Author Topic: General Comic Book/Graphic Novel Thread  (Read 20439 times)

oldkid

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Re: General Comic Book/Graphic Novel Thread
« Reply #140 on: November 29, 2017, 02:03:16 AM »
I've read some early BPRD, and it didn't catch me.  Should I try again?
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Sam the Cinema Snob

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Re: General Comic Book/Graphic Novel Thread
« Reply #141 on: November 29, 2017, 08:36:48 AM »
I think so. By the time it gets going, it's one of the most consistently great comics I've ever read.

Eric/E.T.

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Re: General Comic Book/Graphic Novel Thread
« Reply #142 on: January 23, 2018, 09:13:06 PM »
I'm catching up on a lot of comics. I do a lot of things in cycles.

I've seen posts about superhero comics. Here's my hang-up: There's never a third act. You're always left on some cliffhanger, something that has to be resolved, and I think that gets tiring. To me, every comic book series needs to have an ending at some point, or they become more like soap operas than anything else. I don't necessarily need it to be tidy, but give me some denouement.  If you like the never-ending conundrums, that's cool.  Not for me.

That being said, I've been reading East of West and getting to know Brian K. Vaughan a little better via Saga and Paper Girls.  Anyone checked any of these out?
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oldkid

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Re: General Comic Book/Graphic Novel Thread
« Reply #143 on: January 23, 2018, 09:57:45 PM »
I'm catching up on a lot of comics. I do a lot of things in cycles.

I've seen posts about superhero comics. Here's my hang-up: There's never a third act. You're always left on some cliffhanger, something that has to be resolved, and I think that gets tiring. To me, every comic book series needs to have an ending at some point, or they become more like soap operas than anything else. I don't necessarily need it to be tidy, but give me some denouement.  If you like the never-ending conundrums, that's cool.  Not for me.

That's why I prefer graphic novels.  Perhaps not all the threads are tied up, but there's an end.
"It's not art unless it has the potential to be a disaster." Bansky

DarkeningHumour

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Re: General Comic Book/Graphic Novel Thread
« Reply #144 on: January 24, 2018, 03:09:26 AM »
East of West and Saga are bonkers and amazing. That reminds me I need to catch up too.
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Eric/E.T.

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Re: General Comic Book/Graphic Novel Thread
« Reply #145 on: January 24, 2018, 07:35:31 PM »
East of West and Saga are bonkers and amazing. That reminds me I need to catch up too.

Have you read "Y The Last Man"? I've been wondering about that one as well.
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oldkid

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Re: General Comic Book/Graphic Novel Thread
« Reply #146 on: January 25, 2018, 02:13:41 AM »
I really enjoyed the first... eight?... volumes of Y.  Great world building and storytelling.  The characterization wasn't fantastic, but it's a fun ride.
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DarkeningHumour

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Re: General Comic Book/Graphic Novel Thread
« Reply #147 on: January 25, 2018, 08:31:28 AM »
East of West and Saga are bonkers and amazing. That reminds me I need to catch up too.

Have you read "Y The Last Man"? I've been wondering about that one as well.

I did. I am still not sure why I finished it except for the fact that I had access to the whole thing. I'm mostly meh about it. Don't get why so many people love it.

You may also try anything by Kirkman. The guy's a mine of ideas and brilliant at execution.

And if you want to try a Marvel comic with an ending, try the Ultimate Spider-Man Peter Parker run. It has an ending and Peter definitely grows. There are no retcons or continuity bullshit, it's just splendid writing from start to finish, 100+ issues, and the art is generally gorgeous.

I would also recommend the Runaways volumes, which are few, short, limited and sweet, and Snyder's Batman run, which you can read disconnectedly from the rest of the DC Universe. Court of Howls is great but Zero Year is some next level shit. In fact, there's tons of Batman volumes you can read as one offs.

Also Alan Moore, of course. Superheros with a twist, always limited runs. There's tons of things out there, just let me know what you're looking for.
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Eric/E.T.

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Re: General Comic Book/Graphic Novel Thread
« Reply #148 on: January 25, 2018, 06:59:15 PM »

Have you read "Y The Last Man"? I've been wondering about that one as well.

I did. I am still not sure why I finished it except for the fact that I had access to the whole thing. I'm mostly meh about it. Don't get why so many people love it.

You may also try anything by Kirkman. The guy's a mine of ideas and brilliant at execution.

And if you want to try a Marvel comic with an ending, try the Ultimate Spider-Man Peter Parker run. It has an ending and Peter definitely grows. There are no retcons or continuity bullshit, it's just splendid writing from start to finish, 100+ issues, and the art is generally gorgeous.

I would also recommend the Runaways volumes, which are few, short, limited and sweet, and Snyder's Batman run, which you can read disconnectedly from the rest of the DC Universe. Court of Howls is great but Zero Year is some next level shit. In fact, there's tons of Batman volumes you can read as one offs.

Also Alan Moore, of course. Superheros with a twist, always limited runs. There's tons of things out there, just let me know what you're looking for.

You're the first person I've seen say that about Y. Any particular reasons you weren't into it?  Since it's Vaughan, I'll check it out, but it's always nice to have a counterpoint to something so lauded. 

I do really like Alan Moore. Watchmen was the first graphic novel or comic I'd ever read, and I also enjoyed V for Vendetta. I've got the first volume of his Saga of the Swamp Thing on the shelf waiting to be read right now.

With Spider-Man, are you referring to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultimate_Spider-Man? I think I could do Spider-Man if it has a beginning, middle, and end just to give a traditional superhero a try. Batman is a bit less likely because I'm turned off by his whole backstory. For my own background, I'm really into social change and critical theory, so regardless of the horrors of the deaths of his parents, I hate that some rich guy has to descend from on high to fight the crime in Gotham City.

The only superhero I've gotten into is via the current Mister Miracle 12-part series. Besides the disinterest in getting into a "universe" of characters or being dragged through an endless series of conflicts and rearranging of alliances, I'm not a big superhero fan because I don't like much about superheroes, or at least the ones I've had some level of experience with whether in movies or in reading the occasional comic (Batman, Superman, Captain America, Thor). When there's too much earnestness and self-righteousness from someone in a funny costume, I'm turned off and kind of annoyed. Mister Miracle, at least in his current maxi-series, has several on-going internal conflicts and a strong and fascinating romantic partner, and so I'd follow them pretty much anywhere because I'm intrigued by the decisions he makes and where they lead.  If you know more stuff of that ilk, I'd definitely be interested.

Runaways! I'd read up on this a little, and it seems right up my alley, though I was going to opt for Y and Ex Machina before this one, but maybe this rec will bump it up. 

By the way, I just read the three-part Eugenics series. Oh my. Kind of an unexpected gut punch. Strangely reminded me of the best humanity can offer in contrasting a "perfect" race with our imperfect existence. I definitely recommend it, but it's not for the faint of heart.
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DarkeningHumour

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Re: General Comic Book/Graphic Novel Thread
« Reply #149 on: January 26, 2018, 01:59:21 PM »
That's the SM I was talking about. It's a collection of arcs, and it has an end, although I wouldn't say there is an overarching superarc that ties Peter's story neatly. He changes and the world around him changes, but not in a three part structure sort of way.

There's also a great limited series about a city populated by people with superpowers by I don't recall its name.
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