The Comic Book Thread (spoilers)

[probablyoliver]

Bought the Locke & Key boxset yesterday and I've never been so excited for the postman to come ever.

[Your Mom]

I think I might be done reading comics. The prices are just too high. Like if I want to read all the Spider-Man stories that like $20 a month. And what if I want to read a different book or character? It's just out of hand

[GoGo Yubari]

It's absolutely not worth being crazy into comics anymore if you want to do it legally. That being said, my approach for the last two years has pretty much been "find the creators you like and fuck the overarcing narratives and crossovers" and that's served me well. Right now, I'm buying Ms. Marvel, Astro City, Silver Surfer, Saga, and Secret Six and that's basically it. If I'm in a comics shop and they don't have the stuff I want or I have a little extra money to burn maybe I'll buy something else too (picked up the first volume of Rat Queens for $10 on Saturday because that's a great deal, and I got issue #2 of Thor a couple weeks ago and liked it well enough). Otherwise, I check things out from the library, read in book stores, or Alternate Means.

[probablyoliver]

Yeah, I'm always crazy jealous when I come in this thread and see how much awesome shit people are reading because I just couldn't do it. I don't have the time, money or resources to stockpile comics like some of y'all do.

I'll just stick to buying tpb's months/years later and loving the medium of comic books that way instead.

[I Don't Mind]

I definitely think TPBs are the way to go. I've been using Marvel Unlimited for over a year now. When it works, it's amazing. I've become addicted to Ms. Marvel, All-New Ghost Rider, Amazing Spiderman from a few years ago, Gerry Duggan's Deadpool, Ellis' Moon Knight, and Eric Priest's Black Panther. My God, Priest's Panther. But it's incredibly buggy and not always user friendly, especially with comics prior to the 90's

Edited January 20, 2015 by I Diem

[HailtotheYo]

I constantly change my scrips .... only X-O, Harbinger, Astro City, and Spidey (main title) have stayed over the last 3yrs. I'm always making the chop on titles in order to get what I'm really into ... sometimes I change because of what I'm currently interested in and sometimes it's because of what is actually out there. Also, I either turn in things for store credit at my LCS or sell off runs I no longer subscribe too and have no real need for. I make it work, but if I can't I get rid of it (last month I literally cut my sub list in half).

[Your Mom]

So they are destroying the marvel universe? Yeah fuck this shit

[HailtotheYo]

Eh .... at this point none of it really bothers me. Everything is so convoluted, redone, undone, put back together, swapped out, no just kidding it's really the way we had it in the first place ... yeah it almost doesn't even matter.

What sucks, is that they're coming off the heels of some REALLY BAD ASS BOOKS that honestly seemed to have ended so the focus can be on the drawn down to Secret Wars and then the "legs" after it. I mean, I get it ... but damnit Marvel was putting out several really good books each month. Now, I dunno what to expect.

I love that more characters are going to get love/play in all of this ... but it can all to easily go "new 52"

[Your Mom]

Yeah I mean I was going to try and catch up on some books but why bother now?

[HailtotheYo]

Well depending on what books, why not catch up if you enjoy them ? That's the point right ? I knew Hawkeye was ending but holy crap was it good ... so what if it doesn't have an impact going forward ?

See, this is the awesome part about comics. You can pick and choose. I love the old Ditko era spidey stuff and the McFarlane era stuff too. All of it means diddly poo to continuity now but those stories, art, and writing still exist and still matter ... to me, the reader. Nothing will ever change that.

Valiant DIED, literally. That doesn't take away that Harbinger was ground breaking and that BWS did arguably his best art work for some of those covers/books or that as a whole the company totally kicked the comic industry in the ass.

Bother with what you like .... because you like it. Test the waters with the new stuff and if it isn't for you there are literally entire eras, universes, lifetimes, etc that exist out there for you to enjoy. Mary Jane didn't lessen the impact and relevancy of Gwen Stacy. A "new" Marvel Universe isn't going to lessen the impact or relevancy of the everything that go it to this point.

[Your Mom]

That's true. I mean me catching up on Ms. Marvel isn't going to be any less awesome because of all this nonsense. I am a little frustrated though because it seems like I just got back the normal Spider-Man that I like and now they are changing everything again

[HailtotheYo]

That's true. I mean me catching up on Ms. Marvel isn't going to be any less awesome because of all this nonsense. I am a little frustrated though because it seems like I just got back the normal Spider-Man that I like and now they are changing everything again

As a tried and true web-head .... yeah, I absolutely get that. Being truthful though I highly doubt anything they do with SM from now on will ever be as absolute shit as what they've already done to him. Hell, just look at the initial reaction to the whole "OCK IS SPIDERMAN" ... and whoops ! Arguably the best book Marvel has put out in a decade. It was kick ass and led into a refresh of Peter and we got back "our" SM ! We also got Silk and Spider-Gwen and a glimpse at some pretty bad ass possibilities ....

... in short, I've moved from "oh wtf" initial reactions to simply waiting and seeing what plays out. I mean I LOVE Moon Knight and Iron Fist (two of the most under appreciated characters ever IMO) but after a few issues of their new series I just couldn't ....

we just never know. Frustrating ? Absolutely ... but if these kinds of things don't happen we don't get Superior SM or Uncanny X-Force (first series) and Uncanny Avengers, etc etc.

I wholly admit though, this is why for the last 24 months the vast majority of my scrips were Vertigo and Valiant titles.

Honestly, you want steady/connecting/impactful/GOOD comics to read ? Go read Valiant. yeah they've done some "event" stuff but you don't miss anything by not reading them. The whole thing is interconnected anyway so not reading the tie in or special event minis won't make you lose out on a big relevant chunk.

[Your Mom]

What's a good Valiant book?

[HailtotheYo]

What's a good Valiant book?

Harbinger, Rai, and XO are the ones I'd suggest hands down.

Bloodshot is getting a reboot and I haven't decided yet. He's kind of the "universal" character so I won't need to have his series to get my fill of him. I enjoyed it though.

Plenty of people love Archer & Armstrong but for whatever reason I just don't dig it (didn't in the 90's either actually).

Plenty of people like Dr Mirage as well but I only picked up the first two issues so I cant really gauge it.

Quantam & Woody has quite the following. It's more of a campy type book and if I had the resources I'd likely be buying it. The Delinquents as well.

Unity is a good read as well and gives you glimpses of several characters. It just got the ax from my sub list, but it was due to 'outside' forces as opposed to not wanting it anymore.

Ivar kicks off this month (heard mixed reactions but I will be picking up the first few issues)

February sees Imperium and looks to be a very good jumping in point. It's about Harada and basically starts from the summation of the big events that have played out to date since the reboot. Divinity (4 issue mini) also kicks off in Feb and is supposedly a major thing going forward. It looks good and I'll be reading it.

[HailtotheYo]

OOOOHHHH

I'm also reading Solar and Magnus from Dynamite (loved them in the Valiant 90's era).

[Your Mom]

I just looked at comixology and all the first issues of valiant are free so I'll just try all of them

[Gabriel]

I always thought it would be more appropriate for Marvel or DC to run with one continuity, and then start a new one every five-to-ten years and keep them both ongoing. That way, they don't have to retcon things and characters can die, with the company and fans knowing that they'll be back in the future relaunch, but also that they don't have to worry about that affecting the stories they're invested in.

I was hoping that's what the Ultimate line was going to be, and it started out great with a few little issues here and there... and then it just got downright ridiculous.

[TKz]

I was pretty annoyed the first time they announced Secret Wars and made it clear it was going to be a not a reboot, reboot. But I don't know. I like the characters, I'm more invested in writers than characters though. So long as people like Jason Aaron and Kelly Sue and the like are still writing characters I like, I'll just keep on following.

[HailtotheYo]

The problem for major comic book publishers is that they are catering to about a diverse an audience as any consumer product is. There are soooooo many variables that affect sooooooo many different sectors of their audience that essentially they can do no right. With so much going into it, it doesn't matter their choice as there will be a larger vocal section not in favor.

I mean hell, with the MCU it would make sense to drive all of the comics to that continuity and line. In some ways they are (the X/Mutant treatment for example) but overall there are far and away two separate lines.

Some people love only certain characters, period, no matter what. Others love certain art, period, no matter what. There's a huge population of 'old' guys that are hardcore silver age "where it began" only .... then there's my generation that transitioned into the "dark" age of comics, hit the jackpot in the late 80's early 90's, watched it all crash, and now are seeing it re-bloom. Others have only ever known the current state.

*not really sure why the rant .... been having these discussions with friends for a while now

[Your Mom]

I just heard they are most likely replacing Peter with fucking Miles Morales because of the movie rights garbage. Please tell me that's a stupid rumor