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The All New Comics Thread 2017+ Edition

Started by Small Man Big Horse, October 13, 2017, 05:58:40 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

magval

Quote from: Artie Fufkin on May 14, 2020, 09:07:05 AM
I've been playing around with this the last couple of days. Thanks for the heads up. Loving it so far.

Ah, I'm glad to hear it. Made the transition from paper to digital so, so easy.

samadriel

Regarding manga, Gunsmith Cats is incredibly sleazy, but the sweet gunfights combined with the obsessive gun and car fidelity make it an enjoyable '90s flashback. The collections are nice and cheap at the moment; comixology also has the newer GSC series, "Burst", but I haven't read that yet.

Artie Fufkin

Quote from: samadriel on May 18, 2020, 02:06:01 PM
Regarding manga, Gunsmith Cats is incredibly sleazy, but the sweet gunfights combined with the obsessive gun and car fidelity make it an enjoyable '90s flashback. The collections are nice and cheap at the moment; comixology also has the newer GSC series, "Burst", but I haven't read that yet.
Cheers. Will have a look.

Artie Fufkin

Quote from: magval on May 18, 2020, 12:45:43 PM
Ah, I'm glad to hear it. Made the transition from paper to digital so, so easy.
Yeah. I've been full on ComiXology for a few years now. But I've recently.....acquired some comics that I wanted a separate reader for.

Mister Six

Quote from: Artie Fufkin on May 18, 2020, 12:05:29 PM
Parasyte (sic), a manga novel, bought in a recent ComiXology sale. It's started off really well. A nice idea.
Any recommendations?

Parasyte ran for years and through several volumes - don't know if you have some bumper omnibus, or whether you'll have more to buy when it's done, but I read this last year and was really impressed. It's pleasingly dense for a manga series (a lot of strips seem to descend into massive splash pages when the author gets overworked and hasn't planned out future volumes, but this never succumbed to that) and doesn't outstay its welcome. It never quite pays off the origin of the parasites as stated at the start, and the ending might seem a bit wishy-washy to some, but I really liked it.

Only other manga I've read to completion is Gantz, which is a really adolescent and nihilistic thing about monster hunters in modern-day Tokyo that nevertheless has some great ideas and visuals. Sadly the back half of it is super decompressed splash-page-o-vision and tedious in the extreme.

Artie Fufkin

Quote from: Mister Six on May 18, 2020, 10:21:56 PM
Parasyte ran for years and through several volumes - don't know if you have some bumper omnibus, or whether you'll have more to buy when it's done, but I read this last year and was really impressed. It's pleasingly dense for a manga series (a lot of strips seem to descend into massive splash pages when the author gets overworked and hasn't planned out future volumes, but this never succumbed to that) and doesn't outstay its welcome. It never quite pays off the origin of the parasites as stated at the start, and the ending might seem a bit wishy-washy to some, but I really liked it.

Only other manga I've read to completion is Gantz, which is a really adolescent and nihilistic thing about monster hunters in modern-day Tokyo that nevertheless has some great ideas and visuals. Sadly the back half of it is super decompressed splash-page-o-vision and tedious in the extreme.
Cheers for that. Will check it out. I've also been pointed in the direction of Junji Ito? Apparently quite Lovecraftian.
Yeah. I'm loving Parasyte currently. I find manga quite sweet. I love some of the full pages. The detail is brilliant. It seems so different to 'western' art.

Mister Six

Junji Ito is very prolific, with a variable hit rate, but has made some memorably horrible stuff. Uzumaki is the one everybody points to, and with reason (although I think it gets a bit daft towards the end). Gyo is fairly brief and has that lovely/horrible feeling of being trapped in a nightmare, with nightmare logic.

The Enigma of Amigara Fault is another popular one - a nice short story, too (I think it was included in some of the bonus material in one of the Gyo collections). You can read it here: https://imgur.com/gallery/Wht7z

Artie Fufkin

Quote from: Mister Six on May 19, 2020, 08:24:27 PM
Junji Ito is very prolific, with a variable hit rate, but has made some memorably horrible stuff. Uzumaki is the one everybody points to, and with reason (although I think it gets a bit daft towards the end). Gyo is fairly brief and has that lovely/horrible feeling of being trapped in a nightmare, with nightmare logic.

The Enigma of Amigara Fault is another popular one - a nice short story, too (I think it was included in some of the bonus material in one of the Gyo collections). You can read it here: https://imgur.com/gallery/Wht7z
Awesome, thanks!

Artie Fufkin

Quote from: samadriel on May 18, 2020, 02:06:01 PM
Regarding manga, Gunsmith Cats is incredibly sleazy, but the sweet gunfights combined with the obsessive gun and car fidelity make it an enjoyable '90s flashback.
Just bought vol 1. The covers look a little pervy. Looking forward to delving in.

samadriel

It's the invisible blowjob scene that startled me! Still, it'll probably feel downright wholesome after a bit of Junji Ito.

Artie Fufkin

Quote from: samadriel on May 20, 2020, 03:36:48 PM
It's the invisible blowjob scene that startled me! Still, it'll probably feel downright wholesome after a bit of Junji Ito.
My mind is boggled!

Mister Six

Wayhey, I've had a couple of essays published in this book, From Bayou to Abyss: Examining John Constantine, Hellblazer! Paperback version also available, but absurdly expensive. Amusing intro by Jamie Delano himself!

Artie Fufkin

Quote from: Mister Six on June 03, 2020, 04:06:00 AM
Wayhey, I've had a couple of essays published in this book, From Bayou to Abyss: Examining John Constantine, Hellblazer! Paperback version also available, but absurdly expensive. Amusing intro by Jamie Delano himself!
Get you! Well done, Mister Six. It's added to my Wish List.

Artie Fufkin

Quote from: samadriel on May 18, 2020, 02:06:01 PM
Regarding manga, Gunsmith Cats is incredibly sleazy, but the sweet gunfights combined with the obsessive gun and car fidelity make it an enjoyable '90s flashback. The collections are nice and cheap at the moment; comixology also has the newer GSC series, "Burst", but I haven't read that yet.
I'm just coming to the end of Volume 1. It's not really 'my thing', but I have enjoyed it. It's had a couple of eye-opening moments
Spoiler alert
the invisible blowjob you mentioned, and the bit where Minnie May examines the juice on her fingers after masturbating
[close]
. Those crazy Japanese!! It's kinda Charlie's Angels, right?

Small Man Big Horse

Quote from: Mister Six on June 03, 2020, 04:06:00 AM
Wayhey, I've had a couple of essays published in this book, From Bayou to Abyss: Examining John Constantine, Hellblazer! Paperback version also available, but absurdly expensive. Amusing intro by Jamie Delano himself!

That's great stuff Mister Six, and if it comes down in price a bit (or I get one of those kindle things) I'll definitely pick up a copy, Constantine's the one character where I'd be interested in a book like that.

Mister Six

Hooray, thanks guys. Sequart is very much a small press operation (they certainly don't pay well!) so I don't imagine that the price will drop dramatically for the paperback, but if you do get a Kindle (or don't mind using an e-reader on your computer) then hopefully you'll find it diverting. I've not had a chance to look through the other essays yet...

Mister Six

For the next two weeks, you can enter your details here for a chance to win the book, courtesy of The World Gone Geek official podcast, whatever that is. Dunno if they ship to the UK, but there's nothing saying they don't...

Obviously I'd prefer it if you went to the shops and forked out for one, though, so I can earn LITERAL PENNIES in royalties. Ta!

EDIT: On the US Amazon the book is

Quote#9 in Comic & Graphic Novel Literary Criticism
#1 in Comics & Graphic Novels Literary Criticism
#4 in Science Fiction & Fantasy Literary Criticism (Kindle Store)

which is, uh, good? Judging from the way they have two different categories based on pluralisation, I'm guessing there's a near-infinite number of ranking tables and every book reaches #1 on one of them somewhere.

samadriel

Quote from: Artie Fufkin on June 03, 2020, 08:59:11 AMThose crazy Japanese!! It's kinda Charlie's Angels, right?

The anime intro certainly gives off those Angels vibes.

Meanwhile, I've organised my vast collection of Valiant comics by release year, and after the okay but unremarkable Eternal Warrior, I'm halfway through The Death-Defying Dr Mirage. It's a very strange book, that invites you in with a relatable character who you'd think would be your guide through the world of the supernatural, but who actually does very little guiding, leaping straight into the world she already knows, but we don't, a world of astral projection and favours between demons and the dead, and all sorts of loopy stuff that's a bit hard to get a hold on, even if you've read a little of the supernatural Valiant stuff before, like I have. The book actually includes a small snippet of Shadowman #5 which features Dr Mirage, and I think a story more like that one (she's interrogating a serial killer with the help of the ghost of one of his young victims) would've been a helpful way to introduce her to her audience. It wasn't all bad, I'm looking forward to the second book (and, when I get to 2019, the more recent series), but it's a bit weird without being rewardingly weird.


Custard

Didn't know Sex Criminals came back in January for a final run of issues, after a two year break, so reading the three that are out so far. Just want to see how they wrap it up really at this point

Really enjoying Ice Cream Man by W. Maxwell Prince. I won't spoil anything, but it's a really dark and sinister series, and the artwork is fantastic

Back into Batwoman, and reading the Rebirth trades. Really good stuff. Haven't seen the TV show, but apparently it's total bobbins, so I dunno how they fucked that one up so badly as the source material is really strong

Small Man Big Horse

Quote from: Shameless Custard on June 04, 2020, 05:21:45 PM
Didn't know Sex Criminals came back in January for a final run of issues, after a two year break, so reading the three that are out so far. Just want to see how they wrap it up really at this point

Sex Criminals is a weird old one for me, I thought the way it started was a lot of fun but then a sense of smugness pervaded way too many of the issues, as they boasted about how amazing they were for tackling sex in such a way, and it became unbearable after a while, so I didn't even know there'd been a two year break. I might check out the final issues to see how they wrap everything up, but I'd be amazed if they won me back at this stage.

Artie Fufkin

Quote from: Shameless Custard on June 04, 2020, 05:21:45 PM
Really enjoying Ice Cream Man by W. Maxwell Prince. I won't spoil anything, but it's a really dark and sinister series, and the artwork is fantastic
Read the first volume and really enjoyed it, mainly. Haven't got around to the next volume yet.
Quote from: Small Man Big Horse on June 05, 2020, 12:36:09 AM
Sex Criminals is a weird old one for me, I thought the way it started was a lot of fun but then a sense of smugness pervaded way too many of the issues, as they boasted about how amazing they were for tackling sex in such a way, and it became unbearable after a while, so I didn't even know there'd been a two year break.
That was my take from it, also.

Custard

Quote from: Small Man Big Horse on June 05, 2020, 12:36:09 AM
Sex Criminals is a weird old one for me, I thought the way it started was a lot of fun but then a sense of smugness pervaded way too many of the issues, as they boasted about how amazing they were for tackling sex in such a way, and it became unbearable after a while, so I didn't even know there'd been a two year break. I might check out the final issues to see how they wrap everything up, but I'd be amazed if they won me back at this stage.

Hehe, same for me really, yet somehow I stuck with it. It feels a bit more focused now they've spent some time away working out the ending, and it's building well towards whatever that may be

I do feel it should have been a lot shorter than it has been, mind. Even the writers have admitted they lost interest in it, hence the lengthy break. We'll see!

Quote from: Shameless Custard on June 05, 2020, 02:50:02 PM
Even the writers have admitted they lost interest in it, hence the lengthy break.

That doesn't surprise me. It's certainly been a smug endeavour from the get-go, but it really jumped the shark when it broke the fourth wall and Fraction and Zdarsky depicted themselves being unable to solve a thorny writing issue, and instead chose to show their discussion about what they wanted to achieve but couldn't make work. Even ended with a big splash panel of them "worrying" it would seem self-indulgent. Fuck offfff. Genuinely pissed me off that I'd spent money on the first 3 trades.

Artie Fufkin

Quote from: Old Gold Tooth on June 05, 2020, 04:17:55 PM
That doesn't surprise me. It's certainly been a smug endeavour from the get-go, but it really jumped the shark when it broke the fourth wall and Fraction and Zdarsky depicted themselves being unable to solve a thorny writing issue, and instead chose to show their discussion about what they wanted to achieve but couldn't make work. Even ended with a big splash panel of them "worrying" it would seem self-indulgent. Fuck offfff. Genuinely pissed me off that I'd spent money on the first 3 trades.
Loved Fraction when he was doing Casanova and particularly the Hawkeye run he did. Then he seemed to go up his own arse a bit.

Quote from: Artie Fufkin on June 05, 2020, 04:34:04 PM
Loved Fraction when he was doing Casanova and particularly the Hawkeye run he did. Then he seemed to go up his own arse a bit.

Yeah I'm a big fan of Fraction too, which I think is why the way Sex Criminals went was such a disappointment. Casanova is such a great read and introduced me to the mighty twin talents of Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon. Absolutely gorgeous stuff.

Artie Fufkin

I'm now reading Caballistics vol 1. Been meaning to read this for ages, since I read, and loved, Absalom in 2000 AD a while back. It's kind of a British Hellboy? Ish? #lazyjournalism
Anyhow, I'm enjoying it so far.

kidsick5000

Quote from: Small Man Big Horse on June 05, 2020, 12:36:09 AM
Sex Criminals is a weird old one for me, I thought the way it started was a lot of fun but then a sense of smugness pervaded way too many of the issues

For me, it's like the Matrix. One clear, great idea that works in a short run.
The moment it has to extend and populate its world, it get's unsure, meandering and convoluted.


Artie Fufkin

Quote from: Artie Fufkin on June 06, 2020, 11:26:01 AM
I'm now reading Caballistics vol 1. Been meaning to read this for ages, since I read, and loved, Absalom in 2000 AD a while back. It's kind of a British Hellboy? Ish? #lazyjournalism
Anyhow, I'm enjoying it so far.
Finished volume 1 last night. Loved it! Really cool. Dom Reardon's artwork fits so well with this. Going to start volume 2 later.

samadriel

Just finished The Delinquents, a crossover between Archer & Armstrong and Quantum & Woody. Basically, the chairman of Monsanto (okay, "Mondostano") send his minions after our heroes, who are scouring the railways of America to find the lost Hobo Treasure. The corporate conspiracy angle suits Archer & Armstrong, and the notion of a lost Hobo Treasure is wonderfully stupid, a perfect fit for Quantum & Woody, while also tickling my sense of romance about the old-time railways, and the Wobblies, and the hobos' coded messages, and general hobo culture. It's interesting, action-packed and funny, and it might even be my favorite book of both duos.

Which isn't to say that the 2015 Quantum & Woody book, which I finished next, is lacking. It's better than their first collection -- their powers are better-defined (Woody on offense, Quantum on defense), the fights are great, and it's funnier. I  can't wait 'til I get to my 2017 comics and witness the resolution to this volume's cliffhanger ending (I could peek ahead, but I'm not going to.)