What comic books have you read today?11515
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 I read this when it originally came out and just recently finished re-acquiring the full run. Finished re-reading it over the weekend. |
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| Harley Quinn #2 and #3 (Phillips / Rossmo). The DC solicitation has Harley writing her own solicit: "Harley Quinn here, still narrating my solicit text! My war of wellness with Hugo Strange kicks into high gear this issue, and things are gonna get ugly. Hugo is about to send his right-hand man-child Lockwood, Arkham Asylum’s most sadistic guard, after Kevin and me at our first support group meeting. Folks, some things in this world are sacred, and I am not gonna stand for this. Hugo Strange never picked a fight with someone like me before, and he’s not going to like the results. Buy this issue-it’s a real gem!" (Issue #3) |
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Aside from BRZRKR #3, which I've been impressed by, I read the this specimen. The first short story seemed like a Swampy/Frankenstein mashup. The second story, The Sea Monster was surprising. The Third story was a Poe I recently read in them Poe AHOY comics trades I posted. Either way way Wrightson made it way more twisted than a "drunk Poe". Regardless there was plenty of artwork I never viewed. |
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Quote:Originally Posted by michaelekruppAAAAWWWWW shit @michaelekrupp! I just saw your copy! feed back when you get to it please! |
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 Masculinity takes a holiday.
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Been reading the 1986 Color Grendel series from Comico. I skipped over the first 12 issues with Christine Sparr and the "Nigel" inspired artwork from the Pander Brothers that seemed so cool and cutting edge in 1986. One issue later, the artwork and storytelling had taken a sharp turn:  Issues 13 and 14 were a decent read. 15 and 16 were an excruciating experiment in comic book reading, 25 equal square panels per page with narration below. These two issues along with 17 and 18 bogged me down for days. Around issue 20 starts a 400ish year run where governments are toppled by corporations and Grendel evolves from a personal experience to a global puppet master most closely relatable to the Christian belief of The Devil. |
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| Man. I was interested in reading it until I read thru the review. | ||
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Quote:Originally Posted by HeinzDad In my opinion the imagery of Grendel has a fairly iconic look and has always been quite a bit stronger than the actual story-telling. For those who don't know, Grendel is not a fixed character so much as a kind of demonic possession or influence. It started with the wealthy Hunter Rose who became an outside-the-law Batman type character under the Grendel influence. I would give it a mixed review. If you don't start from issue 1, I really can't pick a great place to recommend starting from. |
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| After reading @HeinzDad’s review of Berni Wrightson Master of the Macabre #1, I moved the book to the top of my reading pile. I also read Twisted Tales #3, another Pacific Comics horror book from the same month for comparison and contrast. Twisted Tales was PC’s salute to the EC horror comics of old, featuring multiple stories by diverse and highly skilled artists, with the “gotcha” endings that EC made famous. The first thing that leapt out at me is just how far above the rest Wrightson is as a horror artist… and that’s really saying something, because the artists in Twisted Tales are all top notch pros. In the areas of establishing mood, graphic design and rendering facial expressions, Wrightson just blows away the competition! The only real contender to the throne in this arena is the legendary Graham Ingels, who was an obvious influence on Wrightson. As to who is the real master of horror between those two, we’ll have to call it a draw. Wrightson’s technique may seem slightly more polished, but NOBODY draws a rotting corpse like Ingels! As to the stories, I liked the first story in BW#1 the best. It tells the story of a Frankenstein monster’s creation from the monster’s point of view. Very interesting. There is also a very well rendered adaptation of Poe’s “The Black Cat”, which was very well done, although the subject of cruelty to animals (especially cats!) is one that leaves me cold. The middle story in BW#1 centers around a sea monster, with a nice twist ending. As for TT#3, I liked the lead off story best. Hard to go wrong with dinosaurs or with Richard Corben art. The second story is somewhat lackluster but features a very polished art job by Jonny Quest creator, Doug Wildey. The issue is rounded out with stories illustrated by Bill Wray and Brett Blevins respectively. Both are pretty good twist ending tales with great artwork. The more Blevins artwork that I see as I revisit 1983 makes me realize just how underrated he is. He may never have gotten on a “fan favorite” title, but he sure did some great work! If I had to pick a favorite of the two books, I would probably go with BW#1, but both of these comics are worth a read if you like these kind of stories.   |
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 I'd like to say I still turned out alright, but that would be a lie.
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| Venom #35 SIKTC #16-17 - I love this series so much I may have to kidnap James Tynion and break his ankles with a sledgehammer.  |
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A few of my more interesting recent reads: Superman and Batman go on a radio talk show to discuss the topic of crime. I thought that this was a really intriguing premise. It became a little hackneyed when a villain called the radio station and demanded money to not detonate an anthrax bomb, but still had some really interesting characterization and highlighted the differences in the WF team’s approach to crime and criminals.  This comic updated the Luthor and Braniac characters for the 1980s. These updates were really not much more than a facelift, the era of full reboots being just around the corner beginning with Crisis On Infinite Earths. Perhaps the more interesting part of this 45th anniversary celebration was the contributions from Superman’s creators. Jerry Siegel contributed lengthy musings on the creation of Superman and the struggles they endured trying to get the concept published. Joe Shuster was much more brief in his comments, but did contribute this drawing:  Last but not least, this was a really good issue of G. I. Combat, featuring stories from four different wars. I am a fan of the DC war books in general and G. I. Combat in particular, although the stories can sometimes be hit or miss. There were no dogs in this issue, though. Highly recommended!  |
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Stray dogs #1-5. Interesting series and a quick read, but I don't understand why people are paying so much for copies: |
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| After reading Grendel 13-30 I did go back and read the Christine Spar issues (#1-#12). It's actually pretty good and at the time (mid 80's) was nominated for Kirby awards for Best New Series and Best Ongoing Series. The story is a long Kabuki Dance between Grendel (Christine Spar) and...a Kabuki Dancer. The Kabuki dancer also happens to be a Chinese vampire and human slave trafficker. We learn from the letters page that the Kabuki dancer is intentionally not Japanese because Japanese culture has no myths of vampires. My main complaint was that the over-the-top angular styles of the Pander Brothers just got to be obnoxious after the first few issues. I wouldn't mind seeing the entire story re-imagined by a new artist or art team. Also Comico as a company seemed to have a certain high-brow aloofness at the time. The ads for their other comic lines told me nothing about them, gave me no reason to take interest in them and left me feeling like an outsider. | ||
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Finished with the June ‘83 issues. On to July!         |
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 I live in RI and Rhode Islanders eat chili with beans.
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| @michaelekrupp - Not sure if you know it, but that Marvel Team-Up issue can go for a pretty penny. | ||
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@esaravo interesting. Somehow I am sure it’s not because there are a lot of Frog-Man fans out there. |
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After spending the holiday celebrating with family and friends I decided to begin digging into my July ‘83 issues with Frank Miller’s Ronin #1. Ronin was most likely the most hyped new comic book of 1983. In spite of the hype, it didn’t really seem to have a tremendous impact on the industry at the time (inspiring TMNT aside). I always thought this was because the book didn’t live up to the hype. After reading Ronin #1 for the first time tonight I will say I was wrong about that. This book was freaking awesome!!! Miller’s story about a masterless samurai and a demon who become linked together through centuries is amazing! And the artwork is no less so. Miller builds upon his reputation for graphic design and panel layouts which he earned during his Daredevil run, hitting new heights in these pages. After reading this issue, I can’t wait for the next installment! Which begs the question: why was this book considered something of a disappointment back in 1983? It seems like I remember there may have been an issue with scheduling and issues not coming out on time. Not Camelot 3000 late, but still off schedule. Not sure if that is accurate or not, but for some reason my memory says it is. However, I think the real problem with the book back then was the format. Well, not so much the format (48 pages on high quality paper with no ads) but the price. This was a $2.50 comic in an era when the going rate was 60 cents. I think price resistance really hurt this book. I know that, as a 13 year old kid, $2.50 was too rich for my blood. I think if the price/ format had been different, the book would have achieved much greater success. Nowadays it is pretty much forgotten. I picked this issue up for around the cover price on MCS when I was trying to fill the gaps in my 1983 collection for the current reading project. If you are looking for a worthwhile read at what is a very reasonable price (in 2021 money) and you haven’t read this book yet, check it out. Like I said, it’s freaking awesome! |
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| DARK HORSE: Just finished Invisible Kingdom - Volume 3. Dark Horse decided to wait for a volume to publish, instead of issuing individual issues.clickable text | ||
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Thinking I will change it up and rate my recent reads on a 5 star scale:  don’t waste your time. Mediocre at best. Average quality. You will enjoy it if you like this type of story. Exceptional/ recommended read. Freaking awesome! Absolutely must read!Batman 361  The early stages of the buildup toward Jason Todd becoming the new Robin. Good action and great Don Newton art. Rom 44  Rom once again inhabits the space knight armor after being human for an issue or two. The Fly 2  I felt really burned by this one back when I originally read it. After issue 1 ended with an exciting cliffhanger, this issue offers a cheesy 3 page cop-out followed by a bunch of filler material. I got the impression that the artist may have quit between issues 1 and 2 or never finished the job. The Steve Ditko drawn story in this issue is actually decent. I guess I’ve grown soft over the years because I am giving this issue one more star than I would have back in the day. Jonah Hex 74  Another great issue of a great book! This is the beginning of a new story arc which finds Hex saving the life of a notorious criminal he’d been hired to bring in. US1 3  Another solid issue in a series I am really enjoying. Frank Springer takes over the art chores from Herb Trimpe on this issue but their styles are somewhat similar so there is no drop off or jarring difference in artwork here. The Flash 323  This is where this book really starts to heat up, moving toward the “Trial of the Flash” storyline that would continue until the end of the series. It loses a star for the mediocre Creeper back up feature which doesn’t impress me at all. The Saga of Crystar 2  Bret Blevins art is the saving grace of this book. The story is just uninspired. Already they are promoting an appearance by Dr. Strange next issue to try to bring in the mainstream Marvel reader. Incredible Hulk 285  This is during the “intelligent Hulk” period, where the Hulk possessed Bruce Banner’s personality and intellect. I understand why something needed to change with this long stagnant title. The problem is, I am already starting to become bored with this new direction. What really needs to change here is the creative team. |
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| This is covering the last few days: Star Wars 73  This was a pretty good read, although I am not a big fan of Ron Frenz artwork. The action is good and the characters are true to their on screen characterizations. I have been missing Han Solo in the series, though. Since these books came out between Empire and Return of the Jedi, Solo has only appeared in flashbacks. DNAgents 4  This is a series that I am really enjoying revisiting for the first time since the 80s. If you have never read it, it is well worth a look. This particular issue caused me some confusion, however. In the back up feature, the second and last pages were somehow switched around due to a mishap at the printers. It took quite a bit of effort before I finally figured out what order the pages were meant to be read in! I guess that’s one argument for numbering the pages at the bottom. 1/2Nexus 2  I’m sure many of you are already aware of what a great series Nexus is. Great writing, great artwork and colors that just leap off the page! Capital used a different system for color separation than traditional comics, and the results were truly impressive. It’s a shame that they couldn’t manage the business end of things, because the comics they did put out were all high quality. Edge of Chaos 1  Gray Morrow impresses here as a quadruple threat writer, artist, letterer, colorist. His reimagining of the Greek pantheon is both excellent and imaginative and leaves you wanting more! I am knocking off half a star, though, because of how text heavy this comic is. I do enjoy a meaty book with lots of reading involved, but there is so much text here that it infringes upon the artwork in almost every panel. 1/2House of Mystery 318  This is the penultimate chapter in the story of I...Vampire!, which I really enjoyed. The other two stories are typical run of the mill mystery stories. The last one was decent, the middle one nothing special. Warlord 71  Morgan and Shakira return to their own time after being accidentally displaced while traveling through a magic mirror a few issues back. I think this may be the last Mike Grell written issue of Warlord, although I would have to dip into next month’s books to be sure. He is noticeably absent from the cover art this time. Captain America 283  This issue is the epic conclusion to a multi-issue arc featuring Viper and the introduction of the new Nomad (Jack Monroe). Great issue here, and this series would only get better as JM DeMatteis began building up toward the amazing conclusion of his run in Cap 300. I will say this: Cap 280-300 are mandatory Marvel. If you are a Marvel fan and have never read these, what the heck are you waiting for?!? Go read them now! This post will be waiting when you get back! The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones 7  This is a comic that I only bought an issue or two of when it was on the stands, so these are fresh for me. I find that I am really enjoying the book! There has been some shuffling of creative teams, but overall the quality has been excellent. I like the mid-1930s setting, and the stories, most involving exotic locales, ancient artifacts and a healthy dose of action, have been quite entertaining! |
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| Some of my absolute childhood favorites are among the comics in this batch. Some of these books I read over and over again in 1983, although I haven’t revisited them in well over 30 years! Fury of Firestorm 14  This one brings back a lot of great memories. The scene where unemployed nuclear physicist Martin Stein takes a job as a cook in a fast food restaurant and utterly bombs is priceless! Back then, FOF was one of my absolute favorite books. Looking back, the departure of artist Pat Broderick was the point where I began to lose interest, but those first 18 or so issues are classics. Legion of Superheroes 301  Revisiting these early ‘80s Legion stories, I am in awe of how deftly writer Paul Levitz handles a book with so many different characters. It is a difficult task to juggle so many personalities while making sure each receives adequate time in the spotlight and is portrayed as a unique individual, not just another face in the crowd. This is yet another great issue, sporting an awesome homage cover to boot! World’s Finest Comics 293  This issue introduced the villains Null and Void, whom I really liked and thought were worthy opponents for the World’s Finest team. The duo would return in 1984 for an epic multi issue clash with Supes and Bats which, along with this issue, were high points in the 1980s WF run. Uncanny X-men 171  Rogue joins the X-men. I had forgotten what a great issue this was, highlighting everything that made those early 80s X-men so great. There isn’t a tremendous amount of action in this issue, but Claremont’s characterization skills are on full display here. His X-men were like real people, not just characters in a story. And Walt Simonson’s appearance as guest artist was a refreshing change from the art style of Paul Smith, whom I was never a great fan of. I always felt his characters all seemed way too thin for some reason. JLA 216  This was the wrap of a lengthy story arc which had become a bit tiresome. The conclusion this issue is somewhat redemptive, with good action and a decent ending. It also marks the end of Gerry Conway’s lengthy tenure as JLA writer. The New Mutants 5  I read these early issues of New Mutants over and over each month when they were new, although I have not revisited them since I quit the title around the end of 1985. They still hold up pretty well, although I don’t have quite the same regard for them as I did when I was 13. Team America makes a guest appearance here, with the revelation that the group is actually a gestalt mutant, capable of projecting the persona and abilities of the dark rider onto any random person when they are in trouble. I thought that was a pretty interesting concept, yet TA seemed to fade away after making a couple of appearances in this book. Does anyone know if TA made any subsequent appearances after they appeared here? Power Man and Iron Fist 95  This seemed to be something of an off issue. A young Kurt Busiek still had a bit off polishing to do as far as his dialogue was concerned, and Ernie Chan’s (whose work I loved in Savage Sword of Conan) art seems stiff and ill suited to the fluid action of a superhero strip. Green Arrow 3  This mini series started off interestingly and then seemed to bog down a little. Now it seems to be regaining momentum for what should be an interesting climax. |
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All-Star Squadron 23 Several issues into a year long storyline, this issue features the introduction of Amazing-Man. Another solid issue, the only downside being that the several page origin sequence was not drawn by Jerry Ordway. I guess he needed to take a few pages off to stay on schedule. Rick Hoberg does a fine job filling in, but Ordway is the master! Defenders 121  There’s a lot going on in this issue as the book was heading toward a major shakeup in issue 125. The biggest development here is the separation of Daimon Hellstrom from his demonic “dark soul”. The Thing 1  Great story by John Byrne. The Thing recounts the story of his childhood to the current members of the Yancy Street Gang. Mighty Crusaders 3  Mighty Crusaders was the best title in the Archie/ Red Circle line. Rich Buckler is a great super-team artist, although his writing is somewhat choppy. There is sometimes a lack of flow and things happen that could have/ should have been more fully developed. Still an entertaining read. Detective Comics 528  Things start to heat up in this title as the recently introduced Harvey Bullock steps to the forefront. There is also a rematch with the Savage Skull, whom battled Batman last month and had been presumed dead. The Green Arrow backup story is nowhere near as entertaining as the concurrent GA mini-series, largely due to a completely different creative team. Avengers 233  This issue ties in with this month’s Fantastic Four, as the Avengers attempt to penetrate a null field emanating from the Baxter Building which has been taken over by Annihilus. I got a pleasant surprise rereading this comic. It has been so long since I had handled it that I had completely forgotten that my copy is a double cover!  Fantastic Four 256  The FF return from spending the last several issues in the negative zone to find that Annihilus is on the verge of wiping out the entire universe. Savage Sword of Conan 90  I had to read this one from my “phone book” omnibus edition, not having a copy of the actual magazine. A really great read! In battles involving armies, wizards and demons, Conan demonstrates that being victorious in combat or looking like a hero isn’t the most important thing. Sometimes it is enough to simply survive. |
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| @michaelekrupp I really liked The Thing series! Not senses shattering by any stretch, but a very fun read throughout the run. I read X-Men Legends #1 and 2. These took place after the events of X-Men v2 #39. Good read and good art. Definitely evoked the feel of that early 90s X-Men I loved as a kid. #3 has Walt and Louise Simonson on a story that takes place just prior to X-Factor #43.   |
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| Planet-Size X-Men 2021 (Terry & Rachel Dodson Variant Cover) | ||
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 Captain Accident
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This was sitting on my reading pile for a bit. I saw it won an Eisner so I gave it a go.... fantastic!!! |
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 Full run of Champions from the 70's. Putting another dent into my To Be Read box. As with some of the other Bronze Age stuff I've read over the past year, I love the art, but the stories are very average. |
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