What comic books have you read today? Part two.19596
 Beaten by boat oars
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Studley_Dudley private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I knew there would be more. Should be back to work tomorrow. Batman #452-454. Dark Knight, Dark City sees the Riddler come across a book that instructs him how to summon and control a demon. Essentially, he kidnaps some babies and plans a few other ruses to get Batman involved and be the sacrifice for the demon. Clearly, it doesn't work out for Mr. Nygma and Batman saves the day. I've read some Batman work from this era and it's definitely darker than its Marvel counterparts. I picked the issues up cheap at the store and the Mignola covers helped.    Marvel Fanfare #31-32. Fun story with Captain America tangling with the Yellow Claw and being assisted by Frog Man. The highlight might be an unusual Ben Urich/Vision team up in the #32 B-story where they investigate the murder of a homeless woman named Rosie.   Sun Devils #1-12. If Squadron Supreme was Marvel's ode to the Justice League, then Sun Devils might be DC's ode to the Guardians of the Galaxy and Starjammers. Gerry Conway pens the first nine issues, while Dan Jurgens scripts the last three issues and draws all 12. I didn't know what to expect with this but I found it a very enjoyable read. Basic breakdown, Rik Sunn's homeworld is destroyed by the Sauoid Empire and he uncovers a plot that there will be more conquest. He makes a team of misfits including a huge chick, a chick with a tail, a pale chick, three clones, a lizard. The story is broken into four chapters of three issues each. First arc deals with the coming together of the group, the second deals with the Devils infiltrating the Sauroid homeworld to rescue a scientist working on a weapon of mass destruction/Death Star. Arc three deals with the effort to procure a rare element along with betrayal. Arc three is redemption and the final battle against the Sauroids. Overall, a fun read and some nice character development of some of the characters. It's also leading me down a rabbit hole of other 1980s DC limited series such as Spanner's Galaxy, Crimson Avenger, Power Girl, and the World of Metropolis/Smallville/Krypton. Thanks @esaravo for the books! You're the goat.             It took me halfway through the photo uploading to realize the covers connect.     |
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Batman: Dark Detective. I'm unsure of the lead up to this. I only picked up this series because of the cover to the first issue. Steve Englehart handles the writing while Marshall Rogers and Terry Austin handle the art and inks respectively. The Joker decides to run for governor in whatever state Gotham resides in. The other candidate's girlfriend is Silver St. Cloud. Bruce becomes a giga-Chad and pipes her down with the Batawang while she's still in a relationship. There is some good writing about Bruce and Silver discussing their relationship and Bruce's inability to properly handle an interpersonal relationship. Two-Face and Scarecrow have some minor roles in the series.      Punisher: Red Band #3-5. Frank regains the use of his faculties and takes the fight to Kingpin and Tombstone. It's fast paced and in your face. It's not going to set the world on fire, but it is a solidly done story. I hope that in the new ongoing that will be coming out, the creative team will give Frank a personality again. If I had a complaint is that only Garth Ennis writes the character as a silent killing machine best over a long term, while it only works in short bursts or other writers. All things considered, this was a good effort even though I don't recall it being mentioned how Frank was retrieved from Weirdworld.    Marvel Fanfare #34-37. Alan Zelenetz and Charles Vess craft an entertaining tale of the Warriors Three on a rescue mission to free a bridegroom from the clutches of Loki. Some fun writing and character depth, especially for Volstagg and Fandral. The art was pretty good in this story with the color palette used by Eileen Lee giving it an extra pop.     COPS #1-9. Based on the cartoon series and toyline of the same name in the late '80s, Doug Moench scripts all the issues in this series. I was curious how the comic adaptation would differ from the cartoon. It maintains a (mostly) self-contained story in every issue (#7-8 is a two-parter). Pat Broderick handles most of the art throughout the issues I read and he does a fine job. Actually, the whole creative team does well. There are some slight differences such as the jewel thief is named Mirage instead of Nightshade. This could be due to a Mirage character being introduced in the show. It is enjoyable and light-hearted while keeping the vibe pretty close to the show's style.          |
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 Collector
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| @Studley_Dudley Nightshade was originally a Charlton character, which was bought by DC. She was Captain Atom’s girlfriend and was appearing regularly in Suicide Squad at that time. That’s likely the reason for the name change. I haven’t revisited Cops since the late 80s but I do remember enjoying the series. I thought it was much better than the cartoon. Might be time to pull those issues back out. I am in total agreement with you on Sun Devils. I really enjoyed that one! I think that is where Dan Jurgens started to come into his own as a creator. Pretty much everything Jurgens did in the late 80s and early 90s is worth checking out. I have been reading a ton of comics, as always. I don’t always report in because most of what I read is continuations of books I have already discussed at some point. Here’s a few that are worth noting: I am now into the Gene Colan run on Daredevil. Colan’s art style fit this series like a glove. He stepped in to pinch hit for John Romita and stayed on for years because he was just undeniably right for the book. Colan is the definitive DD artist as far as I’m concerned (Sorry, Frank Miller). Great stuff!   Another series I have been enjoying lately is Swords of the Swashbucklers. I guess the best way to describe this book is to think of Pirates of the Caribbean as a space opera. I think part of what makes this series so interesting is that it is dominated by strong female leads. Plus there’s a talking cat and incredible Jackson Guice art in the early issues. What’s not to like?     |
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Iron Man 195 is a comic I read last night that is worth a recommendation. This story takes place as Tony Stark is recovering from his relapse into alcoholism but is still several issues away from reclaiming the Iron Man armor. Rhodey has been having violent headaches which Stark thinks may somehow be related to his wearing of the armor. Rhodey ultimately ends up consulting Shaman for help. Shaman guides him on a mystical-psychological journey that results in a cure. The artwork on the psychedelic scenes by Luke McDonnell is worthy of Ditko! Great issue! A few additional thoughts: Iron Man is one of the more overlooked yet consistently excellent titles from the 1980s. The title floundered through much of the 70s with an endless parade of writers and artists, none of whom really stuck around long enough to make a mark. As the 70s rolled into the 80s, Iron Man finally found some consistency, especially with the long tenure of writer Denny O’Neil. Anyone who has never read these should definitely look into it. Most of the run has been collected, either as Marvel Masterworks volumes or in various other formats. Something else that last night’s reading got me thinking about is the “Marvel method” of creating comics and how effective it was when used by Stan Lee compared to other writers. I think a great example here is the “stone tablet” storyline that ran through Amazing Spider-Man from around issues 68-74. Reading through these issues, the storyline flows naturally from issue to issue as if the entire thing had been carefully plotted out from the beginning. The real truth is that Lee and Romita were completely winging it, making up the plot as they went along with no idea how it was going to end, yet you’d never know it as a reader.  Contrast that with Roy Thomas working the Marvel method on Avengers circa issues in the late 50s. As Ultron is introduced, then the Vision, it is beyond obvious that they are completely winging it, retroactively adding key story elements that should have been put in place beforehand, except for the fact that they hadn’t thought of them yet! Instead of a smooth read, the result is choppy and confusing in places. To Thomas’ credit, he did get better at working the method as time went on, but the difference between Stan Lee and other writers is very clear.  |
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Hello Darkness #18 Creepshow v4 #5. This issue ends this particular volume with one more super-hero themed special coming out soon. That will most likely end my pull list. Fine publication for what it is. The Tradd Moore B-story is interesting in a more surreal way with a woman struggling to understand why she is having trouble accepting herself. Struck me as a story we can relate to either through knowing someone or experiencing it yourself.  Transformers #28. The Decepticons become cannibals, and the MASK franchise becomes more of a thing with GI Joe. Too many toys. The art is more my speed now that Dan Mora has taken over.  Marvel Fanfare #38-42. Highlights include the B-story in #40 where Chris Claremont scripts a meeting between Mystique and Storm regarding Rogue's well-being. I think it takes place sometime around UXM #185 because Storm still has her powers. The Dr. Strange story in #41 features some nice Dave Gibbons art to go along with Walt Simonson's tale of Doc going to an alternate dimension to battle a city being. #42 features a nice Spidey A-story with a Captain Marvel (Monica Rambeau) travelling back in time to have a meeting with Dracula in the 1700s.      COPS #10-15. The art over the last six issues is handled by Pat Broderick (#10, 13) and Alan Kupperberg (#11, 12, 14, 15). The issues with Broderick's art is superior to Kupperberg's art. Kupperberg's art is more cartoonish and not nearly as detailed. It's almost like you can tell we're coming to the end of the license. As was the case when I read Marvel's Robocop, COPS ends quickly in #15. Overall, not a bad companion piece to the show. Doug Moench did what he could with the material and the comic was definitely entertaining. For the life of me, I didn't know any other kids in kindergarten or first grade who watched it. I watched the series on Tubi several years ago during all the lockdown stuff then learned later there was a comic.       Nathaniel Dusk II #1-4. The same creative team of Don McGregor (w), Gene Colan (a), Tom Ziuko (c) and John Costanza (l) return for the follow-up. Set in 1934 during the Depression, Dusk is contracted by the daughter of a formerly wealthy businessman to protect him from attempts on his life. When Dusk can't keep the guy safe, he investigates the murder on his own. The story had some stereotypical heavies, and the plot wasn't particularly convoluted, but it was well-executed. The art still had that gritty feeling and there was some good character development of Dusk. I'd rate it just a little below the first series but a solid read with no ads in any of the books so you definitely get a bang for your buck.     |
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Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum #1-5. Written by W. Maxwell Prince with art by Martin Morazzo, they tell a tale of Superman discovering some more strains of kryptonite. He tests them on himself with the help of Batman at the Fortress of Solitude. Lex gets bent out of shape b/c he wants the kryptonite for himself to use against Supes. This was well written with Superman really wanting to understand how new types of kryptonite affect him. Some of the effects include time warping, growing to a giant size, and becoming younger. Guest appearances from GL, Wonder Woman, and Doctor Fate are all here. While I like the writing, the art was not for me. I think Morazzo's art works find for Ice Cream Man and other horror type books, but it felt out of place here. His eyes are especially creepy. A solid effort overall.      Marvel Fanfare #43-50. Highlights include: #43 containing a nice Twilight Zone-esque story where Namor ends up (possibly through a dream) as a pirate. Some Mike Mignola art highlights the somewhat surreal nature of the story. #44 has some of the sweet Ken Steacy stylized art where Iron Man, James Rhodes and Scott Lang travel to Latveria to tangle with Doom. #45 is all pinups. The B-story in #46 features nice introspection from Johnny Storm. #47 features an alien-controlled Hulk fighting Spidey with some really nice Michael Golden art to go along with it. Other highlights include the She-Hulk A-story in #48, the entirety of the #49 with Dr. Strange, white Nick Fury, and Dum Dum Dugan travelling to the Old West, and an X-Factor story in #50 that is a bit dour but features some good storytelling. 10 issues left, baby!         Spanner's Galaxy #1-6. Nicola Cuti (writer), Tom Mandrake (art) and Tom Ziuko (colors) handle the majority of the creative with a few different letterers over the series. The series centers on Polaris Spanner and his growing into a hero. The first five issues are framed as an interrogation covering Spanner's childhood and his adventures after becomes a Waborian Knight. Waborians are horse-like beings. The sixth issue wraps everything up. In between, Spanner becomes entangled in a government plot to capture him but he is unaware as to why he is a wanted man. Along the way, he travels to different worlds and encounters situations that require his skills to solve. This is an entertaining series and more light-hearted than I thought it would be. Tom Ziuko brings a nice color palette to many of the issues. The writing was solid and Tom Mandrake's art was fairly consistent throughout.       |
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 If the viagra is working you should be well over a 9.8.
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| I got the Scott Pilgrim vs The World collections for Christmas and finally finished going through them. There are six books, essentially one per big fight. They're a bit of their time, and some things were evened out for the movie, so I think I prefer the movie overall. But it's a fun story on navigating young adulthood. | ||
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