The Comic Book Thread (spoilers)

[GoGo Yubari]

Does DC do the big crossover events like Marvel?

They do. And then after every single one they were like "AND NOW THIS IS A NEW AGE OF HEROES WHERE THINGS GO BACK TO BASICS" and then it's on to the next thing. Marvel is much better at making their big events distinct and fresh; DC was stuck in the hellscape of Crisis events for a couple years. Identity Crisis! Infinite Crisis! Final Crisis! And Final Crisis was just an absolute disaster, Grant Morrison at his very worst.

I liked Blackest Night, though. And I really liked what DC was doing in the wake of it until Flashpoint happened.

I think my biggest thing with DC is that their marketing strategy feels like "HEY LOOK AT US LOOK AT US PAY ATTENTION TO US HEY WE'RE HERE TOO LOOK AT US LOOK AT US LOOK AT US." Nothing they do anymore feels genuine, it just feels like stunt after stunt after stunt. It makes stuff like making Alan Scott in some parallel universe gay and in his twenties for whatever reason feel more like a move to get newspapers to want to write "Green Lantern is gay!!!" headlines rather than a move for the sake of progressivism.

But to be honest, I'm totally out of touch with what the main things in either Marvel or DC are now anyway. If not for Avengers Academy I would know nothing about the plot of Avengers vs. X-Men other than "the Phoenix force is back and I guess the Avengers and X-Men are going to fight over it."

[Johnny Latino Heat]

Does DC do the big crossover events like Marvel? I think that's a bit part of it, it's a lot easier to jump into Marvel starting at Civil War or House of M than it is with DC, where there's not really anything like that I'm aware off.

Dunno if they're planning to do anything as of now with the whole New 52 thing, but they did big events fairly regularly as well. Off the top of my head, I can remember Identity Crisis, Infinite Crisis, Final Crisis, Blackest Night and Flashpoint

EDIT: Beaten to it >_>

Edited July 23, 2012 by Johnny Latino Heat

[TKz]

AvX isn't the best crossover yet. It's fun for the fights, but I'm mostly buying all of it so I can actually read all of one crossover event in TPB rather than just on my computer, though I think this'll be the last crossover I buy all off (unless there's one I really love). You're not missing much by not reading it.

I'm really loving New Avengers though. So much fun and it's my favorite art style of most comics. I kind of want to pick up the new Captain Marvel series because I quite like Ms. Marvel, but the new costume with the new look kind of just looks silly to me. Not that the previous one was anything amazing, but the hair just looks silly. >_>

[=BK=]

I'm glad DC did this reboot. It's a real easy jumping on point. I've always loved DC characters but my love for them comes from the Animated Universe mostly. When I was little my dad would buy me all sorts of comics(Not just DC) but I never read them and by the time I old enough to want too they were all in bad condition(I have vivid memories of ripped up Savage Dragon comics) and in no order whatsoever. I only have two comics in my house at the moment and only one is DC and that would be a hardback, recolored copy of The Killing Joke. The other is The Crow. I assume the old messed up books are still stored in my uncle's building.

[Steeb]

I would second the LOVELY INTERNET SHOP OF NON-DESCRIPT NAME as a good way to keep yrself in the loop. I started reading at a big event for each, and then whenever something didn't make sense, or was referenced in those little 'Continuity Editor' asterisk boxes, or whatever, AQUIRED the event in question. If it's good, the nice special edition hardback or whatever got bought.

[TKz]

I torrent the big collections of all comics to do with event and buy the actual event. Other than for Dark Reign, seeing as there wasn't really a main series.

[Skummy]

It's a joke I've re-used a thousand times, but I'm still behind the idea of Financial Crisis On Infinite Earths.

[TGC]

Any New 52 recommendations? I've read Wonder Woman, which I enjoy and have heard great things about Batman and Batwoman, but the whole line is just so overwhelming, I'm afraid to dive in?

And I still recommend Swamp Thing, Animal Man, and Justice League Dark. Swamp Thing and Animal Man do sort of semi co-exist with each other, and I know there is a crossover of sorts coming for the two, but they are very good. I think you can get the trade that collects the first 6 issues of Animal Man off of Amazon for like $7, and the ST trade collecting it's first six issues is coming in a few weeks. Pre-Order at Amazon is like $8 I think?

[stokeriño]

Got my first trades for a while, with the first two each from Avengers and New Avengers (the post-Siege Bendis stuff). They seem to be flapping around a bit aimlessly but they're not bad - although Spider-man and Wolverine being on both teams is annoying me (I can only presume that Bendis needs Spider-man as his crutch for half of the team dialogue).

Although both series had their plus and minus points I think I've enjoyed New Avengers the more thus far - I'm a bit surprised/annoyed that I've unwittingly caught up to Fear Itself already, as it seems rather sudden (and as far as I can tell Fear Itself will be rather meh). I'll have to catch up on Captain America before I get that though, so that and also Avengers Academy will be next on my list.

[=BK=]

I'm enjoying Action Comics but issues 5 and 6 with the time travel stuff was a little weird and hard to follow. If Action Comics covers Superman then what exactly does the Superman comic cover?

[TKz]

I'm enjoying Action Comics but issues 5 and 6 with the time travel stuff was a little weird and hard to follow. If Action Comics covers Superman then what exactly does the Superman comic cover?

Also Superman. Think that's bad, try following Batman. Dude has 4 comics. All happening at (around) the same time. >_>

[Nick Adams]

Yeah, somebody actually tried to draw up a time line for Night of Owls and apparently couldn't figure out when Nightwing #9 happens in relation to the rest of it. I don't read The Dark Knight because of two reasons - I read the original five-issue run, and as it has the same writing and art team, I really don't care, and moreover, I've already got too many damn Bat-titles on my pull list.

Perhaps you should stick to The Flash. One comic, one guy, a little bit of continuity with Justice League, but then again, all the major titles have continuity with Justice League.

[Your Mom]

Anyone subscribe to a comic through marvel? I noticed if you buy from them it is way cheaper than the comic shop and was just wondering if there are condition issues or anything like that.

[Herr Matzat]

I read a bit of comics in the past two days.

I get Ultimate Spider-Man via Marvel Subscriptions. It´s good qualety, they ship in a plastic voile with cardboard backing. The only problem is that they usually only arrive in Germany when the next issue is already out in the US. But since i did not read the past 15-20 issues till yesterday... >_>

I love the price, you also get a free online version of the USM book for free. (they charge 3€ for that on comixology).

Death of Ultimate Spider-Man. Pretty boring, not terrible but especially when you announce his dead beforehand there should be a bit more happening i guess. But i did not read the Avengers vs ultimates event so i might have missed something there. (like why they let Spidey shot on the bridge) - Ultimate Fallout hat a few good moments, but all in all i was not blown away either.

Only read the first issue of the new USM. Can´t comment on that yet.

Read "Chew" TPB #2. Great book. Everyone should read it.

Read "WE3". It´s a three issue concluding story, sort of like a good Outer Limets Episode. I´ed say go get it. Fun read.

Right now "Rising Stares" is on sale at comixology, i might get that compendium for 20$, don´t know about the spinofs for 10$ yet.

Edited August 4, 2012 by Michael Matzat on a Plane

[Trench]

I read a bit of comics in the past two days.

I get Ultimate Spider-Man via Marvel Subscriptions. It´s good qualety, they ship in a plastic voile with cardboard backing. The only problem is that they usually only arrive in Germany when the next issue is already out in the US. But since i did not read the past 15-20 issues till yesterday... >_>

I love the price, you also get a free online version of the USM book for free. (they charge 3€ for that on comixology).

Death of Ultimate Spider-Man. Pretty boring, not terrible but especially when you announce his dead beforehand there should be a bit more happening i guess. But i did not read the Avengers vs ultimates event so i might have missed something there. (like why they let Spidey shot on the bridge) - Ultimate Fallout hat a few good moments, but all in all i was not blown away either.

Only read the first issue of the new USM. Can´t comment on that yet.

Read "Chew" TPB #2. Great book. Everyone should read it.

Read "WE3". It´s a three issue concluding story, sort of like a good Outer Limets Episode. I´ed say go get it. Fun read.

Right now "Rising Stares" is on sale at comixology, i might get that compendium for 20$, don´t know about the spinofs for 10$ yet.

I do want to try this, but how is it put in your mailbox? I assume it is shipped through your mailman and not UPS right? Do they just stuff it in your mailbox and possible bend it like other magazines?

Edit: Forget you are in Germany, not sure if you guys have UPS. But basically another mail service that brings packages usually.

Edited August 4, 2012 by Trench

[Herr Matzat]

We have UPS. But i asume you talk about United States Post?

I get the comics delivered by the normal german mailman. I never recived a comic bend or folded. Just once i did not recive a comic at all and marvel send out a replacement when i noticed. (i think they have rules somewere that say you can only get a replacement two times per subscription or something like that)

Than again out post box is big enough that the newspaper man dos not even need to fold the newspaper.

I´ed say just go for it. What do you have to loose. It´s 22$ for 12 issues, right? If enough comics arrive broken enough for marvel to refuse further replacements you are still of cheaper when you have to rebuy one or two books since i think the cover price is at 50$ per 20 issues?

[GoGo Yubari]

Matzat is right about Chew. I have the first five TPBs, very good comic.

[Your Mom]

I love Chew! I read it through the trades and it's just a really great book.

[TKz]

So anyone else going to be trying out the Marvel NOW series? I'm pretty excited to start some of my favorite comics from the first issues. I think I'll pick up Iron Man, Thor, X-Men, Deadpool so far. I'm kind of interested in Avengers but not really at all interested in the Uncanny Avengers thing where it's an Avengers/X-Men team up.

[Trench]

So anyone else going to be trying out the Marvel NOW series? I'm pretty excited to start some of my favorite comics from the first issues. I think I'll pick up Iron Man, Thor, X-Men, Deadpool so far. I'm kind of interested in Avengers but not really at all interested in the Uncanny Avengers thing where it's an Avengers/X-Men team up.

All New X-Men sounds interesting and I may look into Uncanny Avengers, I have never been a big fan of Thor, Iron Man or really any of the Avengers so I will play the others by ear and see how they are.