Comics, etc.

Here’s my (once again) DC-centric last few reads:

Snyder & Capullo’s Batman, vol. 6: Graveyard Shift
When I saw this volume was a collection of done-in-ones and that Capullo did not draw most of them, I was disheartened. Then I started reading… and I ended up loving every story in the book! So, so good!

Catwoman, vol. 2: Far From Gotham
I finally continued the Joëlle Jones Catwoman series… except for the fact that Jones only writes the issues this volume collects. Well, she also does the covers and about three or four interior pages. Everything else (except for an issue or two) is drawn by Fernando Blanco and Elena Casagrande, but I am happy to say I liked their style well enough to keep reading and be interested in Selina’s adventures. I’d rather have Jones do the art, but I don’t think that’s going to happen again, so I might as well be happy with other artists...

All-Star Batman & Robin, The Boy Wonder
Frank Miller! Jim Lee! Scott Williams! I had avoided the notorious series because of negative impressions regarding dialogue and characterization. It is true that Batman doesn’t really talk like that and that he is hyper violent in these issues, but if you can accept that, this book is a blast. It is non-stop action, you get to see cool supporting characters like Black Canary, and Jim Lee proves that he is an incredible draftsman. I adored every single page and would love to continue with the story, but… has it been collected? I know the series never really ended, but there are a few more issues out there. Maybe I should try to get those...

Snyder & Capullo’s Batman, vol. 7: Endgame
The Joker returns and gives Batman a run for his money in this amazing story that I read in a single sitting and absolutely loved. Everything worked for me, from Capullo’s great covers to Snyder’s story and Danny Miki’s inks. This might just be my favorite volume so far. What a blast!

Next: Jim Lee's Divine Right!

Hi all I’m wondering if you can help me. The 7 year old mini bbk is proving to be a very reluctant reader. He can read just fine but just doesent engage with anything that’s not a minecraft instructional book… I was thinking of trying a comic but am utterly lost on anything suitable for the age group. He doesent have any real attachment to films other than Godzilla and Gamera so it’s really hard to know where to start. All help very greatfully received!

I recently read Lightfall: The Girl & The Galdurian, which is the first book in a fantasy series with great world building, and it would be a great read for young readers. He might also like Strange Academy from Marvel, as it is full of creatures and action and magic and fun. Also, he might like a number of shonen manga, if you want to go down that rabbit hole.

bbk - There are some Minecraft graphic novels. My son reads books but will read just about any graphic novel. Our library has tons of them and the librarians are great at making recommendations.

bbk1980 wrote:

Hi all I’m wondering if you can help me. The 7 year old mini bbk is proving to be a very reluctant reader. He can read just fine but just doesent engage with anything that’s not a minecraft instructional book… I was thinking of trying a comic but am utterly lost on anything suitable for the age group. He doesent have any real attachment to films other than Godzilla and Gamera so it’s really hard to know where to start. All help very greatfully received!

What do you read to him? What are *you* into? I've read graphic novels to my kids, and on car trips we've played Audible books. Regarding graphic novels, have you tried Tintin (old school and maybe a bit old, but YMMV). The new re-issued Prince Valiant books were a hit with my son, as were the Artemis Fowl graphic novels.

My son, though older, is somewhat the same as yours from what I can tell; he's a great reader when he hooks into a book, but lately his media diet has been anime series on YouTube. So I've had to pull him aside, select a book he might like, and read a couple of chapters to him to see if it will take. Eventually, it did, but it's been a bit frustrating, given that he's a better reader when he hooks in than I've ever been.

Thanks everyone some really good suggestions here I will look into.

Natus wrote:

What do you read to him? What are *you* into? I've read graphic novels to my kids, and on car trips we've played Audible books. Regarding graphic novels, have you tried Tintin (old school and maybe a bit old, but YMMV). The new re-issued Prince Valiant books were a hit with my son, as were the Artemis Fowl graphic novels.

My son, though older, is somewhat the same as yours from what I can tell; he's a great reader when he hooks into a book, but lately his media diet has been anime series on YouTube. So I've had to pull him aside, select a book he might like, and read a couple of chapters to him to see if it will take. Eventually, it did, but it's been a bit frustrating, given that he's a better reader when he hooks in than I've ever been.

I had him on Asterix for a while and it was working with him choosing to read them independently but that was pre discovery of Minecraft and its considered old hat. For me reading to/with him I am trying Roald Dahl at the moment which i adored at his age and might try the Truckers trilogy from Terry Pratchett as he is amongst my absolute favourites but there is always a groan and moan when we do something that's not one of Mojang's books on how to play Minecraft, even some of the Minecraft novels were complained about.

Fingers crossed the wonderful world of comics can spark something here!

Let us know how it goes, bbk1980!

Me, I read a couple of things since my last update:

Divine Right: The Adventures of Max Faraday
I read this series about 14 or 15 years ago, and I thought it was nothing to write home about, so I sold the two collected editions I had. Fast forward to now, and since you guys now I've been on a Jim Lee tear for the past year and a half, I felt like reading it again so I bought the bigger TPB collecting the whole series and... well, it's still nothing to write home about.
The story is basically about this loser who gets divine powers and becomes a god, thus threatening the very fabric of reality, and while there is more to it than that, that's really all you need to know. I think the book starts quite poorly, with the dialogue probably being the worst thing by far (it is cringeworthy, I promise), but it starts to slowly get better after a couple of issues (14 total plus a couple of prologues), so I thought maybe my memory of the book was inaccurate and I did not remember that it started bad but it improved considerably, which gave me hope. However, after another handful of issues everything started to become stale and repetitive and the story took a nosedive it never recovered from. So, while Lee's art is wonderful (but maybe not as wonderful as WildCats before this or Batman after), I don't think that I can recommend this book. I know this is awful, but I think an edition with no text whatsoever where you can just look at the pictures and make up your own story would be more enjoyable. I know, I know --everyone's a critic.

The Me You Love in the Dark
This TPB collecting all five issues of the miniseries written by Skottie Young and illustrated by Jorge Corona came out just a couple of weeks ago. I had been highly anticipating it because I tend to love all things Skottie Young, and Jorge Corona's art on MiddleWest blew me away, so I was ready to love this book, and... I thought it was just okay.
The book is about an artist who leaves her home behind to try to find inspiration again and ends up renting a haunted house fully aware of the rumors that said house is haunted. What's the worst that could happen, right? Well...
I won't spoil anything else, but as I said, I liked the book fine but didn't love either the art or the story. I would never be able to write or draw anything this good, mind you, but I don't know --I thought the story was too quick of a read (there is barely any text), and there is a "big change" at some point in the story that I thought happened too fast and left me a little... not confused but maybe unsatisfied? Anyway, I gave it 3 stars out of 5 on Goodreads, so like I said I liked it well enough, but it's definitely not the best thing I've read this year. At least it was much more enjoyable than Divine Right, though!

Give me some recommendations please! I'm starting up a pull file with one of the local comic shops and already have a handful of titles that I will be picking up on the monthly and I wanted to add a few more into the mix.

Nothing is really too off the wall for me, as I read anything from spandex to more cerebral fare.

To give a little perspective on me:
I collected for around 20 years starting at age 9 and then went to just buying titles very sporadically ever since, even going a few years without buying any, but I always kept an eye on comics in general.

Thanks in advance!

Monstress
Rat Queens
The current Daredevil run

Does anyone know anything about 3 Worlds 3 Moons thing Hickman is working on? I love the iconography and all the art I've seen from it.

In interesting news when I started talking comics mini bbk jumped back into Asterix and is reading them independently which is good however… I had never realised when growing up but the depiction of black people in asterix is horrifically racist and now I need to discuss that and maybe move on from there to something else. Deep sigh.

NathanialG wrote:

Does anyone know anything about 3 Worlds 3 Moons thing Hickman is working on? I love the iconography and all the art I've seen from it.

Hickman, you say? I'd suggest waiting until it's done to spend your money. He's amazing, but also amazingly good at abandoning projects mid-run.

Fedaykin98 wrote:
NathanialG wrote:

Does anyone know anything about 3 Worlds 3 Moons thing Hickman is working on? I love the iconography and all the art I've seen from it.

Hickman, you say? I'd suggest waiting until it's done to spend your money. He's amazing, but also amazingly good at abandoning projects mid-run.

If anyone else is interested or willing to jump in:
https://3w3m.substack.com/

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/3worlds3mo...
Twitter
https://mobile.twitter.com/3worlds3m...

cartoonin wrote:

Give me some recommendations please! I'm starting up a pull file with one of the local comic shops and already have a handful of titles that I will be picking up on the monthly and I wanted to add a few more into the mix.

I don't really read too many ongoing series as they come out, but I'll recommend:

Lady Mechanika
Strange Academy
Adventureman
Saga
Isola
(if it ever comes back)
Robotech: Remix (same)

Once and Future is really good.

Hemidal wrote:

Once and Future is really good.

My wife just got me the super amazing hardcover deluxe oversized edition collecting the first arc (I think), and it looks AMAZING. I haven't read it yet, though!

Thanks all! I do appreciate the recommendations and I will be taking a look at all the ones mentioned.

Just read Largo Winch 21 and 22. I was somewhat weary of them because of the new script writer and, while I thought he did a good job, I found the overall plot a bit too convoluted, and I might have to read them again to make sure I understand it completely (especially all the financial details, I'm pretty sure the one economics class I took did not cover flash crashes, high speed trading, and short selling). The action bits are as exciting as ever, and all the elements that make this series fun are there: spies, hired guns, exotic locations, and ruthless business people. It's not exactly high literature, but it certainly kept my interest throughout.

The art, however, is just as amazing as it's always been, especially the backgrounds. The actions scenes are exceptional.

I got both of these from the library, and I'm thinking I might buy them to add to my collection. (I read them in French, but the whole series is available in English too.)

I also read the first volume of the prequel trilogy, La Fortune des Winczlav, which was... OK.

bobbywatson wrote:

Just read Largo Winch 21 and 22. I was somewhat weary of them because of the new script writer and, while I thought he did a good job, I found the overall plot a bit too convoluted, and I might have to read them again to make sure I understand it completely (especially all the financial details, I'm pretty sure the one economics class I took did not cover flash crashes, high speed trading, and short selling). The action bits are as exciting as ever, and all the elements that make this series fun are there: spies, hired guns, exotic locations, and ruthless business people. It's not exactly high literature, but it certainly kept my interest throughout.

The art, however, is just as amazing as it's always been, especially the backgrounds. The actions scenes are exceptional.

I got both of these from the library, and I'm thinking I might buy them to add to my collection. (I read them in French, but the whole series is available in English too.)

I also read the first volume of the prequel trilogy, La Fortune des Winczlav, which was... OK.

I think I have about 8 or 10 Largo Winches in my collection, in both English and French. The art is just superb, and the skullduggery and financial hijinks are entertaining. However, my French is atrocious and I'm sure I would enjoy the details of the stories more if I leveled up my French.

Speaking of graphic novels in French, I've seen copies of Roberto Saviano and Asaf Hanuka's I'm Still Alive in Paris, but I think the English-language versions are a few months away. Gorgeous art and a gritty, sobering story.

Comicology is screwed up. Amazon made a mistake with the changes. Also the last comic I bought was completely screwed up. The pages were out of order. The pages were sideways no matter how I turned my tablet and they were sideways on the pc also. Then all the pages were split. I mean the split would go through a panel. I was outside the return window but they gave me a refund.

I ended up buying the comic on Peep Game Comic in PDF format. It was cheaper than amazon also. Oh the comic was Harriett Tubman Demon Slayer. I wasn't going to get it because it seemed a little disrespectful but heard it was really good and it is written and drawn by black people. I only read the first issue. I didn't love or hate it. I did like it enough to get the next issue. I read a book that takes place in the same time period. That was more interesting but that was a book and this is just one comic so far.

Here’s my latest update. A bunch of bat-books and one that is completely unrelated:

Snyder & Capullo’s Batman: vols. 8-10
I did it! I finished Snyder & Capullo’s Batman run! Volumes 8 and 9 focus on Mr. Bloom, and I really enjoyed the story. (The art, needless to say, was fantastic from beginning to end.) Volume 10 was more of a mixed bag, what with different stories and different artists. Some of them I liked, some of them left me a bit cold. Overall, I loved the work Snyder and Capullo did on the title and would definitely recommend it.

Once & Future: Book 1
My wife got me this oversized hardcover edition that collects the first 18 issues (3 story arcs) of this book written by Kieron Gillen and illustrated by Dan Mora with colors by Tamra Bonvillain, and I thought it was incredible. The story by Gillen about old stories that kind of get reincarnated in modern times (I don’t want to spoil anything) is lots of fun and extremely well written, Dan Mora’s art is phenomenal, and Bonvillain’s colors are incredible. If you have heard anything about this book or are curious about it, go ahead and get it because it is a wild ride and well worth it. Absolutely looking forward to the next oversized collection!

Robin, vol. 1
Who would have told me I would ever read a Robin book? Well, this one is written by Joshua Williamson and illustrated by Gleb Melnikov (with one issue drawn by Jorge Corona), and I thought it was a blast. Basically, Robin enters the Lazarus Tournament in which he has to fight against a bunch of other characters (I think most of them are villains), but he’s really there to investigate something else and not to just beat the living daylights out of everyone. I thought the story was super fun, I loved characters such as Ravager and Flatline (is she a new character?), but what stole the show for me was Melnikov’s fantastic art. It reminded me of J. Scott Campbell and that kind of Image/Cliffhanger style I like so much (of course Jorge Corona’s issue is also great). And talking about Image-style art, I know Roger Cruz draws several upcoming issues, and I can’t wait to check them out. Who knew Cruz was still alive and making comics?

Dark Nights: Metal
A bonkers event with Batman and the Justice League written by Scott Snyder and drawn by Greg Capullo. There is an invasion from the Dark Multiverse and several nightmare versions of Batman command an assault on our Earth that Batman and friends have to stop. It was fun, but I also felt it was a bit disjointed, maybe because I did not read the tie-ins. The Dark Knights were cool, especially the Drowned Batman and the Batman Who Laughs, but I was kind of bored halfway through the book and in the end I just shrugged and said “it was okay."

Catwoman, vol. 3: Friend or Foe?
This appears to be the conclusion of the Catwoman story written and occasionally illustrated by Joëlle Jones that had unfolded over the previous two volumes, so expect a final confrontation between Selina and Raina Creel. I liked the story and the fact that Jones drew more pages than I was expecting, but most of the book was illustrated by Fernando Blanco who, despite being a fellow Spaniard, doesn’t exactly blow me away with his art. I don’t dislike it, but… I think it’s just okay. However, there is a flashback he does in a different style that I liked a lot more. So much so that I wished he had done every issue in that style. Oh, well...

Batman: Last Knight on Earth
Another “it was okay” story by Snyder and Capullo featuring an alternate universe in which Batman and the Justice League have been beaten and the world is a terrible place but someone has to try and stop the bad guy from perpetuating the status quo. There were some cool details, like Joker’s head in a jar à la Futurama, and a girl named Bryce that was the daughter of Dick and Barbara, and of course Capullo’s art was amazing... but in the end I just shrugged and said “it was okay.”

And that’s it for now. Tune in next time for what I think will be a less DC-centric post!

Where are you guys getting comics and what are you using to read them?

Most of the comics I own right now are physical copies but I haven't bought a physical copy in years. Most of the digital copies I have are from humble bundle. I use ComicRack on the tablet to read digital comics and Calibre on PC. The only online service I use for comics at the moment is kindle/comixology which I think I'm dropping. Oh and I just bought a comic from peep game comics and plan to buy more from them. Those are in pdf format.

I'm guessing most people are using kindle, marvel, or dc subscription services.

Baron Of Hell wrote:

Where are you guys getting comics and what are you using to read them?

Most of the comics I own right now are physical copies but I haven't bought a physical copy in years. Most of the digital copies I have are from humble bundle. I use ComicRack on the tablet to read digital comics and Calibre on PC. The only online service I use for comics at the moment is kindle/comixology which I think I'm dropping. Oh and I just bought a comic from peep game comics and plan to buy more from them. Those are in pdf format.

I'm guessing most people are using kindle, marvel, or dc subscription services.

I only read physical comics at the moment. I just like holding them although i always said I would always stick to physical books and i now really like my kindle so that may change.

I usually stick to trades too as I prefer arcs to finish before I start them in case of cancellation!

For the past year or so I've been back to buying mostly physical trades and hardcovers, a practice I abandoned about six years go in favor of digital copies. However, I am either getting older or the screen in my Kindle is getting smaller because I find it harder and less enjoyable to read digital comics now. I get my trades and hardcovers from Amazon and InStockTrades, and the occasional book from CheapGraphicNovels.com.

HA ha one of the reasons I went digital was it was getting harder to read physical comics. Being able to zoom in or have a panel take up the entire screen was godsend for me.

Baron Of Hell wrote:

Where are you guys getting comics and what are you using to read them?

In my case, I'm usually getting them from the library, except for the rare series I still want to collect.

I've been reading comics via Marvel Unlimited. I dropped Comixology after the disaster update. I also use the Panels, a comic reader app for iOS. That's where I put all the digital comics I pick up from the Humble Bundles. Depending on the comic I will buy a physical copy as a way to support a particular character or story. I might eventually subscribe to DCU, but for now, I'm going to hold off. I have plenty to read so there isn't a rush.

Marvel Unlimited and the Library on my iPad, indie stuff as trades from the LCS.

Only two books this time:

Lightfall, Book Two: Shadow of the Bird
This all-ages fantasy book written and illustrated by Tim Probert picks up right where the first volume ended, and so we continue to keep Bea and Cad company while they try to save the world from this creature of darkness that is threatening to destroy all the light in the land. Very cute and entertaining, I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for cool comics for their kids. Also, each volume is 245 pages, and while there is not a lot of dialogue and an adult can finish it disappointingly fast, the art is very pretty to look at.

Long John Silver, volume 1: Lady Vivian Hastings
This is book one of four, and it was written by Xavier Dorison and illustrated by Mathieu Lauffray. It came out about ten years ago, but I just found out about it because artist Richard Friend showcased Lauffray's art in one of his YouTube videos recently, and the guy can draw! Plus, pirates! So I bought it, and I thought it was great.

The main character is Lady Vivian Hastings, a woman whose husband sailed to the Americas three years ago and hasn't been seen or heard from since. And what do you know, right when she's getting ready to marry someone else a messenger from her husband shows up, and by a series of circumstances I will not spoil Lady Hastings ends up making the acquaintance of a Long John Silver, Gentleman Sailor. Or is it Treacherous Pirate? Well, I guess Lady Hastings is about to find out.

Since this is a French book, it is oversized and it is about 50 pages, and I am here to tell you I enjoyed every single one of them. If you like pirates, look up Lauffray's art, and if you like it, get this book. I am definitely going to continue with the series!

Baron Of Hell wrote:

Where are you guys getting comics and what are you using to read them?

Most of the comics I own right now are physical copies but I haven't bought a physical copy in years. Most of the digital copies I have are from humble bundle. I use ComicRack on the tablet to read digital comics and Calibre on PC. The only online service I use for comics at the moment is kindle/comixology which I think I'm dropping. Oh and I just bought a comic from peep game comics and plan to buy more from them. Those are in pdf format.

I'm guessing most people are using kindle, marvel, or dc subscription services.

I use ComicRack on PC for tagging/metadata, then I use Komga (think Plex for comics/manga) for hosting my comics. Then I use a reader like Tachiyomi for reading them.

Another alternative to Komga is Kavita. Similar idea, different approach. Kavita does more smart/automated type organizing and sorting.

Komga has its own quirks/learning curve (1 folder=1 series, period) but I found that works better for my specific setup/collection. Whereas with Kavita folder structure is ignored entirely and it parses everything based on filename/metadata.

Both also function as OPDS servers for readers on iOS/Android that support that standard.

It's a shame ComicRack was abandoned. I even had paid licenses for it, not that it matters now. For metadata there's still not really a worthy alternative, but for reading it's a bit sluggish and long in the tooth compared to current alternatives.

In terms of buying... Except for when a Humble Bundle catches my eye, I've basically just stopped buying comics since the Comixology "update" debacle.

Baron Of Hell wrote:

HA ha one of the reasons I went digital was it was getting harder to read physical comics. Being able to zoom in or have a panel take up the entire screen was godsend for me.

I feel you on this. Also I live in a studio now. I just don't have the space to collect physical stuff anymore.

Maybe a competitor to Comixology will surface eventually, but for now my comic purchasing has gone on hiatus. Similar to how every now and then alternative covers/price gouging/crossover nightmares in the comic industry would cause me to stop reading for years at a time.