What comics/graphic novels are you reading? 2015

[Small Man Big Horse]

I broadly agree with that. My main problem with the last few issues, and for me it is actually quite important, is the way they REALLY whet our appetites

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with the idea of a group of sentient Walkers, an utterly intriguing and terrifying prospect, only to reveal it as something far more mundane and meh. It almost felt like a fake cliff-hanger - a bit cheap and extremely deflating.

[close]

Yeah, I couldn't agree more, especially as zombie's

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aren't really a threat any more. I'm sure some super-herd will come along one day to fuck things up, or at least present a challenge, but right now it's more all about humans vs humans and I'm bored of that now, especially as Kirkman's not the greatest writer in the world. Not to knock him, he's come up with some great ideas and plotlines, but the whole Negan thing was only really just a bigger / more fucked up version of the Governor and co. and I sometimes wince at some of his more po-faced dialogue.

[close]

I've just finished off Jeff LeMire's run on Animal Man, I read the first 20 issues a while back but only caught up with the final 9 this week, indeed I didn't know it had been cancelled[nb]Sort of, LeMire apparently quit, and DC decided not to continue it)[/nb] until then, which was all a bit of a huge disappointment as I think it was superb, and a really worthy successor to Morrison's run on the series. And I don't say that lightly as his 26 issues are some of my all time favourite comics. But he really captured Buddy's character and situation and relationships incredibly intelligently, and there was lots of fun and quite graphic gore too.

[The Giggling Bean]

I've been picking up the "Big Trouble In Little China" series since it started last year. I love that film and the comic sequel is okay, some of the characterisation seems a bit off though. No idea how long it's going to run for but I'll stick with it.

I've also been buying the "Garbage Pail Kids" comic too. It's good for a nostalgic chortle but pretty forgettable to be honest. I've got a folder full of stickers here and I'd prefer to look back through them if I had to make a choice.

[BritishHobo]

Whedon's said he regrets a lot of Season 8, they got excited about what they could do in the comics that they never could afford in the tv series, like Dawn's fate, along with the huge amount of additional characters, and various locations, but for me it never quite worked. Plus for large periods everyone has separate storylines, and rarely spend much time together which frustrated. Plus personally I didn't get on with many of the new characters created, either.

I agree with you about Angel as well, though in Season 9 of Angel and Faith the character's far better written and the storyline as a whole worked for me, indeed I found it more enjoyable than Buffy S9. That's still worth reading (um, for free from your local library at least) but I wouldn't pay out for each individual issue.

That's good to know. There's an afterword in the last hardcover volume of season 8 where Whedon admits that, saying that they lost their sense of scale, and that they'd return to a more grounded feel in season 9. Fair play to them, they were feeling out the possibilities and limits of a new medium for the story. Bit of understatement though, because that entire thing, especially the last two arcs, was a clusterfuck. I'm glad I read the Spike prequel series from Brian Lynch first, because christ knows what it must have been like to

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have the Angel reveal and subsequent space-fuck/new universe creation madness followed up by Spike inexplicably riding in on a spaceship staffed by alien bugs.

[close]

I imagine that's what Whedon is referring to when he talks about having lost fans along the way. I picture a fair few people throwing their arms up at that and deciding to just stick to the show.

Don't get me wrong, a bit of unrestrained chaotic shittery isn't a bad thing. But there was nothing really there to balance it out in terms of character. The relationships felt underdeveloped and unseeded, a bit like in Children's Hospital where each week the characters suddenly have wildly different relationships and pasts with each other. Some of the character returns were neat (primarily Amy and Warren), but I just never felt anything for the rest of them, and I didn't feel any weight to anything they went through. The show was so satisfying in the way it linked the supernatural elements with the real emotions and dilemmas the characters faced, but that was totally lacking here.

It'll probably be a while before I get to read season 9 (and Angel and Faith), because I'm waiting for all the hardcover volumes to come out, which should be mid 2016. More than anything though, season 8 has just left me wanting to read more stuff set in Angel's world. Sadly I've lost interest in characters I loved on Buffy - I'm happy to leave them at their finale - but I miss Gunn, Illyria, Connor, even the comic-only gang that Spike gathers in Lynch's stuff. I wish Whedon hadn't merged the two properties again, because I'd happily follow more LA-based stories.

[mikeyg27]

And on that topic, and going back to Garth Ennis, I've been reading 'Crossed' too. If you're not familiar with it, I think it's best described as a more extreme and obscene version of The Walking Dead. Same as before - it starts off well, but then sub-par writers take over and repeat the same ideas until you completely lose interest.

Just noticed that the whole lot of this is on sale on Comixology. So just to check - only bother with the 1st series (issues #0-#9)?

[Default to the negative]

So just to check - only bother with the 1st series (issues #0-#9)?

That's the best one.

The ongoing series 'Crossed: Badlands" starts off quite well. Garth Ennis writes the first three issues, a story about a survivor group in the Scottish countryside. It's pretty good. After that, Jamie Delano writes an arc (issues #4-#9) which is also worth a read. The rest of it seems pretty forgettable, IMO, although I haven't read them all.

[BritishHobo]

Has anyone/does anyone read Preacher? I've just read that AMC are producing a series with Joe Gilgun in a prominent role, so I'm pretty intrigued to check it out.

[studpuppet]

I was introduced by a friend I no longer know (but am forever indebted to), and he used to drag me to Mega City Comics in Camden in the late eighties and tell me to buy stuff he pointed at. Tended only to buy bound up 'finished' titles rather than comic issues, but I ended up with a standard Billy bookcase full of them. I've recently started to re-read on my iPad (I use Comic Zeal - always interested to hear if there are better apps out there!), and the Library list currently looks like this:

Akira
Alice In Sunderland
All Star Superman
Berlin
Blankets
Buddha
Building Stories
Chester Brown
Fables
From Hell
Guardians Of The Galaxy
Jimmy Corrigan
Lost Girls
Maus
Moebius
Palestine
Planetary
Preacher
Safe Area: Gorazde
Spider-Man - Blue
The Fall
The Invisibles
The Maxx
The Sandman
The Walking Dead
The Wicked - The Divine
Watchmen
V For Vendetta
Y- The Last Man

I think my favourite titles are still ones involving Alan Moore, Bryan Talbot or Neil Gaiman. Bryan Talbot does occasional 'How to read graphic novels' seminars and some of his insights changed the way I appreciated graphic novels.[nb]He also signs books and he takes about 5 mins per autograph as he individually illustrates each one. I had three books to sign - it took forever.[/nb] As a 'for instance', on one of his books ('The Tale of One Bad Rat') he uses red on the pages only when the main character is coming into contact with danger (a car, a postbox into which she posts a letter to her father/abuser). Makes you want to go back and re-read everything he's done afterwards - genius stuff.

[Bored of Canada]

The first trade of Sex Criminals was very good but I don't think it has legs. It was getting weaker as it went along. The second arc I read most of and despite them giving it a more hopeless and downbeat feel, I didn't connect to these characters. I liked the odd world and set up, but the relationship doesn't feel real, and nor do the characters. It was compelling when it introduced the silliness of the plot but once the allure of that went away, it loses it. It doesn't have the emotional foundation to suppoet it. It feels a bit like a fresh and energetic short film and I don't see how it will maintain any relevance from now on.

Saga on the other hand is simple and beautiful and effortlessly cool and sure of itself. It does whatever the fuck it was and focuses on the mundanities and small elements trying to flesh out real people in a fantastical world. With a dry sense of humour, genuine warmth and a hopeful message with people who feel organic and real.

I think Saga just feels a bit more confident and mature, it has silliness and moments of extreme crudeness but it at least feels very honest. This relationship that is going to last a huge amount of conflict because their situation is forcing them to be equals. A team. Not just something that completes them romantically. A person who actually has your back.

[Bored of Canada]

Charles Burns' Black Hole sounds like just the one for you. The artwork's not really a match, but it is very good.

I remember reading Black Hole a long while back all in one go and remember feeling genuinely like I wanted to spend the rest of my life abstinent.

Probably easier for you Uggos.

[Phil_A]

Has anyone/does anyone read Preacher? I've just read that AMC are producing a series with Joe Gilgun in a prominent role, so I'm pretty intrigued to check it out.

It's basically a very entertaining, extremely violent road movie that includes all Garth Ennis's various obsessions writ large; Catholicism, Irishness, Westerns, morality, the nature of machismo, etc. I read the first few volumes when I started getting into comics and thought it was amazing, but I haven't read any of it for a very long time so I don't know how it holds up.

There's a pretty good (although very spoilery) essay about it here: http://irishgothichorrorjournal.homestead.com/preacherennisdillon.html

It's a story that would so obviously lend itself to an adaptation, I'm amazed it's taken this long to get a series off the ground. I guess it's the more blasphemous aspects that have kept it in development hell for all this time.

[Custard]

Ahead of the new Avengers film, I've been loading up my tablet with a few related items

Black Widow - Deadly Origin
This was alright, but a bit dull, and I think I prefer Widow as a supporting character rather than the central one

Planet Hulk
About 8 issues in, and this is pretty great. Just Hulk smashing things up. The animated film is good fun, too

Captain America - Winter Soldier
Not started this yet, but only read good things about it, so looking forward to it muchly

Oh, and agreed about Walking Dead becoming a bit dull lately. I binged on the last year of issues recently, and its a bit all over the shop. Hopefully it picks back up soon

[Pit-Pat]

I realise it finished about 18 months ago, but did noone read Locke & Key? I found it one of the best comics series I've ever read, and unlike the Walking Dead (which I gave up on before All Out War) it ended whilst it was still on a real high.

[hayduke_lives]

Ahead of the new Avengers film, I've been loading up my tablet with a few related items

If you haven't already, I'd definitely recommend Matt Fraction's (writer of Sex Criminals) run on Hawkeye. Considering the character had about 5 lines of dialogue in the first Avengers film I really enjoyed reading something that added a couple more dimensions to him. And there's one issue, quite Chris Ware in style, told entirely from the perspective of his dog which is just masterful.

[Small Man Big Horse]

The first trade of Sex Criminals was very good but I don't think it has legs. It was getting weaker as it went along. The second arc I read most of and despite them giving it a more hopeless and downbeat feel, I didn't connect to these characters. I liked the odd world and set up, but the relationship doesn't feel real, and nor do the characters. It was compelling when it introduced the silliness of the plot but once the allure of that went away, it loses it. It doesn't have the emotional foundation to suppoet it. It feels a bit like a fresh and energetic short film and I don't see how it will maintain any relevance from now on.

Saga on the other hand is simple and beautiful and effortlessly cool and sure of itself. It does whatever the fuck it was and focuses on the mundanities and small elements trying to flesh out real people in a fantastical world. With a dry sense of humour, genuine warmth and a hopeful message with people who feel organic and real.

I think Saga just feels a bit more confident and mature, it has silliness and moments of extreme crudeness but it at least feels very honest. This relationship that is going to last a huge amount of conflict because their situation is forcing them to be equals. A team. Not just something that completes them romantically. A person who actually has your back.

Ah I really liked the second volume of Sex Criminals, and how it dealt with mental health issues. It wasn't as fun as the first five, or as strong, but it's still a comic I'm really enjoying and looking forward to reading more of.

I realise it finished about 18 months ago, but did noone read Locke & Key? I found it one of the best comics series I've ever read, and unlike the Walking Dead (which I gave up on before All Out War) it ended whilst it was still on a real high.

I've such mixed feelings about Locke and Key, I read most of it in one huge go and loved it, but then had to wait ages for the final mini-series to come out. And when it eventually did, I felt a bit disappointed by the ending, it seemed a bit predictable. Perhaps if I go back and read it all in one go I'll find it more satisfying though.

[Bored of Canada]

I also liked the mental health stuff and I'm all for stuff that isn't fun if it captures my heart

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s

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and mind

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s

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but this one just hasn't. It feels like they never really had an end goal, yet it's always pushing forward at a pace, constantly moving towards something, and it's messy and I'm not connecting with it trying to escalate. All the stuff with the

Spoiler alert

Sex Police

[close]

figures leaves me very cold and the tonal shift feels very out of place. I don't know. I'm not connecting with it anymore.

I also tried the Wicked + The Divine and it also left me pretty cold. I really don't think I'm it's audience. It wasn't for me. The angst and theatricaliy of it all feels very much honest to this writer's personality and he definitely knows his audience, but I'n really not it.

I think people in their late teens in the right place in their lives would have a revealation reading this and that's really cool.

[Custard]

If you haven't already, I'd definitely recommend Matt Fraction's (writer of Sex Criminals) run on Hawkeye. Considering the character had about 5 lines of dialogue in the first Avengers film I really enjoyed reading something that added a couple more dimensions to him. And there's one issue, quite Chris Ware in style, told entirely from the perspective of his dog which is just masterful.

I will deffo be checking that out. Thanking you!

[Spiteface]

Nothing adventurous:

Walking Dead
Batman & Robin
Batman Eternal
Batman

I'm looking forward to the main Batman book post-Convergence, when we get what looks like mecha-Batman, and the potential for some delicious, delicious crack.

Turns out, that new post-convergence Batman will be

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Jim Gordon.

[close]

I'm sure it will be all back to "normal" by the time Batman v Superman is out though. Could be an interesting take, but this may just be like Azrael over 20 years ago.

Anyway, I recently started making my way through IDW's Godzilla comics, starting with 2011's "Kingdom of Monsters" - I'm rather enjoying it, and the fake Jersey Shore lot and Lady Gaga pisstake made me smile.

[phantom_power]

If you haven't already, I'd definitely recommend Matt Fraction's (writer of Sex Criminals) run on Hawkeye. Considering the character had about 5 lines of dialogue in the first Avengers film I really enjoyed reading something that added a couple more dimensions to him. And there's one issue, quite Chris Ware in style, told entirely from the perspective of his dog which is just masterful.

Apparently he is one of the most important characters in the new Avengers film, and has the best lines

[Small Man Big Horse]

I also liked the mental health stuff and I'm all for stuff that isn't fun if it captures my heart

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s

[close]

and mind

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s

[close]

but this one just hasn't. It feels like they never really had an end goal, yet it's always pushing forward at a pace, constantly moving towards something, and it's messy and I'm not connecting with it trying to escalate. All the stuff with the

Spoiler alert

Sex Police

[close]

figures leaves me very cold and the tonal shift feels very out of place. I don't know. I'm not connecting with it anymore.

I also tried the Wicked + The Divine and it also left me pretty cold. I really don't think I'm it's audience. It wasn't for me. The angst and theatricaliy of it all feels very much honest to this writer's personality and he definitely knows his audience, but I'n really not it.

I think people in their late teens in the right place in their lives would have a revealation reading this and that's really cool.

Hey, I'm 40, you cheeky bastard! Admittedly I haven't read any of his other work but I don't know why, Sex Criminals just appeals to me. It's by no means a classic, but I find it an enormous amount of fun (albeit the first volume moreso) and it reminds me in some ways of Phonogram, which I also enjoyed a lot.

I'm up to issue 21 of Rachel Rising and really loving it now, it sounds crap when described briefly -

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Two women come back from the dead and slowly discover they've been alive in the past, whilst Lilith, of first ever woman fame, wants to destroy humanity, and some demon bastard thing is planning to bring the anti-christ in to the mix

[close]

- but the writing (and art) are superb, and it really deals with the character's ever increasingly bizarre lives both touchingly but also with really effective humour. And then there's Zoe, who might be the most interesting character of all. I'd definitely recommend everyone check it out, anyhow, as it's the best thing I've read in a while now. I wasn't aware of Terry Moore previously but now plan to check out his previous work, has any one read any?

[Pinckle Wicker]

I realise it finished about 18 months ago, but did noone read Locke & Key? I found it one of the best comics series I've ever read, and unlike the Walking Dead (which I gave up on before All Out War) it ended whilst it was still on a real high.

Yeah I read it and loved it too. The story and characters were very captivating and kept me yearning for more.

[Pinckle Wicker]

Just finished Book 2 of Nailbiter. Not sure if will bother as seems to be turning into a bit of a silly whodunnit.

Started Vol1 of The Lone Wolf and Cub, Omnibus editions today. It was always something I had meant to try and there is eight omnibus volumes out. With another two coming out this year.

[Small Man Big Horse]

According to the AV Club, it's been announced that Neil Gaiman is to finish off his run on Miracleman in the near future:

But the biggest announcement from Marvel was Miracleman By Gaiman And Buckingham, reprinting Neil Gaiman and Mark Buckingham's long out-of-print issues of Miracleman before the two creators finally conclude the story they started well over 20 years ago. This is what Marvel's acquisition of the Miracleman rights has all been leading up to, and it will be very interesting to see if the creative team can deliver a satisfying conclusion decades after their original run.

http://www.avclub.com/article/c2e2-news-roundup-new-marvel-series-get-buried-und-218616

Should be interesting at the very least, though it's a shame they couldn't get Moore back on the title, though I know the likelihood of him doing so was always all but zero.

[Ignatius_S]

Might as well put it here - Humble Bundle are doing a comics deal:

Pay what you want:

Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter
March: Book One
Nemo: Heart of Ice + Nemo: The Roses of Berlin
Locke & Key Vol. 1-3

Beat the average

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Vol. 3
We Can Fix It!
God Is Disappointed in You
Alone Forever
Locke & Key Vol. 4 & 5

(More to come)

Pay average, plus an extra $5 for:

Nemo: River of Ghosts
Nemo: River of Ghosts
March: Book Two
Richard Stark's Parker: Slayground
Locke & Key Vol. 6: Alpha & Omega

Average is currently $14.39.

[Paaaaul]

Might as well put it here - Humble Bundle are doing a comics deal:

Pay what you want:

Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter
March: Book One
Nemo: Heart of Ice + Nemo: The Roses of Berlin
Locke & Key Vol. 1-3

Beat the average

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Vol. 3
We Can Fix It!
God Is Disappointed in You
Alone Forever
Locke & Key Vol. 4 & 5

(More to come)

Pay average, plus an extra $5 for:

Nemo: River of Ghosts
Nemo: River of Ghosts
March: Book Two
Richard Stark's Parker: Slayground
Locke & Key Vol. 6: Alpha & Omega

Average is currently $14.39.

I'm bumping this because its excellent, and there's less than a week left to get it.
You get the complete run of Locke & Key, which is bloody excellent, the complete run of Richard Stark's Parker (now they've added the other two), everything League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen post Black Dossier, four standalone books, and two-thirds of the March trilogy.

[BritishHobo]

Bumping this purely to point out that V For Vendetta has the sneeriest fucking introduction I've ever read. David Lloyd tells a protracted story about sitting in a pub while hours of shows about 'cheeky, cheery working class blokes' play on TV, only for the barman to switch it off when the news starts.

'There aren't many cheeky, cheery characters in V for Vendetta either,' Lloyd finishes. 'And it's for people who don't switch off the news.'

Fuck off, David Lloyd.

[BritishHobo]

Shame, because it's followed up by a wonderful introduction from Alan Moore that's humble and open about (scant) problems with the political stuff in the early issues, while also displaying a lot of pain and anger at the government and its treatment of homosexuals.

But who am I to complain about the nuances of politics - I've also picked up the first Library Editions of season 9 of Buffy, and Angel and Faith. HOPE THEY'RE BETTER THAN SEASON 8.

[Glebe]

Nemo: River of Ghosts

Had a little scout around the comic shops for that and I can't find it.

[Milverton]

Santa brought me a couple of EC Archives: Haunt of Fear, Volume 2 and Weird Science, Volume 3, so thats me sorted for a few days.

[Catalogue Trousers]

The girlfriend's sister got me this for Christmas...



The story of the foundational quest in mathematics, as narrated by Bertrand Russell. Sounds dry as dust, but isn't. And the art is gorgeous.

[mothman]

I'm about halfway through Sandman right now. While cursing the near-three-month hiatus in Sex Criminals.