The Comic Book Thread (spoilers)

[Your Mom]

Is anyone reading Superior Spider-Man?

It sounds cool, just wondering if it's worth picking up.

It depends... IMO, it's worth it, however, if you're really peeved about the premise, you'll probably want to skip it. But I'm loving it, it's a new take on the character and it will make Peter Parker''s inevitable return that much sweeter.

Count me on the peeved side. I got issue 1 for free and it was ok but I wouldn't pay for it

[TKz]

I was starting to enjoy it up until...

Doc Ock figured out Peter was still in there and wiped him from his mind. I was starting to come around to the idea of Ock being a good guy, but that was the least fucking good guy thing he could do. Really soured me on it.

[HailtotheYo]

I was starting to enjoy it up until...

Doc Ock figured out Peter was still in there and wiped him from his mind. I was starting to come around to the idea of Ock being a good guy, but that was the least fucking good guy thing he could do. Really soured me on it.

Superior is awesome in my opinion. It's on my scrip list and I'm loving the issue that Ock is having between being himself and being a true "superior spider-man" and being the good guy.

TKz

At first I kind of frowned at it but the more I think about it the more I like it ... because it does two things. 1 - it actually provides for a better way to eventually bring Peter back. It won't just be "battle for my mind" type stuff that would have been really too easy. They gave us that line, then pulled it and now they're forced to come up with something ... 2 - It completely illustrates the entire struggle for Ock. He's been shown the "light" so to speak, but he can't help being himself. He's been trying to justify his ruthless actions through the guise of "sometimes even good needs to do what needs to be done even if it's bad" type stuff. Now Peter is gone, it is just him, and he can truly prove/or not his ability/change.

Still loving the hell out of the Valiant stuff. Eternal Warrior starts in July ... don't know about Quantam and Woody, but I'll probably pick up the first issue just because.

[TKz]

http://thrillbent.com/blog/how-dc-contracts-work/

Interesting read on how contracts for writers work.

[Toe]

Age of Ultron's ending was a bit disappointing.

[=BK=]

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/91107.Moebius_4

I have one of these now. Seeing lot of different prices for it. Anyone mind helping me find what it's worth? MIne is obviously used as there is some white bits on the cover from color coming away but they're very small. The cover isn't bent or anything and the pages inside are pefectly fine.

[Johnny Latino Heat]

Deadpool 12 spoilers:

One Randy Savage cameo, coming up!

Is it sad that I marked out a little?

[Toe]

Deadpool 12 spoilers:

One Randy Savage cameo, coming up!

Is it sad that I marked out a little?

I did too!

[Your Mom]

Anyone ever done a list of fave comic writers or artists? We haven't had a good list in a while

[TKz]

Matt Fraction wins because Hawkeye.

Speaking off Hawkeye, the Pizza Dog issue might be my all time favorite comic ever.

Also, New Avengers continues to be great, whilst Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy weren't as great as previously. They weren't bad and it was nice to see the Guardians just kind of chilling and the set up for the rest of the Nova story, but they both just felt like set up. Which will be fine when reading all at once, not so much when you have to wait a month for the next issue.

[=BK=]

What issue is Nightwing up to?

In fact is there an easy way to see what all the New 52 books are up to currently?

[Johnny Latino Heat]

Well, most of the ones that started right at the beginning of the New 52 thing are at 21 or 20. Nightwing's at 21 (plus an annual and a 0 issue, I believe). As for checking out the numbering... Can't help you there, sorry.

[Your Mom]

Loved the Pizza Dog issue. Obviously you can't do that kind of thing a lot but it was a great 1 issue thing

[TKz]

Loved the Pizza Dog issue. Obviously you can't do that kind of thing a lot but it was a great 1 issue thing

I saw a great post on Tumblr of that comic and if you pay attention, Pizza Dog mimics Clint in a ton of different ways, like standing outside protecting the place and face palming at times.

[Skummy]

Skummy's token Alan Moore fanboy post;

I've been catching up on some of the America's Best Comics stuff that I've either missed out on, or can't remember that well. Got through the first three books of Promethea, and they may be amongst my favourite comic books ever. The entire concept is superb, and so well-executed, and the artwork is stunning. There's also a few ways Moore plays with the comic book format that are absolutely amazing - some of which I've never seen done, and that's clearly intended to showcase what can be done with comics that can't be replicated in any other genre. Subtle changes of art style and font to denote alternate realities or levels of consciousness, changes in lay-out and how you have to read across the page, panels moving across a single piece of artwork, and two-page spreads with a circular narrative that can be pretty much read any way you like...it's just gorgeous, stunningly designed and brilliantly written stuff.

Alan Moore has a lot in common with Neil Gaiman, one of my other comic book favourites (Sandman remains probably my favourite series of all time), in that he can sometimes neglect character, or even story development, in favour of losing himself in an idea - sometimes the concept is more apparent than the story within it. That certainly happens in Promethea, where half a book can be lost to explanations of different kinds of magic, of the Tarot, Qaballah, and so on, but it's so well done, and so fascinating to me, that it's excusable.

I've also just read the deluxe edition of Tom Strong, which is superb. I feel bad for having neglected this work for so long. In it's own way, it deconstructs and celebrates the classic superhero genre just as much as Moore did with Watchmen, but in almost the complete opposite direction.

For those of you don't know, Tom Strong is basically Alan Moore's love letter to the Golden & Silver Ages of comic books. Apparently the backstory is that Moore was sick of comic books moving in a more "dark" and "mature" direction, as he felt it was often lazy writing and missing the point of what he felt comic books were about. He wasn't happy that what people took away from "Watchmen" was "comic books can be really violent!", rather than any of the points he was trying to make. He resented having written "The Killing Joke" and playing a part in the reinvention of Batman as a dark and gritty, deadly serious, series when he remembered Batman as the guy who called Superman "chum" and had a dog in a Bat-mask. Tom Strong was basically Alan Moore wanting to write comic books in the style of the DC stuff he read when he was a kid, and it's so superbly done - it's a really loving tribute to that style, without ever quite feeling like a pastiche. It's one of the most purely entertaining, fun, series I've ever read.

Aside from that, I read the first book of Greek Street, by Peter Milligan. I'd never heard of it, and picked it up from Forbidden Planet on a whim. It's about Greek myths recurring in London in the modern day. It's needlessly "dark" and violent in places, and the dialogue can be a bit clunky, but the concept is strong, and I found it quite compelling, though I'm not sure I'll bother picking up the second book or not.

My next mission is trying to track down some of the more obscure Bryan Talbot works - I read Alice In Sunderland recently and was absolutely blown away; no one in mainstream comics is doing what he does - and to continue building up my Alan Moore collection.

[Your Mom]

Anyone know the deal with comixology's new subscription service? Is it actually cheaper?

[=BK=]

I want to read some Marvel but have no idea what to get into. As far as heroes I like there is Spider-Man, Captain America, Wolverine,Daredevil and Punisher.

Oh and I love Venom.

[TKz]

Spider-Man recently started a series where it's Dr. Octopus in Spidey's body called Superior Spider-Man. It's pretty good if you can get past the whole "FUCK YOU PETER PARKER" thing that Marvel does with it. Captain America's latest Marvel Now run might be worth looking into, the idea is that it's a self contained story about Cap being thrown into an alternate dimension where he's all alone. Wolverine started a new comic too, but I haven't heard anything about that yet.

Daredevil is considered one of the best Marvel NOW current runs apparently, but I've yet to check it out as it's quite far in. There's also Daredevil: End of Days that I've got a few issues of, that's supposed to be incredible. Don't know about anything Punisher is in other than Thunderbolts, which has become pretty much the worst.

There's a Venom standalone series that's supposed to be pretty good, but what I've seen hasn't really caught my interest.

If you're just getting into Marvel, it might be worth torrenting the Ultimate Marvel Collection. That's actually what helped me get into regular Marvel and comics in general. It's a take on the Marvel Universe from the beginning, with some of the classic stories over the years being condensed and reimagined. Ultimate Peter Parker/Spider-Man is also one of my favorite series, so there's that too.

[Maxx]

There's also Daredevil: Dark Nights, it's a miniseries that just started up last month. 8 issues, three different Daredevil stories from 3 different creative teams.

[MalaCloudy Black]

I know it's going to suck and be a watered down version of Deadpool, but I'm intrigued.