Comics

[Reay]

Anyone reading them?  Any good ones to suggest?
I've been out of collecting weeklies with any regularity for some time, but have been getting more into graphic novels.

General thoughts:

Y-The Last Man: Awesome.  Just finished the series and it left me wanting more.

100 Bullets:  Awesome.  Moving onto the fifth graphic novel.

Deus Ex Machina:  Read it initially, and didn't really think much of it.  A friend recommended it and said I should re-read it and I did.  And I didn't really think much of it.  Goes to show that just cuz something wins awards doesn't mean it's for everyone.
Fables:  Read (and just recently re-read) the first graphic novel.  I want to like it more than I do, but it just falls a bit flat for me somehow, so I'll probably not bother with any more unless someone tells me it changes/gets better later on (as 100 Bullets does, though it got me from the start anyway).

Earth X:  Just started it (after I think getting it forever ago on loan from Alex).  So far, pretty good, though so far it does smack a bit much of Kingdom Come to really stand out on its own (eg. in a more future world setting than modern comic titles are set in, an overseer-type character takes unwitting character under its wing to act as witness to significant events of the past), but it's enjoyable so far regardless.

Walking Dead:  Just loaned to a friend and don't recall, off-hand, but will re-read because more zombies in my life are a good thing.

DMZ:  Read the first GN.  Interesting idea, but I don't know that it grabbed me enough to want to keep buying into it.

Powers:  Read the first two GNs so far.  Like it, and will be buying more.

Anyone else got suggestions for what titles I should check into?
Comments on the above?

[rey-o]

I'm always on the look out for interesting comics, although like you, these days I pick up graphic novels/collected story arcs to get a 'meatier' story.

On the superhero side of things, I went on a huge Grant Morrison Batman binge this past winter, starting with the hardcover "Batman and Son", to "The Black Glove", and ending with "Batman R.I.P". The entire tale isn't going to please everyone, and more than a few long time Batman fans hated it, but I found it fascinating and endlessly readable.

I've also been collecting "The Immortal Iron Fist", I didn't think I'd enjoy the series as much as I have. It has a bit of everything, ranging from Kung Fu fantasy, to Pulp comics, and even a dash of League of Extraordinary Gentleman. Pure comics fun.

On the the more independent or alternative side, I like to pick up anything from Paul Pope or Chris Ware whenever they happen to put out something new. If you can still find last month's WIRED, both artists have short comics featured in it (it's the JJ Abrams "Mystery Issue"). Pope's contribution is a cool little backup story about Spock leading up to the events of the new Star Trek flick.


Raey: Judging from the comics you've listed, I'd recommend you check out "The Pride of Baghdad" if you haven't already, that is. It's about a group of Zoo Lions in Baghdad who find themselves free from their imprisonment. Gorgeous art and a smart story to boot.

[Reay]

@rey-o Thanks for the suggestion, I'll keep an eye out for it.  Just to be clear, though, the sample I gave doesn't cover all interests, so if you have any others  you'd recommend from any genre, let'er rip.  I'm into good stories with superheroes in tights, as well as comics that have nothing in the least to do with superheroes at all; I've just been reading more of the latter lately.  I started taking another crack at Dark Night Returns recently (don't know that I ever actually got through it, and cool concept aside, already see why that may be, with all the wordiness and the more sketchy of Miller's art, which I'm really not big on), and just recently uncovered The Long Hallowe'en, which I got on the cheap on eBay a while back but have yet to read.

[rey-o]

Cool, I like a variety of stories too, basically I just like comics.

I enjoyed Dark Knight Returns, but I can see why it might not be all that appealing. I didn't like it all that much when I first went through it, but it was something I had to come back to several times over to appreciate what was happening.

Like you, I picked up the first volume of Fables and while it was entertaining, I wasn't really taken with it. I know it gets much better as it goes on, and I've even read up a bit on what happens later, but I still haven't had the urge to continue on with it. Maybe someday but not now. Gorgeous covers though.

[Shaun Hatton]

OMG guys - Archie is totally going to choose one or the other: Betty or Veronica.

In other comics news, I really liked Cam Kennedy's Star Wars graphic novels. The Dark Empire series was a huge factor in Star Wars regaining in popularity in the mid-90s, and those stories still hold up. I actually wish those had been made into movies rather than the prequels. Kennedy's Boba Fett one-shots were pretty entertaining, too, if not total fan service.

[rey-o]

prediction: even though Archie proposes to Veronica, events conspire that makes it so that he ultimately gets with Betty.

Getting in married in comics is kind of weak sauce though, it didn't make Superman or Spider-man cooler.

Does Dark Empire have anything to do with Shadows of the Empire? Aside from being set in the same universe, of course, haha.

[Shaun Hatton]

Yeah there's no way Archie won't end up with Betty. Veronica should end up with Jughead but then there's also that rich guy... Reggie?

ANYHOW - Dark Empire is set after Return of the Jedi, whereas Shadows of the Empire is between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. In Dark Empire, the Emperor comes back (turns out he had clones of himself made, and when one dies another one is awakened). It's a really cool series. There's Dark Empire and Dark Empire II. I was wrong in saying they're by Cam Kennedy. He did the art, and Tom Veidth did the story. If I recall correctly, there's a third Dark Empire graphic novel but without Kennedy's moody water coloured art.

Outside of this is the Dark Force Rising trilogy of novels by Timothy Zahn, I believe. Those are pretty good and also set Post-Jedi, though they technically take place before Dark Empire.

[Rituro]

Totally a tease; he's going for Betty, if anyone at all. My money is on some Simpsons-esque dream sequence nonsense, followed by "everything's back the way it alllllways was".

I always throw these titles out whenever people start recommending comics, even though I imagine most people have already read them:

Watchmen (since the movie paled in comparison so horribly)
Batman: The Killing Joke (more Moore!)
Hearts of Darkness (Wolverine, Punisher and Ghost Rider take on Blackheart? Yeeeehaw.)

[Kigh_all]

OMG guys - Disney has bought Marvel! End of comics as we know it! Peter Parker leaves Mary Jane for Hannah Montana because she's not So Raven!! *shrugs* :D

For awhile I was following 100 Bullets whenever a new TPB came out. And I'd snatch up anything involving Grendel from Dark Horse. Still a favourite comic character of mine. This was a few years ago however.

[rey-o]

I'm actually really interested in seeing what comes of this buyout. I think at first, like in the next few months to a year, we won't really see much of a difference. Disney intends to respect all the existing contracts with toymakers, game studios and movie studios. Eventually though, we'll see everything coming back into the Disney fold and then some shakeups. Personally I think this is going to play out for the best, we can look to Pixar or even Warner Bros/DC as a model.

I've been picking up a few things here and there:

DC's "Wednesday Comics" - a large newspaper format comic

Flash Rebirth

Batman and Robin - I'm a huge Grant Morrison fan

[IcemanFTW]

Here are a couple of recommendations for graphic novels that I really enjoyed.
1. Preacher
2. Transmetropolitan

I just finished the first DMZ and I thought it was pretty good.  I'll definitely be picking up the next few.

I'm also looking at picking up 100 Bullets as I read the first two a while ago but I never got around to getting anymore.