What comic books have you read today? Part two.19596
 I'm a McNugget guzzler.
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HeinzDad private msg quote post Address this user | |
I’m not sure what to say about this TPB. Collects Harrower 1-4. From what I understand this is a stand alone. It wraps up nicely so it might as well stay that way. ‘Twas a cool Halloween read but blowing through it in less than an hour, reading lazily doesn’t work for me. I’d rather have my 18 bucks and tax back.  |
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 Beaten by boat oars
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Studley_Dudley private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by HeinzDad That might be one of my main gripes for my monthly floppies. $4-$6 for what? A five-minute read, maybe. Some stuff takes longer to read than others, but the costs far outweigh the reward. I wouldn't be as upset with the pricing if the quality matched in terms of creative and manufacturing especially from Marvel. My Quilted Northern feels more put together than what Marvel slaps $5/issue on. |
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 I blame the forum gremlins.
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figment private msg quote post Address this user | |
This was a gift from a lady friend in Australia, I hadn't read it in years. Quirky stories about finding love amid strange situations, kind of like the two of us at the time. |
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| Post 78 • IP flag post | ||
 I like bean sprouts.
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James42 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @Studley_Dudley The Lion and the Eagle was very good. I had some trouble tracking down all four issues after the implosion of Aftershock. @HeinzDad I enjoyed Harrower in singles, but as a standalone series it is less than satisfying. I think there is room for a sequel or spin-off. Comics do cost too much, that I will agree with. I got caught up on the Dark Droids crossover this morning (Doctor Aphra #37 and D-Squad #2), and although I am enjoying the story I was a bit disappointed when I realized I was 18 issues in with 12 left to go at Marvel prices. Since I hadn't been reading the Star Wars books before the crossover and won't be afterwards, it's a lot. Best thing I read this week was Void Rivals #5. Really liking this story, even ignoring the Transformers elements. |
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| Post 79 • IP flag post | ||
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Studley_Dudley private msg quote post Address this user | |
| From the past week when I should have been doing homework... The Clock TPB. The TPB has been on my reading table for almost three years. I had picked up the first two issues in early 2020 but then everything abruptly halted when that which shan't be named for fear of account suspension shut the world down. Interesting on reading the notes that the planning for the series started in 2015 since the collected four issues (#3 & #4 were not published individually) deals with a worldwide pandemic. In any case, a scientist is trying to solve the pandemic and has hurdles to go through while shadowy forces are at play to stop him. The story felt a little rushed and could have benefitted from another issue or two.  Starship Down TPB. Same situation as The Clock. The first issue was published in 2020 by Dark Horse then nothing until the TPB came out. I had #1 and then bought TPB when it came out in late 2020. The story deals with a spaceship being found in Siberia and an international team of scientists checking it out to discover Neanderthals aboard. What follows is an interesting look at a possible origin of life on Earth. A decent look at the crossing of science and theology.  Superman vs Lobo #1-3. Supes and Lobo go to space to encounter this water bear-like creature that has the power to create and destroy. Despite the title, the physical altercation between the two is in the third issue. Fun story about Lobo being transported to a newly reborn Krypton while Supes is sent to Czarnia. Amongst the fun of the story is a good interaction of Lobo and Superman discussing their differing viewpoints while also discovering similarities driven by different motivations.    Batman/Catwoman #1-2 + Special. Tom King is kind of a beta simp as a writer and some of that shows in this story. On the other hand, he does spin a fairly good tale and I have to admit I did not see some of the plot twists coming. The story hops around in time but really does tell a lot about how the relationship between the two title characters. Phantasm, Joker, Penguin, Dick Grayson and more all make appearances. The special is more about Catwoman's youth and a tribute to artist John Paul Leon who passed away in 2021.              |
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| Post 80 • IP flag post | ||
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I'm a McNugget guzzler.
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HeinzDad private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I recently cut back on even my weekly soaps. I used to go to my LCS every Wednesday no questions asked. Now only a few titles get me there which are TMNT, Hulk, and the original Spawn series. I recently sold 4 short boxes of nothing but readers from the last 8 years. Thankfully I sold about a box worth here and got a buck a piece for them. After that I sold 3 more at 65 bucks a box. That’s fetching around 42 cents a book per box. At a 4 dollar cover price that’s around a 535 dollar loss per box to read. Thats not even counting the bags and boards which were all in decent shape, truthfully that could be another dime a book. I made all together around 300 dollars but lost around 1800 off cover price to read. Having said all this I just reevaluated how bad I want to read something. |
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| Post 81 • IP flag post | ||
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I'm a McNugget guzzler.
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HeinzDad private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @James42, I’m confused as to how you liked Harrower in singles. Two of those issues only had 3 pages with text, lol. | ||
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I like bean sprouts.
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James42 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @HeinzDad I feel like it worked better being forced to consume it slowly, rather than in one sitting. | ||
| Post 83 • IP flag post | ||
 Collector
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michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by HeinzDad @HeinzDad This is why I buy most of my reading comics out of the discount boxes at shows. 50 cents or a buck is a much more reasonable price for 15-30 minutes worth of reading entertainment. I quit buying new comics way back in 1992 and I have yet to regret that decision. |
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 I'd like to say I still turned out alright, but that would be a lie.
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flanders private msg quote post Address this user | |
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| Post 85 • IP flag post | ||
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I'm a McNugget guzzler.
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HeinzDad private msg quote post Address this user | |
| What did you think? I think you inspired me to re read mine. | ||
| Post 86 • IP flag post | ||
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I'd like to say I still turned out alright, but that would be a lie.
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flanders private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @HeinzDad I read it over three days and lost track of time on the first night and was reading until 3 am. It was a great read. I've never seen the movie and hadn't read the book before. Also, having read 1984 and Farenheit 451 in the last couple years didn't diminish the experience for me. I'm glad I chose to read the book instead of watching the movie. | ||
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Beaten by boat oars
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Studley_Dudley private msg quote post Address this user | |
Spider-Man/X-Factor: Shadowgames. It takes place before the events of X-Factor #100 which would explain why Multiple Man appears in decent health. A shadowy government operation has brainwashed some criminals and given them powers and mind-control. They go after Spidey first and then for some reason Flash Thompson has X-Factor on speed dial. Pat Broderick's art was inconsistent and the story was ok but felt like it should have just been one of those crossovers in the regular series and not something that necessitated it's own limited series.   Avengers: Deathtrap, the Vault. Petty Vault warden allows the inmates to take over the asylum and the Avengers and Freedom Force are called in to subdue them. Venom leads the inmates and I'll say it again. Venom is a dogshit character. All style and no substance. It's either about eating brains or just being a doofus who is out for revenge. Story was well-paced and it was nice to see a bunch of the C-squad like Nekra, Titania, Orka, and Thunderball make appearances.  Rogues. An old and bitter Captain Cold reforms the Rogues with Golden Glider, Bronze Tiger, Heatwave, Trickster and a few others for one last score. The target is the Gorilla Grodd's gold in Gorilla City. Apparently, Grodd is Dr. Feelgood in his city and lives a lavish life in this story. This was well written with some gritty art by Leomacs. Recommended.     |
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| Post 88 • IP flag post | ||
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I'd like to say I still turned out alright, but that would be a lie.
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flanders private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Nice House on the Lake #1-12. | ||
| Post 89 • IP flag post | ||
 If the viagra is working you should be well over a 9.8.
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xkonk private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @flanders we read that in book club not long ago. What'd you think? | ||
| Post 90 • IP flag post | ||
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I'd like to say I still turned out alright, but that would be a lie.
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flanders private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @xkonk it went in a direction I wasn't expecting, but I really enjoyed the story and especially the artwork. If they ever continue the 2nd cycle I'll definitely be interested. | ||
| Post 91 • IP flag post | ||
 Masculinity takes a holiday.
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EbayMafia private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @Studley_Dudley I'll be looking for that Rogues in a TPB. Thanks for the review, that sounds like something I would like. | ||
| Post 92 • IP flag post | ||
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I'm a McNugget guzzler.
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HeinzDad private msg quote post Address this user | |
I have a pile of weekly’s to post but I read this one tonight and it made me happy. Mostly because buying and following a random book ended up being worth it for the story. Looks like I have two books left. |
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| Post 93 • IP flag post | ||
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Studley_Dudley private msg quote post Address this user | |
Elvira's House of Mystery #1. Elvira and the girls regale us with some anthology style horror with that Elvira flair. There are a handful of issues. I might slap this run together.  The Question: The Deaths of Vic Sage #1-4. Kind of a trippy story. Things are going to heck in a handbasket in Hub City. The Question ends up going back in time kinda to the old west followed by a trip in a noir style story before ending up back in the present. Good art and inks with an interesting concept.     Daredevil #284-291. Matt has gone through a lot. From Inferno to Blackheart to the Acts of Vengeance to Streets of Poison. Finally, after getting through that, Matt develops CTE/amnesia and starts hanging out with a bunch of pinko commies. He's out of it and believes he is his father. But hey, Matt can self-identify as whatever he wants because he's a modern man. Anyways, Bullseye decides to start dressing up as DD to ruin his rep. Kingpin is doing things in the background to rehabilitate his image. Eventually, Matt comes back to his senses and beats the tar out of Bullseye.         |
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| Post 94 • IP flag post | ||
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Studley_Dudley private msg quote post Address this user | |
| This term of school has been winding down, and I've been surprisingly efficient at getting some things done little by little throughout the week. This led me with some spare comic reading time throughout the week. I decided I need to work on some of the spare boxes (before my pull list arrives today), so I grabbed a couple and pulled out a couple of titles. Solo Avengers #1-5. It's an anthology title for those who may be unaware, and it is essentially a Hawkeye solo series. The first five issues have a tale of Hawkeye being lured into a duel against Trick Shot. The story itself isn't bad. There are some guest appearances from some of Marvel's ethnic characters and Silver Sable. Mark Bright's art was a little lackluster here (not bad but maybe not what I had anticipated), but he improved a lot in Emerald Dawn a few years later (highly recommend Emerald Dawn).      American Flagg #1-3. I wouldn't say the first issue pulled me in at first, but with #2 & 3, I'm all in on it. Gritty art and dialogue that isn't generic superhero talk is always nice. Socio-political satire abounds in it. All things considered; I like it.    Jon Sable, Freelance #1-6. Mike Grell delivers a soldier-of-fortune character named Jon Sable. He's part mercenary and part children's book author. The first issue was a little generic but I stuck with it, and really dug the origin story from #3-6. I'll be putting together the rest of this run.       I'll say this about First Comics. I don't know much about the company, but it specialized in creator-owned content at a time when that was unheard of. The $1 cover price got you a full 27-29 pages of comic book. The only ads I've seen so far are at the end and it may be one or two pages. The paper stock and printing are high quality. It's a shame they couldn't make it. Although I heard the company was revived. |
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Collector
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michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @Studley_Dudley Love me some early First Comics! The first dozen issues of Flagg! are absolute classics! Also loved Jon Sable. Both titles are well worth putting together the set. Also recommend Starslayer (especially the first 20 issues or so), Grimjack and Mars. Nexus, Badger, Whisper and Dreadstar also kick ass. I have completed sets of most of these. It’s a shame that First, like virtually all the 80s indie publishers, ended up folding. There was a time back around 1983/ 84 that I was sure they were going to be the next Marvel. Solo Avengers is a title that I ignored when it was originally released but is now on my radar as I try to fill out my collection of 1980s books. It is currently pretty high on my dollar box list. Probably won’t be reading them for a while yet as I am currently in the December 84 issues, so I’ve a ways to go before I get there. For the record, here are some of my most recently read:        The Epic Comics continue to impress and entertain me. I really enjoyed the first issue of Sisterhood of Steel and am looking forward to the rest of the series. Crash Ryan is awesome and highly recommended. Coyote seems to be moving a little slower lately, but it is largely due to the addition of a second feature, which takes away 10 pages or so from the main storyline. Iceman is a little bit on the goofy side. I am reserving judgement until the story unfolds a little bit more. The Batman titles are solid. The mid 80s is probably my personal favorite era for the Bat books. Great stories and art. |
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| Post 96 • IP flag post | ||
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Studley_Dudley private msg quote post Address this user | |
Classes started again today so I may not have much time to read some stuff for the next eight weeks, but we'll see. I polished off the pull list during my week off. Star Wars is adequate, SIKTC is still cool, Canary is interesting, and Transformers is good (but I'll be paying attention to see if it gets too intertwined with the other toy brands). This was the final issue of Time Before Time. While I think I enjoyed the overall series, the long breaks between arcs makes it tough to stay engaged.    Solo Avengers #6-10. While Hawkeye is making his way back from his encounter with Trick Shot, he is enlisted by the Silver Sable to go after Red Skull II. Afterwards, he makes it back to the USA and has a few issues of tangling with Blind Justice. I rather enjoyed the B-stories in #7 and 9.      American Flagg #4-6. The next three issues are entertaining as Reuben Flagg travels to South America. Murder, mystery and mayhem abound. Digging this series so far.    Huntress #1-4. The first few issues are enjoyable. #1 is mostly standard origin tale, and #4 goes for an emotional hit. Helena Bert&Ernie is looking to avenger her shitbag father's death. The art is reminiscent of some of the indie titles from a few years prior. I think it has to do with the inking and shading techniques.     |
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Masculinity takes a holiday.
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EbayMafia private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Studley_Dudley What classes? Any interesting ones? |
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| Post 98 • IP flag post | ||
 The apple sauce and pudding were the best part...
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Bronte private msg quote post Address this user | |
| As long as it isn't a psychology of women class led by an extreme pro feminist. I had one that called every guy a liar. In retrospect someone should have complained she was so anti male. | ||
| Post 99 • IP flag post | ||
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Beaten by boat oars
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Studley_Dudley private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by EbayMafia It's the back half of the fall term. Everything is online. I have my degree already but kinda dabbling in some classes for a cyber security associates. The first two classes were a scripting course and hardware. Scripting was intriguing enough because I might need it for real work. Now it's a cybercrime/digital law and network classes. We'll see how this goes. School was a lot easier in my late teens and early 20s. Now it's all about time management. |
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I blame the forum gremlins.
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figment private msg quote post Address this user | |
Made it into volume two. Weird stuff, brilliantly done, wish I could afford the originals. |
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| Post 101 • IP flag post | ||
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Studley_Dudley private msg quote post Address this user | |
Solo Avengers #11-20. A mixed bag. I liked the covers to #14 & #19 which were by Sandy Plunkett. Never heard of him and doesn't seem to have done too much work for Marvel. The backup stories in #12 and #14 were humorous, especially Yellowjacket's story. Hawkeye's team up with Black Widow in #14-16 is decent as his team up with the Orb against the Plantman in #19-20. I believe that will continue in #21 when the title is rechristened as Avengers Spotlight.           American Flagg #7-9.    |
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 Staple topics, nice.
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| American Flagg is awesome! | ||
| Post 103 • IP flag post | ||
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Studley_Dudley private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Merry Christmas! The pull list arrived in the middle of last week. It didn't take long to go through it. Bounty Hunters will end with #41 while Doctor Aphra will end with #40. The Marvel SW universe has been getting convoluted with tons of characters who aren't memorable, but the profiteers could enjoy in case they come to a show or film. In any case, the Dark Droids crossover is winding down. I think some titles may have been released out of order, since SW #41 was released with a spoiler disclaimer on the first page.   Transformers #3. It had me up until a sequence that doesn't fit in with Optimus Prime. Maybe I'm a traditionalist, so I won't spoil it yet, but it took me out of the moment. Still, I like where the book is headed.  Cauldron of Horror #3. The first segment was very Lovecraftian while the second was very Twilight Zone. I've been enjoying this throwback to the Bronze Age horror titles. With an infrequent release schedule, it feels fresh when it does come out.  American Flagg #10-12. I'd have to take notes to provide a rudimentary synopsis since the title has been very layered throughout the first 12 issues. The short of it is that Flagg is going up against Scheisskopf who plans to gas all of Chicago even though he is in charge of the Plexusmall Rangers. Excellent read and conclusion to the first 12 issue arc.    Avengers Spotlight #21-25. Formerly Solo Avengers. #21 ties off the storyline featuring Hawkeye and the Orb after their escape from the Plant Man. #22-25 features another Hawkeye arc as him and Mockingbird attend marriage counseling only to be attacked by a real who's who of villains (sarcasm mode off). Fun story that explores some of why Hawkeye and Mockingbird weren't seeing eye-to-eye at the time. The backup stories in #22-25 were good. #22 and 24 feature origins of Swordsman and Firebird respectively, while #25 had a pretty funny Rick Jones backup about him negotiating his book rights.      |
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Studley_Dudley private msg quote post Address this user | |
Avengers Spotlight #26-36. #26-29 tie in with the Acts of Vengeance with most of the action centered at the Vault where the supervillains have organized a breakout with the assistance of Loki. Good to see some lesser villains get screen time. #30-34 + 36 have a Hawkeye and Mockingbird story about going after street-level gangs. It gives an interesting mindset into how dealing with supervillains is one thing, but going after low-level gangs is a more daunting task. The US Agent backup story deals with xenophobia towards immigrants. It seems like it could have been written recently and not 1990.             Tales to Astonish 1994. Beautiful painted art by John Estes and a solid script by Peter David make this an excellent read. A criminal gains the power of Loki and begins wreaking havoc. Hulk, Henry Pym and the Wasp have to team up and take him down. A solid read.  |
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