Marvel Unlimited Reading Club

[I Don't Mind]

 

 

I know a handful of members on the board use Marvel Unlimited and I've brought up this idea before, but now I need something to motivate me to read. I paid for a yearly membership in September and I've been slacking on utilizing this great service. My plan is as follows:

✪ Reading Assignment Timeline:
1 week.

✪ Realistic # of issues to read, accounting for things coming up throughout the week and me being a slow reader anyways:
5-6 issues depending on each Reading Assignment
(That's typically what's collected in trades anyways, so makes sense to me)

✪ Everyone posts their reading experience, either issue-by-issue or of the overall assignment depending on how they feel comfortable writing it. There may be assignments folks just don't get into, myself included, so no one completes it but my ideal goal is to get at least myself motivated to read.

✪ Since I hear the board update has made poll-editing complicated, I'll post a weekly link to a non-EWB polling site asking what to read next. This would be posted at the start of the new week, giving voters 6 days to weigh in. I think the most fun and simple way to decide what goes on the poll is first 4 responses to weigh in with their own reading experience. Could be issues 1-6, or 107-113, or whatever. The first few pages of any issue will catch new readers up. As long as it's a reasonable goal to accomplish within one week. Something like The Infinity Gauntlet has longer than average issues, so that would have to be factored into suggestions.

Other than abandoning this idea myself, I think the worst-case scenario is this will be a solo effort similar to Ellis' Holiday Thing.

Picking something randomly out of "my library" to start things off, the first assignment due next Sunday will be:

Ant-Man
Nick Spencer, 2015

Weigh in on what comes after that

11/22/15 Edit: Poll closed!

 

Edited December 25, 2015 by I Diem

[Benji]

I wish I had a tablet to do this

[Liam]

You can read them on the PC, can't you?

[=BK=]

Just now, Benji said:

I wish I had a tablet to do this

Yo.

 

For a little more you can get what I use to read comics.

 

[Benji]

Is the Fire decent? I've always heard it's pretty slow.

[=BK=]

The videos I've seen of it make it look good. I saw a side by side with the ipad mini and it was only just a little bit slower loading web pages and videos. It only took a second to bring up something on Netflix.

[I Don't Mind]

4 hours ago, Big Hairy Man Face said:

You can read them on the PC, can't you?

Absolutely. Their browser-comic-reader has only gotten better over time. I prefer the tablet though because sometimes things in panels get cut off on the browser and it can be hard to find that sweet spot to read it. You can sample most comics on the browser if anyone's interested in buying a membership and wants to test it out

Edited November 16, 2015 by I Diem

[Avenged Probably]

9 hours ago, Benji said:

Is the Fire decent? I've always heard it's pretty slow.

I have a fire, the non HD version. It's a little slow, but I think any that came out after mine are more on par with other tablets.

important point to make, I assume is the same with all Fire tabs but they don't have all the same stuff on App Store as other things. More importantly there isn't an app for Marvel Unlimited.

[Benji]

13 hours ago, Big Hairy Man Face said:

You can read them on the PC, can't you?

Yeah, but I find it awkward reading comics on a monitor.

[I Don't Mind]

I don't know if anyone else joined me this week on my reading adventure of Ant-Man but it's so far served it's purpose in getting me to read more. I'll post my reading experience tomorrow to keep in line with the one-week timeline and make this a Sunday-thing, but just wanted to remind anyone who wants to weigh in to cast your vote on the next reading assignment.

And anyone who posts their own thoughts on the book tomorrow (or today even) with me (long or brief), feel free to make a recommendation for the next reading assignment poll.

Excelsior!

[=BK=]

I'll for sure participate in the next book. I just had E-Fed stuff to do this week instead of reading comics.

[I Don't Mind]

ANT-MAN
Issues: #1 - #5
Writer: Nick Spencer
Artist: Ramon Rosanas
Colorist: Jordan Boyd
Release Year: 2015
Collected In: Ant-Man Vol. 1: Second-Chance Man

Confession prologue: I haven't seen the Paul Rudd Ant-Man movie. I've been meaning to, it's on my to-do list, but I picked this to start the project just randomly. It was near the top of my Library list so here we go. Also, I know nothing about Ant-Man other than Hank Pym beat his wife, and there's dispute amongst fans if that should be held against him compared to all the other crazy shit superheroes have done whether under mind control or whatever. But going in, the only thing I know about Scott Lang is that he's the successor to the helm.

I was on the fence reading the first issue which felt like a needlessly long 33 pages in total. They could have easily cut about 5 pages from this without impacting the story much. In the grand scheme of things I like that Scott Lang is very self-deprecating, separating him away from the grim-dark heroes of the past. While trying to funny though it felt like a very forced and failed effort to create a new Deadpool. I don't find Scott Lang funny in any issue, but there are some hilarious moments with plenty of other characters.  and while I don't know if this is a gripe with Nick Spencer or with just the character throughout his publication history, but I couldn't get a solid grip on who Scott Lang is. Both in current day and flashback he looks like a clean-shaven nerd, but he acts like a 'loveable' goof, then drops words like pathos which I don't expect a street-wise thief to know. And then there's the age. "My marriage was like Vietnam" and naming one of his ants Chuck Barris (host of The Gong Show/The Newlywed Game/The Dating Game" but is adapt at Google, Apple Watches, and knowing Yahoo Answers is full of trolls. What I liked the most about the first issue though was that there's not one real fight but the stakes feel incredibly high. That's a wonderful rarity. Also a wonderful rarity that wasn't kept up through the series was Scott being something of a flawed anti-hero in that he's a horribly irresponsible father. It's brilliantly portrayed in the first issue but becomes Homer Simpson'd throughout the 5 issues. I don't have a segue into this but I think it needed to be seen, as both accurate but also "writing yourself into the story much?"

 

Issue 2 was much more condensed, had 2 fight scenes (which much like the first issue, kept up with not being the focus. The high stakes at hand were that Scott needed a loan.) Loved Tony Stark in this issue.

 

But it was the best move imaginable to make Grizzly into a sidekick.

Makes sense both for comedic relief (because God knows Scott Lang isn't providing it) and because in his introduction, he literally has our titular hero dead-to-rights pinned against a wall. I was disappointed though that Mrs. Morgenstern didn't become a regular character after her reveal she trapped the Midasbot in the vault. Too much intrigue there to not pay off! Midasbot I wasn't so big on. Felt very much like just a filler-obstacle that could have been replaced with something more character-developing.

 

Issue 3 felt like it was written just for the "Hench" joke.

 

It was a pretty comical fight scene that tonally felt like it belonged in Venture Bros. but the first half of issue 3 felt just mundane. This was my first introduction to Taskmaster and visually he looked amazing but I got the impression he's just a D-list throwaway goon. I was a bit upset at the end to see Cassie get the opportunity to make friends, only to have that ripped away from her, so good writing there.
 

Issue 4 just has to be noted - how freaking good is Mark Brooks at these covers?

 

That cover is literally what I think the series should have been. Throw Ant-Man Security Solutions at crimes/mysteries rather than a personal grudge to resolve around the damsel in distress. This issue is by far the best at characters not named Scott Lang though. Augustine Cross has earned his place as "villains that should be recurring" far more than his father, and despite Crossfire being turned into a joke he seemed like a perfect assassin for the company. But it's obvious Machinesmith is the real star of the issue. He's both funnier and more sympathetic than Scott Lang. He caters to children's delights at his own expense, he wants a legitimate job, and he'll call Lang out on his shit.

And while Machinesmith, Augustine Cross and once again, Grizzly are stealing the show...



Scott Lang comes off like a whiney bitch, stewing in his own defeat. Before Grizz's pep-talk Lang's tried nothing and he's all out of ideas. And for the stakes finally becoming incredibly high, and personal, and requiring real heroics, the entire issue lacks the sense of time-sensitivity. There are several scenes where characters are just moseying around with no urgency. It's at least acknowledged at the end - they weren't running around at breakneck speed and realistically, they missed the heart transplant by probably hours. It doesn't even speak to Dr. Sondheim's hesitancy or urgency to make her decision to me, it speaks to Lang's incompetency. This pretty much epitomizes what's wrong with this run - all of these issues feel like they're about these relatable, entertaining characters and Scott Lang is just their framing device that readers have to plod through to get to the good stuff.

 

Finally in our final issue, Scott Lang shows glimmers of heroism and strength but watching big Daddy Cross pummel the shit out of him was cathartic.



And while Lang is catching the ass whooping of a lifetime, I'm also given really insightful dialogue by Griz and Smith! Then we go back to Lang, who drops a Zoolander reference which was somewhat funny but also a little out of place. So with the blood feud at it's most boiling point, the brawl dissipates due to Deus Ex Machina. It'd be one thing if Lang triggered Big Daddy Cross's shrinking but I didn't get that impression at all; it seemed completely involuntary. The Fantastic Voyage part could have been stretched into a much better sixth issue but instead just made me want to rewatch that one episode of Archer.



Given my hatred for Lang throughout this run I found myself mad at Sondheim fabricated excuses for Lang. I didn't want to see him get away with his irresponsibility, but I will say I found that ending bittersuite.  "You've always been her hero" got me choked up, and it lead to what was basically the first and only real heroic moment of the story, which was done strictly out of guilt.

So overall, this wasn't a difficult read. I liked the art, the writing for all of the supporting players was excellent, but I don't ever want to read the character Scott Lang written by Nick Spencer again. Maybe it's a difficult character to nail or maybe this was just not a good fit but if Spencer does a spinoff titled Griz and Smith, I'd read every issue.

NEXT TIME TRUE BELIEVERS ON MARVEL UNLIMITED READING CLUB:

Daredevil: Yellow
Jeph Loeb, 2001

Edited November 22, 2015 by I Diem

[Avenged Probably]

I'm with you on this IDM! After subscribing I got distracted and read a bunch of stuff I wasn't meant to so I only blasted through Ant-Man today and yesterday..

Your post did such a good job, I'm not going to go issue by issue but offer some bulleted opinions. 

• I HAVE seen the film and I'm not sure if that helped or not. It seemed, at least early on that it was trying desperately to transplant Paul Rudd's character over the exiting comics version of Scott Lang which seemed quite odd for a bit. 
• After the first couple of issues it seemed to make its mind up a little more about that whole thing.
• I agree with you in regards to supporting characters. Every time one showed up or a new one was introduced, the issue got miles better.
• Cassie Lang saved the world a ton of times with the Young Avengers, suddenly she's helpless here? I don't buy it, she could have done something. Although I suppose the thing always driving her was her Father's death. Wouldn't have minded a team up of sorts between her and Scott. 
• Darren Cross was boring, Augustine should have failed to bring him back and remained as a constant villain. He was great until Dad was back alive then he was a little bitch.
• I was fairly invested by the end, and the actual ending was pretty sad. 
• Would happily read the next bunch if they become available, but not desperate to do so.
• Oh and the issue 4 cover was indeed brilliant. As was Machinesmith. And Grizzly. 

In the poll I actually voted for Superior Foes of Spider-Man which I think would offer a similar dynamic to those characters. Oh well, Daredevil Yellow it is. Be interesting to see how good this is since its been highly touted for such a long time. 

[Monkey D. Lars]

Are these all one off stories? Like closure after a couple of issues? 

 

Nevermind

 

I'm in. I'll start off with Daredevil: Yellow!

[I Don't Mind]

They don't have to be, but that's the trend for Marvel over the last few decades. For the next poll if someone contributes their feedback to Ant-Man #1-5, which is the entirety of the run because Marvel turned it into Astonishing Ant-Man, and a contributor suggests something like Captain America #10-15, where each issue is a stand-alone story probably, that'd be fine.

[=BK=]

My only issue with recommending something is I can't quite remember  where a storyline starts or ends. Like if I wanted to recommend All-New X-Men or Ultimate Spider-Man 1-6 I'd have to read those again and see if I'm not cutting us off in the middle of a storyline and if I do that there is no point in recommending on my part it because I'll have already read it.

[Monkey D. Lars]

I'm going to start with a clean sheet and use http://cmro.travis-starnes.com/ to keep track of what I've read. I think I can even look up story arcs there!

[Monkey D. Lars]

Is there any way to read Marvel Unlimited well on PC?

[I Don't Mind]

15 hours ago, Kirkland said:

My only issue with recommending something is I can't quite remember  where a storyline starts or ends. Like if I wanted to recommend All-New X-Men or Ultimate Spider-Man 1-6 I'd have to read those again and see if I'm not cutting us off in the middle of a storyline and if I do that there is no point in recommending on my part it because I'll have already read it.

Personally, I don't mind if a storyline ends on issue 3 or 4 and we end halfway through a new story. If anything, that should wet our appetites and make us want to read another 5 or 6 issues. So if you only know which issue a storyline starts in, go with that. Otherwise, I'm not sure I have an alternative suggestion to ensure you're not personally re-reading stuff.

3 hours ago, Lars Elric said:

Is there any way to read Marvel Unlimited well on PC?

You can read Marvel Unlimited through Marvel's website by signing in, clicking comics, and clicking Marvel Unlimited.

Well, being a key-word, is really dependent on what you're trying to read, as some things have been uploaded haphazardly so you get panels cut off if you zoom in. It's certainly improved over the last few years though for what it's worth.

 

POLL: WHAT TO READ AFTER DAREDEVIL: YELLOW

With the exception of one option, story arc premises stolen from Amazon. Please cast your vote via link, not via this thread.

- Superior Foes of Spider-Man (Nick Spencer) #1-6

Spoiler

Boomerang and his fellow villains prove that with terrible powers come terrible responsibilities...and Spider-Man will soon learn that with superior villains come superior problems! Out on bail and aiming to stay out of jail, Boomerang must get his cronies on target - but does Frank Castle, the one-man army known as the Punisher, have them targeted already?

- Thor (Walter Simonson) #337-341

Spoiler

What the hell's a Beta Ray Bill? Find out!

- Immortal Iron Fist (Ed Brubaker) #1-6

Spoiler

Many years ago, in the mystical city of Kun' Lun, young Danny Rand stared at a suit behind glass - the garb of the "Immortal Iron Fist" - and knew that he was destined to wear it. But where did this costume come from? Why did it wait for Danny all those years like a shadow of his future?

- Fantastic Four (Jonathan Hickman) #605-611

Spoiler

The FF must save the world 4,000 years from now, defeat Egyptian zombies, battle a future Hulk and even pierce the veil of death itself. And they'll need every bit of cunning and strength they have to win the day!

 

Edited November 23, 2015 by I Diem

[Monkey D. Lars]

It's so hard to read on a laptop. You can't properly zoom in.