What COMIC BOOKS have you been reading?

A million thank yous to JonJacob. There is better writing elsewhere. There is better art elsewhere. But I fucking love *comics*.

A lot of that is due to nostalgia, reading comics as a kid; certainly the vast majority of my rarely-quenched desire to read some good superhero comics comes from memories of how much I enjoyed them as a kid.

A lot of that is due to already having a lot of familiarity with the history of comics and being able to recognize influences and notice developments, which greatly adds to my enjoyment.

A lot of that is also due to how amazing it has been over the past decade and a half to see the EXPLOSION of both the alternative comics movement and, from the same publishers, the Golden Age of Reprints; it's much more exciting to be on the cutting edge of comics than the cutting edge of an artform that's already matured.

A lot of that is that I love the type of stories that comics frequently specializes in: superheroes; short & dirty humor stories; bare-all autobio; lengthy serializations. And I love the type of art comics specializes in, drawing rather than painting.

One of the things I love are the visceral, simple art-focused fight comics like Hellboy or Prison Pit; they're never going to make my top 10 comics ever list or anything, but they give me a thrill that is absolutely unavailable anywhere else, more like the rush I get from music than from art, books, or movies.

I love that I've been able to meet and have chats with people who changed my life, like Chris Ware and Lynda Barry; I love how approachable most cartoonists are.

And I love the connection it gives me to my dad; he read Carl Barks and Spider-Man as a kid, I read Carl Barks and Spider-Man as a kid, and my son is already loving Carl Barks and wants so badly to understand a Spider-Man comic. My dad and I have fairly different tastes in terms of the artists we idolize the MOST (I like looser cartoonier stuff, he likes more classic-illustrator stuff), but we're both able to turn each other on to new and old comics with a fresh perspective.

After picking up the odd trade in series I was interested now and again I've fallen back into the periodicals thanks to Comixology and not having to trek out to the geeksweat softporn den that is my nearby comic shop.

It was Hawkeye and Waid's Daredevil that did it for me - I just had to get the next one and the next one until I'd caught up with the series. Just having to press a button does help.

DC comics seem to have both jumped the shark and fallen into the shark tank at the same time whereas Marvel seem to still be capable of producing great superhero comics where the fun is not drowned out by needless and relentless gore.

Reading and enjoying the Mudman tpb by Paul Grist. Grist (Jack Staff/Kane) is probably my favorite writer/artist, so him doing a teenage superhero book works for me. He just needs to put out more work (and more Jack Staff).

Almalik wrote: Reading and enjoying the Mudman tpb by Paul Grist. Grist (Jack Staff/Kane) is probably my favorite writer/artist, so him doing a teenage superhero book works for me. He just needs to put out more work (and more Jack Staff).

Yeah, I really enjoy Paul Grist. Mudman has seemed to gone off schedule at some point in the last few months. I think I enjoyed Jack Staff more than his other stuff, so I hope he does revisit it at some point.

Just caught up on the new Locke & Key series. This is the last series and I really enjoy this book. It isn't deep, but it is an interesting premise and I really enjoy the art. This is one I started after picking up the trade at the library, so keep a look out for it at your branch. It is definitely recommended.

I'm about halfway through the first Grimjack. So far, so awesome! I really dig the "hardboiled fantasy/scifi" vibe. Really fun stuff. Also really reminds me of Games Workshop's Mordheim setting.

dragonstout wrote: Explains why comics are awesome.

I agree. I read comics a lot as a kid, but pretty much stopped by the time I was 13. So there is a bit of nostalgia there for me. I dabbled in some manga when I was 17-18 but not much. It wasn't until I was like 23 and I read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay that I realized all the potential comics had. That's also about the same time I realized I wanted to be a graphic designer and what was really so appealing to me was the way text and visuals can combine to tell stories in a way that's not possible anywhere else. Which is why I always recommend people read Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics because it makes such a strong case for the medium. Comics are like being able to read a movie, I guess. And that's why I love comics that really play with different layout structures, typography and visuals to help tell the story.

Random thought regarding Brian Wood's Star Wars: Just looking at my co-workers retro Star Wars lunch box with a picture of Leia firing a blaster while standing alongside Luke and Han makes me remember all those scenes in the trilogy where Leia is blasting Stormtroopers with no regard for human life. I guess the reported scene in the comic where she hunts down the downed TIE pilot and blasts him shouldn't be such a shocker.

Sure, I've thought about that a lot, actually. It's not that Leia shoots a dude, it's that she shoots the dude and then goes back and shoots him in the face while he's down. It's a completely different tone of violence than anything in the films.

Really, what it points out is cultural differences between 1977-80-83 and now. What she does in the Wood SW book is a modern version of the same kind of violence. But in the past, audiences didn't need (or really want) that follow-up shot of her shooting the helpless guy in the face. In 2013, it's much more common and now it's something that makes a comic more "adult".

Which goes back to Grant Morrison's (very right) assertion that brutal violence and darkness do not make for mature comics.

On the decks for me right now- Northlanders, Hellblazer, Sweet Tooth, Rogue Trooper.

I will be passing on Judge Dredd: Closet, at least for now:



It's okay with me that gay people are finally getting some mainstream acceptance, but I don't see the need to mess with long-term Judge Dredd fans like this. He's one of the most asexual heroes around.

No no no no no no...read about The Closet carefully. It's not about Dredd being gay or anything like that, and that's not even Dredd in the image. It's about a bullied/abused gay teenager that is the victim of a hate crime or something and Dredd is after the perps...and there's apparently a fetish club where the "thing" is...Judges. Pic above is from said club.

I think it sounds pretty awesome. I agree, Dredd should NEVER kiss anyone unless required by law. But I think you misread what this story is going to be about.

Michael Barnes wrote: Which goes back to Grant Morrison's (very right) assertion that brutal violence and darkness do not make for mature comics.

On the decks for me right now- Northlanders

These two statements together are humorous.
Be interested to hear your take on Northlanders.

Ha! It's funny because it's true...granted (har har), he's talking more about superhero books there...

But yeah, I'm about through with the first story of Northlands, Sven the Returned. I don't know if I like it or not. Its kind of cool, but also kind of stupid. It bothers me that it's all BAD ASS VIKINGS AS YOU'VE NEVER SEEN THEM BEFORE more than something historical or more thoughtful. Maybe that changes. But it may as well be a mob story based on the plot, characters, and events.

You know what rules? Wonder Woman. The New 52 book. I shit you not.

Ha! It's funny because it's true...granted (har har), he's talking more about superhero books there...

But yeah, I'm about through with the first story of Northlands, Sven the Returned. I don't know if I like it or not. Its kind of cool, but also kind of stupid. It bothers me that it's all BAD ASS VIKINGS AS YOU'VE NEVER SEEN THEM BEFORE more than something historical or more thoughtful. Maybe that changes. But it may as well be a mob story based on the plot, characters, and events.

You know what rules? Wonder Woman. The New 52 book. I shit you not.

Ha! It's funny because it's true...granted (har har), he's talking more about superhero books there...

But yeah, I'm about through with the first story of Northlands, Sven the Returned. I don't know if I like it or not. Its kind of cool, but also kind of stupid. It bothers me that it's all BAD ASS VIKINGS AS YOU'VE NEVER SEEN THEM BEFORE more than something historical or more thoughtful. Maybe that changes. But it may as well be a mob story based on the plot, characters, and events.

I was digging Hellblazer (Delano) until he ran into the travellers...I am not feeling that storyline at all.

You know what rules? Wonder Woman. The New 52 book. I shit you not.

Michael Barnes wrote: But it may as well be a mob story based on the plot, characters, and events.

I've read 4 of them, so something kept me coming back. But I think this statement is basically true. I really liked the art though.