Dark Horse doesn’t break the story up by issue and use the opportunity to present the original cover art therein. It’s not unpleasant to read through the story uninterrupted but at the same time I imagine the adaptation was assumed it would be read in parts, seeing as it is a comic book and all, so it would be nice to be able to see where the breaks would have fallen. Additionally, the alternate covers are present in a gallery at the end but the standard covers are only used throughout the book as the front cover, back cover, opposite the title page, and after the forward, omitting one cover entirely. I would’ve preferred they be included as I mentioned above, as part of the natural issue breaks or at the very least collected together in the cover gallery
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Collector Firehawk2069 private msg quote post Address this user



Really liking these two from Cates!
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Collector Stopher999 private msg quote post Address this user
Something old and something new



Enjoyed both
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Collector michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user
I’ve been plowing through piles of comics lately, far too many too cover here, but this series is something that I really enjoyed that I found worthy of further discussion. I don’t usually buy many moderns since I have no idea of what might be good, but I picked these up on the recommendation of @BrianGreensnips when we were digging through the 50 cent boxes at the last con. He mentioned that he had the trade collection and really enjoyed it. Since all six issues were available in the discount bin, I had him pull me out a set. I found them to be a really entertaining read.

“We Stand on Guard” is a futuristic political thriller set in the early 22nd century. After a drone strike on the White House, the US invades Canada, ostensibly in retaliation for the attack, but ultimately to harvest that country’s supply of fresh water, which is an extremely scarce resource due to climate change. The story follows a 5 year old girl whose parents were killed in the initial attack on Canada as she tries to escape the totalitarian US government. After years on the run she eventually meets up with a small band of rebels in the Northern Territory, which is where the story begins. It is an action packed, thought provoking series that is well worth reading if you get the chance.

A few random observations, without giving away too much of the story: although this was a six issue series it could have, even should have, been a 12 issue series. What we get here is almost like the Cliff Notes version. There is so much more depth and texture that could have been added. Aside from the central character, all the other characters and the world they exist in are only vaguely defined due to the limited amount of space. I imagine this is due to economic reasons. A six issue series represents half the financial commitment for the publisher in a world where even a strong selling comic doesn’t represent a huge profit potential. I imagine they make their money mostly off the trade collections, but I digress.

Something else I found surprising was the amount of F-bombs dropped in this series. I wasn’t really bothered or offended by it, but I was definitely surprised, as I’ve read a lot of comics and I am not used to seeing that. I guess the times have changed. Another thing that seems to be a facet of more modern comics is that there is a greater emphasis on the artwork and less words overall. These books are a very fast read, probably about 10 minutes per issue. Again, not bothersome, just different than what I am used to.

Reading this series has definitely opened my mind to trying more moderns. I just need you guys to tell me what’s good so I can keep an eye out next time I am digging through the boxes😉.








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Collector 00slim private msg quote post Address this user
I wasn’t going to buy this. I was planning to get the 3 Trades that comprise the omnibus, just because they’re easier to handle. Then they went and dropped the price & I ended up with some Amazon credit that made it even cheaper.

Her stories are so scatted across different titles, it’s nice to have the older stuff all in one place.

Started with TOS 52 last night, but got distracted by what the wife had on the TV. Starting over today.


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Collector Redmisty4me private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by michaelekrupp
I’ve been plowing through piles of comics lately, far too many too cover here, but this series is something that I really enjoyed that I found worthy of further discussion. I don’t usually buy many moderns since I have no idea of what might be good, but I picked these up on the recommendation of @BrianGreensnips when we were digging through the 50 cent boxes at the last con. He mentioned that he had the trade collection and really enjoyed it. Since all six issues were available in the discount bin, I had him pull me out a set. I found them to be a really entertaining read.

“We Stand on Guard” is a futuristic political thriller set in the early 22nd century. After a drone strike on the White House, the US invades Canada, ostensibly in retaliation for the attack, but ultimately to harvest that country’s supply of fresh water, which is an extremely scarce resource due to climate change. The story follows a 5 year old girl whose parents were killed in the initial attack on Canada as she tries to escape the totalitarian US government. After years on the run she eventually meets up with a small band of rebels in the Northern Territory, which is where the story begins. It is an action packed, thought provoking series that is well worth reading if you get the chance.

A few random observations, without giving away too much of the story: although this was a six issue series it could have, even should have, been a 12 issue series. What we get here is almost like the Cliff Notes version. There is so much more depth and texture that could have been added. Aside from the central character, all the other characters and the world they exist in are only vaguely defined due to the limited amount of space. I imagine this is due to economic reasons. A six issue series represents half the financial commitment for the publisher in a world where even a strong selling comic doesn’t represent a huge profit potential. I imagine they make their money mostly off the trade collections, but I digress.

Something else I found surprising was the amount of F-bombs dropped in this series. I wasn’t really bothered or offended by it, but I was definitely surprised, as I’ve read a lot of comics and I am not used to seeing that. I guess the times have changed. Another thing that seems to be a facet of more modern comics is that there is a greater emphasis on the artwork and less words overall. These books are a very fast read, probably about 10 minutes per issue. Again, not bothersome, just different than what I am used to.

Reading this series has definitely opened my mind to trying more moderns. I just need you guys to tell me what’s good so I can keep an eye out next time I am digging through the boxes😉.




Clever title - are the creatives Canuckian?
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Collector Redmisty4me private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by 00slim
I wasn’t going to buy this. I was planning to get the 3 Trades that comprise the omnibus, just because they’re easier to handle. Then they went and dropped the price & I ended up with some Amazon credit that made it even cheaper.

Her stories are so scatted across different titles, it’s nice to have the older stuff all in one place.

Started with TOS 52 last night, but got distracted by what the wife had on the TV. Starting over today.




Is it a reprint/CE/mini-omnibus thing going back to the 60s, or newer stuff? Nice cover; she seems to have a more normal BMI than, say, WW.
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Collector michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user
@Redmisty4me The artist is Canadian, the writer is American.
Post 463 IP   flag post
Collector 00slim private msg quote post Address this user
@Redmisty4me It goes from the 60’s to early 90’s.

Just shy of 900 pages.


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Masculinity takes a holiday. EbayMafia private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by michaelekrupp
Reading this series has definitely opened my mind to trying more moderns. I just need you guys to tell me what’s good so I can keep an eye out next time I am digging through the boxes


@michaelekrupp You would probably enjoy East of West, Black Hammer, Nightly News. Any Astro City TPB is going to be great, but I like Confession best.

I just read Mark Millar's "Wanted" (first 6 issues) from around 2005 and I'm not sure what to say. It's very different from the Movie that was made from it. The premise is great. The war is over, the Super Villains finally got organized and used their overwhelming numbers to defeat the Super Heroes, their "Fraternity" secretly runs the world from behind the scenes. They kill and commit acts of evil for pleasure, no law enforcement agency in the world will touch a member of the Fraternity. They do raiding runs on parallel earths. Their giant machine (The Empire State Building) can re-write reality. Reality has been re-written so that the general population believe super powered characters only existed in comic books, movies and t.v. shows. The few heroes that the villains keep alive for fun believe that they were just actors in a TV show. Pretty much every character is modeled after somebody, mostly from DC comics. The Bizarro Superman character is named F*ck-wit. The Clayface character is named Shit Head. It's a remarkably clever premise. It's not for everyone.
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Collector michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user
@EbaySeller thanks for the suggestions! I need to re-train myself as to the way I hit the discount boxes at shows. Since more modern titles have a different style of paper than 80s comics they are easy to spot and I have pretty much trained myself to gloss over the books with glossy paper when thumbing through the 50 cent boxes. It speeds up the process considerably, but I am beginning to think it might be a worthwhile investment of my time to look at these a little more carefully. I do have a buddy that often attends cons with me who still keeps up with the new stuff. He will sometimes pull moderns out for me but they are usually books that harken back to that 1980s style because he knows that is where my interests lie. It seems like it’s time to open my mind to trying more diverse things. After all, at 50 cents a pop it doesn’t cost too much to take a chance on something different.
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Masculinity takes a holiday. EbayMafia private msg quote post Address this user
@michaelekrupp honestly for moderns I would just go straight to the TPB discount bins. I would find it way to overwhelming to sort through boxes of moderns looking for specific books.
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Collector Nelsconey private msg quote post Address this user
Department of Truth is my new jam.

Being a huge JFK assassination guy. This book is perfect for me. I'm a firm believer that a lot these writers are so much better when they do their own stuff. Tynion's Batman is very good. Dont get me wrong. I just feel like they are held back when they have to play in the DC/Marvel sandbox
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Collector Redmisty4me private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by 00slim
@Redmisty4me It goes from the 60’s to early 90’s.

Just shy of 900 pages.




Mega-Omnibus!

And she deserves every page!
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Collector Jabberwookie private msg quote post Address this user
Been reading some Marvel Masterworks Avengers.

Just started the Hellcat first appearance. It's a pretty fun run through history for me.

I wish I'd been able to pick up more of these when I was a kid.
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past performance is no guarantee of future actions. KatKomics private msg quote post Address this user
ya know...I have never been a fan of Harley Quinn and have mostly not cared about Joker stories for a very long time now.

I am surprised at how much I am enjoying the DC Black Label Joker/Harley series. Just finished book #4 and have a feeling I'll be disappointed that I only have 5 issues..will have to see if the store can get me the rest of the series!
Will finish it off tomorrow.

So far, every black label series I've read, I've enjoyed...there are some I just don't care enough about to even pick up but this one my LCS owner said was something I'd probably like and as usual he is correct!! Really nice having a long term LCS that I frequent - lets me get into things I would otherwise skip!!

Only bad thing about the Black Label books....the size!!! bigger than a comic, different size than a magazine (so the boards and bags don't quite fit correctly - might just be an OCD thing on my part!)
I don't get it either that some series are comic sized and others are this odd magazine size....choose a format and stick with it fellas!!
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Captain Accident the420bandito private msg quote post Address this user
This was a fun read. Went a little too fast for my $15 but I love the Brubaker/Phillips duo. They can do no wrong.


Post 472 IP   flag post
Collector BrianGreensnips private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by michaelekrupp
I’ve been plowing through piles of comics lately, far too many too cover here, but this series is something that I really enjoyed that I found worthy of further discussion. I don’t usually buy many moderns since I have no idea of what might be good, but I picked these up on the recommendation of @BrianGreensnips when we were digging through the 50 cent boxes at the last con. He mentioned that he had the trade collection and really enjoyed it. Since all six issues were available in the discount bin, I had him pull me out a set. I found them to be a really entertaining read.

“We Stand on Guard” is a futuristic political thriller set in the early 22nd century. After a drone strike on the White House, the US invades Canada, ostensibly in retaliation for the attack, but ultimately to harvest that country’s supply of fresh water, which is an extremely scarce resource due to climate change. The story follows a 5 year old girl whose parents were killed in the initial attack on Canada as she tries to escape the totalitarian US government. After years on the run she eventually meets up with a small band of rebels in the Northern Territory, which is where the story begins. It is an action packed, thought provoking series that is well worth reading if you get the chance.

A few random observations, without giving away too much of the story: although this was a six issue series it could have, even should have, been a 12 issue series. What we get here is almost like the Cliff Notes version. There is so much more depth and texture that could have been added. Aside from the central character, all the other characters and the world they exist in are only vaguely defined due to the limited amount of space. I imagine this is due to economic reasons. A six issue series represents half the financial commitment for the publisher in a world where even a strong selling comic doesn’t represent a huge profit potential. I imagine they make their money mostly off the trade collections, but I digress.

Something else I found surprising was the amount of F-bombs dropped in this series. I wasn’t really bothered or offended by it, but I was definitely surprised, as I’ve read a lot of comics and I am not used to seeing that. I guess the times have changed. Another thing that seems to be a facet of more modern comics is that there is a greater emphasis on the artwork and less words overall. These books are a very fast read, probably about 10 minutes per issue. Again, not bothersome, just different than what I am used to.

Reading this series has definitely opened my mind to trying more moderns. I just need you guys to tell me what’s good so I can keep an eye out next time I am digging through the boxes😉.








I am glad you enjoyed it. I think it would make a great Netflix show.
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Collector BrianGreensnips private msg quote post Address this user

My son suggested I read this one. It is a crazy issue with a bunch of 1 and 2 page little spoofs in it.
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Collector BrianGreensnips private msg quote post Address this user

Here is one example.
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Collector monjoody private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nelsconey
Department of Truth is my new jam.


That's bonkers. It takes me a bit to get through an issue, mainly due to the artwork, but then I have to sit and process it for a bit. There's a lot going on.

Latest reads:

Black Cat 2 - I like the writing
Future State: Next Batman 2 - Intriguing
I Breathed a Body 1 - On the fence. Will need to see where it goes
King in Black 3 - Good set up for the next issue
Once & Future 15 - I love this. It's so good.
Red Sonja: Price of Blood 2 - Ehhhh..
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-Our Odin-
Rest in Peace
Jesse_O private msg quote post Address this user
Here are two new comics that I got and read today. First one is Taarna by Heavy Metal. If you are a fan of the first Heavy Metal movie, I cannot recommend this comic enough!!! I love the paper, art and story line. Just like the movie, it is not recommended for young people.




The next comic is also a mature theme. It is a bit twisted and dark. If you like psychological thrillers, this is for you!!! I thoroughly enjoyed this first issue and look forward to the next one ... and yes, that is a bloody clown.


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Collector willieCPA4646 private msg quote post Address this user
I read Reckless recently, also. While I liked the book, I don't think I like the series enough to preorder the second Image hardcover that's coming out in 2021.
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Collector michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user
I’ve been involved with a pretty fun reading project over the last few weeks. Since it is currently January I decided to dig out all the comics in my collection cover dated January of 1983 for a re-reading (or in some cases a first reading). I figure to continue with February ‘83 next month and so forth. Seems like a fun way to get back in touch with the periodical nature of comics and the thrill of following the monthly installments. Yes, I realize that January cover dates actually hit the stands around October of ‘82 (and comic shops in September), but it seemed simplest to start with January in January so that’s what I did. Man, has this been fun! So many comics that I had completely forgotten how awesome they were! I still have about a dozen left to read before I get to February’s treasure trove. For the record, I have in my collection 51 different January ‘83 titles, probably about 75% of Marvels and 80% of DCs and the majority of the independents, with a total combined cover price of $37.45. Here are just a few of the highlights:

Camelot 3000 was a great series which became somewhat infamous for the long delays between issues. The first issue of this 12 issue limited series was dated December’82. The final issue, August ‘85.



And G. I. Joe! Man, did I like G. I. Joe! Re-reading this early classic brought back many memories of just how excited my friends and I were about this book. As the 80s progressed it would go on to become enormously popular, with back issues flying out the door at ridiculous prices.



Action Comics was another title I really enjoyed at that time, with the sorceress, Syrene, and her husband, Lord Satanis battling each other with Superman caught in the middle.



Something else I was really into back then was the Dungeons and Dragons game. A testament to the game’s popularity at that time is just how many sword and sorcery were coming out at that time. Here are some examples.






The independent publisher movement really took off in ‘83. Dave Sim’s Cerebus was one of the earliest indies to break through to a wide audience. IMO, 1983 was probably the peak year for the book.



There are many, many other issues worth mentioning but I am going to cut it off there for now. I am very much looking forward to next month’s issues. Since I am used to binge reading whatever I feel like whenever I feel like it, I had forgotten just how exciting looking forward to next month’s issues can be!
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past performance is no guarantee of future actions. KatKomics private msg quote post Address this user
Just had an hour and a half work call so I read a couple books while on mute!!!

DC Future State #1's

Flash: was ok....not enough for me to get any other issues.

Swamp Thing: on the fence...seems interesting, I tend to fall in and out of love with Swamp Thing depending on the storylines at the time, I'll likely do another 2 or 4 to see where it's going

Wonder Woman: shocked!!..I really liked this one...will give #2 a try!! I think the last time I was into WW was back in the 90's..I think it was Bolland who had a good run back then
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