The Comic Book Thread (spoilers)

[=BK=]

People have been really high on New 52 Aquaman.

And when I started on New 52 books I went with Suicide Squad( because Harley) and Earth 2. Earth 2 in particular is very good.

Edited May 23, 2014 by Kirkland

[=BK=]

Speaking of Earth 2, I haven't read any since the 2nd Annual cause I like to let them build up a few issues before I read so today I go on DC's site and look at what issues have been released. They have a ticker at the bottom showingg what issues are out and shows upcoming issues. I see the cover of Earth 2 #25 and 26 and it has me a bit excited for coming issues

Obviously you shouldn't click if you don't want some kind of spoiler.

http://www.dccomics.com/comics/earth-2-2012/earth-2-25

http://www.dccomics.com/comics/earth-2-2012/earth-2-26

[=BK=]

I got tired of not remembering where I was on a running Series so I've created a spreadsheet with titles and issue numbers of everything I've been reading. Anyone else done this?

[Skummy]

I did something like that when I was a kid, but all pen and paper. Because I was (was?) a NERD.

Just read X-Men: No More Humans this morning...

I really enjoyed it, despite being a little unsure about the premise.

I'm far more invested in X-Men than I am in most Marvel properties, having followed it most of my life, and it always being my go-to to check out when I decide I want to get back into reading comics, and this time round it's been the main one I've been reading pre-Original Sin. I'm a big fan of everything surrounding the Cyclops/Wolverine split, which I think is one of the stronger X-Men story concepts ever. So I'll tend to enjoy all but the most terrible X-Men stories anyway.

I liked the choice of Raze as the central villain; I loved the story he showed up in, and I think he's got potential as a long-term character. I loved the suggestion from Mystique that he's not her son; basically, she doesn't believe him, he tries to argue that he must be because he has her blue skin, her shape-shifting ability, and Wolverine's claws and healing, and she points out that the shape-shifting renders the rest moot anyway. It adds a little bit more intrigue around the character, and gives the writers an out if they decide to go somewhere different with him.

The undercurrent of the story was exactly what the X-Men should be about; weighing up morality, conflicting world-views, and the villains generally believing they're doing the right thing. Wolverine, Cyclops and Magneto all having different views on how to deal with the "no more humans" event, and none of them quite trusting the other, was classic X-Men writing, and I love Beast's increasing disillusion with the failing morals of the X-Men, how far they've fallen from what they once stood for, and even his distrust of the potentials of science.

The only real problem I had - aside from my usual gripes with "cataclysmic events" in comic books, or any kind of fantasy/sci-fi media, which is that it's usually hard to sell it as worse than the last one, or the one before that, and so on - is falling back on the Phoenix Force as the big reveal. Phoenix should be spared for very, very special appearances, and after the last time it showed up being a major event, I could do without seeing it for a very, very long time. I'll kind of allow it because it fits with the alternate Earths thing that Raze was doing, but I didn't like it.

What I liked even less was using JEAN GREY'S COMPASSION & LOVE as the solution to combat the Phoenix, and generally Jean Grey as the be-all and end-all. I know that's basically what she's for, but it felt clumsy. The one thing I liked about the Phoenix in this one is that the Jean Grey Phoenix from an alternate reality was one where she'd stayed with Mastermind, which is an interesting prospect in itself, and to immediately just brush that aside for JEAN GREY REALLY CARES, GUYS is a shame.

More than that, though, I think it damaged part of the Jean character - this is a Jean Grey brought forward from the past, who never was the Phoenix, and the X-Men have overbearing around her and outright refusing to explain the Phoenix to her lest it all happen again, thinking that they've got a pure, untainted Jean Grey back at last - and that would only serve to pique her curiosity, and make her more likely to become susceptible to the Phoenix Force in future. There was potential for a long-term story there, and some interesting character development. It could be salvaged, but it felt odd after all that to just have her basically hand herself to the Phoenix with very little struggle or build-up to it.

Now, I'm reading The Adventures Of Luther Arkwright. I've wanted to read it for years, was never able to find an affordable copy, despite countless attempts of trawling eBay, Amazon and comic book shops for it. Not even looking for it, I happened across a second-hand copy for under a fiver, which was nice.

It's beautifully drawn, and very abstract and interesting in its layout for the time period, though that can make it a little hard to follow at points. Very text-heavy, too, which is odd for Bryan Talbot. I'm enjoying it thus far, but I'm only a few pages in.

[Hajjhowe]

So I finished Exiles Volume 1 the other day. It was a good read and one I'd recommend. They do a pretty good job with the concept of alternate realities and I enjoyed the somewhat rotating cast. It's especially surprising given that I don't like multiverse stuff regularly (One of the reasons I'm not as into DC and their never ending reboots) but since it's the entire concept it feels better to me.

As for someone jumping in, Cival War is where I started off personally and I really enjoyed it. The concept of super hero registration always feels like it makes for more interesting conflicts since there can be heroes/villains/in between people on all sides of it.

[TKz]

Civil War is a weird one, it's certainly a lot of people's jumping on points, but I'd argue it's a far more compelling read when you've already followed and gotten familiar with the characters. But it's the same with most of those stories, crossovers are always that way. Civil War is probably the most "complete" story that you can read just the main issues of, though.

[Skummy]

I think Civil War's a good jumping on point; I'd not read comics in years prior to it, but had enough of an understanding of the characters. Knowing them from the movies and other media at least gives you a bit of a head start, and it's not exactly difficult to fill in the gaps as you go along.

I'd always recommend starting with a crossover event, just because it gives you at least a vague idea of what everybody's up to, and what the shape of the Marvel Universe is like these days.

[Gabriel]

So I finished Exiles Volume 1 the other day. It was a good read and one I'd recommend. They do a pretty good job with the concept of alternate realities and I enjoyed the somewhat rotating cast. It's especially surprising given that I don't like multiverse stuff regularly (One of the reasons I'm not as into DC and their never ending reboots) but since it's the entire concept it feels better to me.

Exiles was one of my favorite books. You get a look at characters that turned out differently than their 616 counterparts, without messing with any major continuity, and it was mostly just a fun book in general. I found it filled a hole for me where the original Thunderbolts run used to be, and I haven't really been able to find another book that can take over for what those two gave me as a reader.

[=BK=]

Reading Death of The Family and just got to where Starfire and Arsenal show up looking for Jason. God Starfire's costume is just horrible on a couple levels. One is it makes the book uncomfortable to read and makes it something you'd be ashamed of if someone caught you reading it. Two is it just doesn't make sense, how the fuck does it stay on?! Oh and when she's in bed with Roy you learn she apparently wears a bra and panties even though she's never out of costume in normal clothes and she clearly isn't wearing them under that thing.

I went on Deviant Art and started looking up costume redesigns and the very first one you see is a thousand times better.

Edited May 30, 2014 by Kirkland

[=BK=]

So the cover for issue 5 of MM:Ultimate Spider-Man has come out

[Your Mom]

Reading Death of The Family and just got to where Starfire and Arsenal show up looking for Jason. God Starfire's costume is just horrible on a couple levels. One is it makes the book uncomfortable to read and makes it something you'd be ashamed of if someone caught you reading it. Two is it just doesn't make sense, how the fuck does it stay on?! Oh and when she's in bed with Roy you learn she apparently wears a bra and panties even though she's never out of costume in normal clothes and she clearly isn't wearing them under that thing.

I went on Deviant Art and started looking up costume redesigns and the very first one you see is a thousand times better.

I've seen way worse costumes. I think the actual costume is better than the other one you linked to actually.

[Benjamin]

I just googled Starfire and saw someone cosplay that costume, so I guess somehow it can stay on.

Edited May 31, 2014 by Benkid

[=BK=]

The cosplay ones have a clear plastic/rubber band beween the two parts over their boobs and that keeps it up. That and double sided tape.

Edited May 31, 2014 by Kirkland

[Maxx]

And what, the real Starfire doesn't?

[=BK=]

With the way she shoves her chest at the reader it wouldn't matter, there'd just be a busted plastic band. I would imagine cosplayers with a lot up top have to be really careful about how to move in that thing.

Plus like I said, it's not just that the costume wouldn't work irl it's just stupidly revealing and makes it look like you're reading a porno comic any time she's shown in a panel. I get it, her people don't wear clothes or whatever and she only wears something because it's earth appropriate. I can deal with naked Starfire every now and then when you want to show that aspect, hell, teen Starfire was butt naked in Teen Titans Go once and it wasn't cringy because it was a gag and the back of Robin's head blocked all but her head and shoulders but there isn't a thing appropriate about that costume, it's barely even there.

This is another Starfire costume I'm fine with

I do like her cartoon costume best but I'm not sold on how that'd look on adult Starfire.

Edited May 31, 2014 by Kirkland

[Your Mom]

She's more hair than woman!

[Johnny Latino Heat]

Isn't that supposed to be a trait of her race, though? So that when they fly, the hair creates the fire effect? And I agree with Kirkland, her current outfit is ridiculous.

Edited June 1, 2014 by Johnny Latino Heat

[=BK=]

She's more hair than woman!

Her hair is the only good thing about New 52 Starfire's look. The big hair is a bit silly but her current hair looks cool.

[HC]

That hair makes me think she's in Super Saiyan 3 mode.

[GoGo Yubari]

Started reading through a TPB of New Defenders (the Defenders comic from like the '70s). In the recap page I find this sentence;

On the fringes of the Defenders' lives, an elf with a gun had been causing trouble for quite some time.

So I was already sold. Then the entire first issue is about pretty much nothing but dating and friendship and the Beast getting a dog, so now I'm just straight-up like "man, who even wrote this?' So I flipped over to the back page, and...

Written by J.M. DeMatteis

OF COURSE.