The Comic Book Thread (spoilers)

[MalaCloudy Black]

I read an issue of Dark Avengers yesterday, I had no idea what was going on. Iron Patriot armor looks cool though. I know the basic premise, Norman Osborn, blabbity blab blab blab. All I know is that he had a talk with The Sentry and then fought a bunch of Morgan Le Fey's creatures.

[Timmoru Suzuki]

Simon Dark was the greatest thing that was only ever read by me and DFF.

It was cancelled, and ended in an abrupt and rushed manner after issue 18. It is a slow starter, the first few issues being reasonable but then it pick up towards the end of the year long first arc. The last few issues of that are fantastic and it doesn't let up until it's quick demise. As an example of how it improved, it went from being something I brought out of habit around the issue 4/5/6 mark (though I did like it, but just enough to buy the next issue) to being something I looked forward to getting each month and rushed home to read instantly whenever a new issue came out.

Of course, a now cancelled comic no-one read is hardly mainstream DC, after reading bits of stuff and a large part of 52, I have no real interest in mainstream DC.

Buy Simon Dark.

[the machine]

I found a gem in Captain Britain and MI13. I picked up the first trade a bit ago but for some reason never read it until this weekend.

Its a great mix of action, humor and all round good storytelling. All the characters are very distinct, in the way wall they all bring something different to the book's cast. I like the mix of British heroes like Cap and Spitfire, and a few under utilized guys like Black Knight. Wisdom's always been random to me, sometimes (most of the time) I've hated his character, and others I loved him. In this book I'm certainly going to love him. Add all the magic stuff, vampires and the fact that its British based... I can't help but love this.

I just the other day ordered the second volume, so hopefully It won't disappoint.

Cornell also wrote the Wisdom MAX series, which I found pretty hilarious. It featured the Skrull Beatles, and that cantankerous old bad-ass "Captain Midlands," a very thin Ultimate Captain America parody. Probably the only guy since Warren Ellis to make Pete Wisdom halfway interesting.

[Johnny Latino Heat]

Anyway, Issue One of X-Men Forever came out. As I suspected, I loved and hated it. Claremont really hasn't changed his writing style at all, so there's plenty of cliched dialogue and needless thought bubbles and captions. I get the impression that a best of both worlds with Claremont would be for him to plan out the storylines because there is no doubting he has some excellent ideas and does plot very well but then leave the actual writing for someone else because his dialogue is weak, his characterisation is terrible (especially in this) and the sheer amount of needless thought-bubbles is incredibly annoying. Thought-bubbles in comics should be needless anyway, but that's a rant for another time. But seriously, he over-used them to high-heaven in this issue, often using them to say in words what the reader can already bloody see in the art. Also, re-naming Gambit to Remy Picard is just nob-ish. I didn't like how they blew though what could be a major villian in one issue, but it did offer a nice alternative to today's "Six Issue arcs~!!!" story-style.

But I did love the art. Not because it's amazing, but because everyone was drawn like they were in the X-Men cartoon series, which is brilliance, and as I mentioned I've found Claremont to be a good ideas man and a good plotter and he does do a fine job of setting up little bits of story anf intrigue for later issues and the actual plot of this first issue was good.

Regarding the whole Gambit Picard thing, I think it's pretty obvious what Claremont's angling for. At the end of the series, Gambit and Xavier switch bodies and Gambit goes on to space to fight Klingons and do whatever they do on Star Trek

EDIT: Huge Captain America spoilers. Go to this site at your own peril.

Edited June 15, 2009 by Johnny Latino Heat

[GRIFT]

Ugh, I hate Humberto Ramos' artwork. He is an instant interest killer in any comic for me. Anyone have that effect for you guys? I seriously cannot read something if he has done the art.

[RoyWill Rumble]

Whoever did the artwork for Amazing Spidey #596. I actually have liked Spidey for the past little while, but fuck did I hate that issue's art. EVERYONE had massive eyelashes, men and women alike. Not to mention, the detail was seriously lacking in some panels and it urked the shit outta me. Funnily enough, I can't remember who did the art for the issue, but I hated it.

[Timmoru Suzuki]

I had a near fatal heart-attack and was almost reduced to cyring real, salty tears when I read that after #27, out next week, that Marvel had cancelled The Immortal Iron Fist. Luckily, it wasn't true. Sure, it's not as brilliant as in Brubaker and Fractions nigh-on-perfect run, but it's still a damn good book and has been one of my very favourite titles since it's re-launch.

Anyway, the story goes that it isn't cancelled, but is going on haitus. Instead, what will take it's place each month is a series of one-shot stories about the other Immortal Weapons (Fat Cobra~!!). It appears that Marvel haven't actually guaranteed that the regular Iron Fist book will continue after these one-shots, they have said something along the lines of "Don't worry, we have big plans for Danny Rand in late 2009/2010."

Thank-fuck. Cancelling Iron Fist would have ruined my Day. Week. Year. Life.

Moreso.

Edited June 18, 2009 by T'Angelo Barksdale

[Boulder]

I need some recommendations. Firstly, does anybody know of any old, old, OLD school Superman stories (think 1950s or thereabouts) that really show life on Krypton, or in Kandor, anything like that? Also, any particularly good Vandal Savage stories (from any time period)?

[GRIFT]

Alright, so I've just jumped into Peter David's 2005 run with Dennis Calero on X-Factor and WOW am I loving it.

The art is graceful and complementary to the noir feel of David's writing and I really can't understate how much I've enjoyed his storytelling. You can really tell that he has written these characters before. This is a comic I probably never would have checked out if not for Marvel's Online library but boy am I glad I did. I haven't been so pleasantly surprised with a book since I checked out The Irredeemable Ant-man.

Can anyone recommend anything else by David? I am not overly familiar with his work but there are only 34 issues from this run online and I'd love to either check out more of his work-- preferably from the last 9 years. I am not a huge X-Factor buff either. Is it worth checking out their earlier titles? Also, more Madrox = Greatness.

[the machine]

Alright, so I've just jumped into Peter David's 2005 run with Dennis Calero on X-Factor and WOW am I loving it.

The art is graceful and complementary to the noir feel of David's writing and I really can't understate how much I've enjoyed his storytelling. You can really tell that he has written these characters before. This is a comic I probably never would have checked out if not for Marvel's Online library but boy am I glad I did. I haven't been so pleasantly surprised with a book since I checked out The Irredeemable Ant-man.

Can anyone recommend anything else by David? I am not overly familiar with his work but there are only 34 issues from this run online and I'd love to either check out more of his work-- preferably from the last 9 years. I am not a huge X-Factor buff either. Is it worth checking out their earlier titles? Also, more Madrox = Greatness.

PAD's done a ton of great work; I really think his refusal to play politics and his grating real life persona are the only reasons he's not a major creative force in either Marvel or DC.

X-Factor is really great, and it's the only other place you'll find Madrox, Guido, and Rahne where they're written with the same energy. Plus Lorna and Alex are awesome, too. PAD also had a near decade-long run on the Hulk. He also wrote Future Imperfect, a critically acclaimed Hulk mini-series.

His run on Captain America was also considered the best post-Gruenwald run until Brubaker.

Captain Marvel was a weird, fun comic that built off some of the stuff he did during his Hulk run.

The problem is only X-Factor and Hulk are particularly well-collected. And be warned: the crossovers in the current X-Factor pale in comparison to the crossovers X-Factor had to put up with in the early 90's.

[Gabriel]

I really miss X-Factor, from when Havok was the leader, around the time when the team was Polaris, Strong Guy, Wolfsbane and Multiple Man. That was just great stuff.

[whiskers]

Other than really enjoying the new Knights of the Old Republic comic and watching Darth Revan acquire his famous mask, I bought Usagi Yojimbo 60-62. Sadly, my comic store didn't have 66 and 63, making me those issues away from having a 60-120 run of the third volume. Naturally, those two comics have become the hardest comics for me to find.

Anyone else have a problem like this? With being a few issues short of a run.

[TGC]

Alright, so I've just jumped into Peter David's 2005 run with Dennis Calero on X-Factor and WOW am I loving it.

The art is graceful and complementary to the noir feel of David's writing and I really can't understate how much I've enjoyed his storytelling. You can really tell that he has written these characters before. This is a comic I probably never would have checked out if not for Marvel's Online library but boy am I glad I did. I haven't been so pleasantly surprised with a book since I checked out The Irredeemable Ant-man.

Can anyone recommend anything else by David? I am not overly familiar with his work but there are only 34 issues from this run online and I'd love to either check out more of his work-- preferably from the last 9 years. I am not a huge X-Factor buff either. Is it worth checking out their earlier titles? Also, more Madrox = Greatness.

PAD's done a ton of great work; I really think his refusal to play politics and his grating real life persona are the only reasons he's not a major creative force in either Marvel or DC.

X-Factor is really great, and it's the only other place you'll find Madrox, Guido, and Rahne where they're written with the same energy. Plus Lorna and Alex are awesome, too. PAD also had a near decade-long run on the Hulk. He also wrote Future Imperfect, a critically acclaimed Hulk mini-series.

His run on Captain America was also considered the best post-Gruenwald run until Brubaker.

Captain Marvel was a weird, fun comic that built off some of the stuff he did during his Hulk run.

The problem is only X-Factor and Hulk are particularly well-collected. And be warned: the crossovers in the current X-Factor pale in comparison to the crossovers X-Factor had to put up with in the early 90's.

What run? I fail to remember a PAD run on Cap post Gruenwald. Mark Waid, Rob Leifeld, Dan Jurgens, but no PAD.

The Madrox Mini that served as a lead in to X-Factor was excellent. Read that if you have not. Go back and read PAD's first run on X-Factor, and his Hulk run is stellar.

[Johnny Latino Heat]

Also from PAD, and a personal favorite of mine, Young Justice.

[Boogey131]

Can somebody tell me, how many issues are there in Ed Brubakers run of Cap America pre-#600? I've been collecting in trade but want to try get into reading it in issues but am totally confused when it comes to volumes and have no idea how far behind I am.

Just read some Astro City, really good writing and I still love Alex Ross' covers. I really enjoy Busieks work, love Marvels and Superman:Secret Identity and in this I really like how he takes a similar approach by showing stories from the city ranging from the Superman-esque Samaritan dreaming of relaxing to an office-worker contemplating moving into the city. It helps the city feel like a big character in the book and has more depth to it than I'm used to in comic-book cities. After a quick look on Amazon, looks like the series has been mostly released in trade paperbacks, which is a shame cause I would love to own a big hardcover of this.

[Boulder]

Can somebody tell me, how many issues are there in Ed Brubakers run of Cap America pre-#600? I've been collecting in trade but want to try get into reading it in issues but am totally confused when it comes to volumes and have no idea how far behind I am.

#1-#50, plus the Winter Soldier: Winter Kills one shot and the Captain America 65th Anniversary Special one shot.

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

So I just finished reading Steve Engelhart's run on West Coast Avengers all the way through (had read most of it in the past, but not every issue and not all together), and I have to say - it's right up there with Busiek or the criminally underrated Bob Harras as my favourite Avengers writer-arc of all time. Amazing sense of continuity, with subplots basically running from the first issue to the end of his reign, but not making it too obvious what the next direction would be (as Roger Stern sometimes did).

[TGC]

So I just finished reading Steve Engelhart's run on West Coast Avengers all the way through (had read most of it in the past, but not every issue and not all together), and I have to say - it's right up there with Busiek or the criminally underrated Bob Harras as my favourite Avengers writer-arc of all time. Amazing sense of continuity, with subplots basically running from the first issue to the end of his reign, but not making it too obvious what the next direction would be (as Roger Stern sometimes did).

Aside from some really stupid shit, like anything he did with Moon Knight, I somewhat agree. Sadly he left prematurely and the writers that ended his ongoing subplots sucked really bad.

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

I liked the idea of the Moon Knight plot (Khonsu taking more control and Marc Spector being phased out), but the execution was horrible, and as you said DeFalco's ending pretty much ruined it. Plus they never explained his powers and it was always like "oh, Moon Knight's beating people up too". Also Wonder Man became a little too arrogant a little too fast for me. But what he did with Pym and to a lesser degree Hawkeye makes up for it.

[TGC]

What you have in your sig is from The Byrne era though, and that was greatness in WCA. His regular Avengers run not so much, but his lovely WCA's run was a classic as far as I am concerned.

I would also say that Englehart's work on Hawkeye and Mockingbird was fabulous stuff. It was his run on WCA that made me truly love both characters, and then Byrne came along with The Great Lakes Avenger's plot and it was the most awesome stuff ever.