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Post by Jesse on Jan 1, 2015 12:00:02 GMT -5
While I enjoyed the Mike Allred artwork I agree All-New Miracleman Annual #1 was pretty underwhelming.
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Jan 1, 2015 12:54:14 GMT -5
Jack Katz's The first Kingdom has recently been reprinted by Titan books in four hardcover volumes. That story is a masterpiece, quite simply put. Each page looks like it took two weeks to draw, and the plot is complex, epic and engrossing.
The series was extended with what I understand are as yet-unpublished works by Katz, the first of which being the space explorer's club, now available as "the first kingdom. volume 5". And... boy, am I disappointed. Is it proper for a mere amateur like me to criticize the work of a giant like Katz? I feel like some kind of pretentious imposter... but still, after the awe I felt at reading The First Kingdom, I can't help but wonder what happened. The plot, what there is of it, seems to follow the themes of the earlier volumes (even if characters and settings are unrelated): there is something wrong with our universe, and the people inhabiting it are carrying a "programming" flaw in their DNA that causes them to constantly seek self-destruction rather than accomplish their true potential. But while The First Kingdom used that concept as the background for a rich tapestry of civilizations growing and collapsing, here we have a complete mess of a book with no coherent storyline replete with pseudo-scientific and philosophical mumbo jumbo.
I don't mind pseudoscience when it is used as a macguffin to further the plot. "Captain, we have detected an influx of tetryon particles that will interefere with the cloaking device" does the job in Star Trek, even if we have no idea what tetryon particles are supposed to be. But in the space explorer's club, the plot hangs on "infinitverses" being built by scientists and being in dange of destroying the entirety of creation because... a rubber pipe leaks somewhere. I kid you not. We have galaxies that can collapse because some new alloy has a defect. Come on, "alloys" have squat to do with the stability of effin' galaxies.We have some kind of life force that causes DNA to have a memory. We have people who are chosen by god-like figures to travel back in time to "accomplish their celestial destiny" and change history, but first they must undergo a "test" which is essentially a wrestling match. If the point was for the book to reflect the chaotic and illogical nature of our universe, then it's a smashing success, but somehow I had a better feel of that in Michael Moorcock's Jerry Cornelius stories.
The art is also very surprising. Instead of the insanely lush and detailed work of The First Kingdom, the space explorer's club looks like it is printed staright from breakdowns. (Katz does beautiful breakdowns, but still... ) Even outer space isn't black, but is left blank. The storytelling is also very awkward: on most pages, you can't really tell in what order to read the images. After the top-left one, are you supposed to go to the half-page top-right one, or to the two small ones below the top-left one? (It doesn't help that very often, the text doesn't make any more sense no matter what order you choose).
The pretentious and pompous foreword by comics giant Burne Hogarth didn't help things. I can accept that people describe The First Kingdom as one of comicdom's greatest achievements, because it is. But this volume 5 is not a work of genius; it's not even a good comic.
I'll probably get volume 6 out of the tremendous respect I have for the crator, but I feel just like when I read the last few years of Cerebus: I wasn't doing it out of enjoyment, but out of duty. Heck, when you stop a graphic novel to go read Thor, there's something wrong.
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Crimebuster
CCF Podcast Guru
Making comics!
Posts: 3,958 
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Post by Crimebuster on Jan 1, 2015 15:00:14 GMT -5
The old hardcovers are super cool but yeah not cheap. The Father Tree Press ones came in hardcover too, also hard to find. My favorite way to read them is the original magazines. I bought the whole set for $20 on eBay. I may have gotten lucky though, the cheapest set I see right now is $40 plus $16 shipping. My second choice would be the new softcover volume. The DC stuff was best avoided because they chopped up and rearranged the panels to accommodate the smaller manga format. And told the story out of order. The Father Tree Press trades are really nice, but the binding was awful, and mine were all missing pages. But they did include the front and back covers from the magazines, the Epic covers, and the Epic additional pages, so they're pretty comprehensive. If you have a bucket of money to spend, the original Starblaze tpbs from the early 80's are fantastic. These came out between the end of the original series and the Epic reprints. It was the first time the series was shown in color. I have volumes 2-4 and will probably never get volume 1 as they cost an astronomical amount nowadays. But they are really swell. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2015 15:17:39 GMT -5
I keep an eye on them, and see them occasionally for not too bad a price. I think one just sold for around $50.
I think what I'd ideally like to have done is complete another full set of the magazine run and have them bound, but I've been wary of that as well because of possible gutter loss and poor binding. I also think the leatherette looks ugly and would want a graphic cover, but don't have the skills to make one myself
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Post by berkley on Jan 1, 2015 18:00:26 GMT -5
Jack Katz's The first Kingdom has recently been reprinted by Titan books in four hardcover volumes. That story is a masterpiece, quite simply put. Each page looks like it took two weeks to draw, and the plot is complex, epic and engrossing. The series was extended with what I understand are as yet-unpublished works by Katz, the first of which being the space explorer's club, now available as "the first kingdom. volume 5". And... boy, am I disappointed. Is it proper for a mere amateur like me to criticize the work of a giant like Katz? I feel like some kind of pretentious imposter... but still, after the awe I felt at reading The First Kingdom, I can't help but wonder what happened. The plot, what there is of it, seems to follow the themes of the earlier volumes (even if characters and settings are unrelated): there is something wrong with our universe, and the people inhabiting it are carrying a "programming" flaw in their DNA that causes them to constantly seek self-destruction rather than accomplish their true potential. But while The First Kingdom used that concept as the background for a rich tapestry of civilizations growing and collapsing, here we have a complete mess of a book with no coherent storyline replete with pseudo-scientific and philosophical mumbo jumbo. I don't mind pseudoscience when it is used as a macguffin to further the plot. "Captain, we have detected an influx of tetryon particles that will interefere with the cloaking device" does the job in Star Trek, even if we have no idea what tetryon particles are supposed to be. But in the space explorer's club, the plot hangs on "infinitverses" being built by scientists and being in dange of destroying the entirety of creation because... a rubber pipe leaks somewhere. I kid you not. We have galaxies that can collapse because some new alloy has a defect. Come on, "alloys" have squat to do with the stability of effin' galaxies.We have some kind of life force that causes DNA to have a memory. We have people who are chosen by god-like figures to travel back in time to "accomplish their celestial destiny" and change history, but first they must undergo a "test" which is essentially a wrestling match. If the point was for the book to reflect the chaotic and illogical nature of our universe, then it's a smashing success, but somehow I had a better feel of that in Michael Moorcock's Jerry Cornelius stories. The art is also very surprising. Instead of the insanely lush and detailed work of The First Kingdom, the space explorer's club looks like it is printed staright from breakdowns. (Katz does beautiful breakdowns, but still... ) Even outer space isn't black, but is left blank. The storytelling is also very awkward: on most pages, you can't really tell in what order to read the images. After the top-left one, are you supposed to go to the half-page top-right one, or to the two small ones below the top-left one? (It doesn't help that very often, the text doesn't make any more sense no matter what order you choose). The pretentious and pompous foreword by comics giant Burne Hogarth didn't help things. I can accept that people describe The First Kingdom as one of comicdom's greatest achievements, because it is. But this volume 5 is not a work of genius; it's not even a good comic. I'll probably get volume 6 out of the tremendous respect I have for the crator, but I feel just like when I read the last few years of Cerebus: I wasn't doing it out of enjoyment, but out of duty. Heck, when you stop a graphic novel to go read Thor, there's something wrong. I haven't yet read the first two volumes, the only ones I have in my possession right now, but totally agree on the difference between the artwork in those and that I saw when I looked at Volume 5 in the bookstore a few days ago. Vol 5 looked like outlines in comparison - fairly well-finished outlines, but no shading or texture, little background detail, giving the overall effect of an unfinished piece. I wonder how the subsequent volumes will look. Glad to hear that at least volumes 3 and 4 maintain the level of those first two. Now I know that I can order those next two, anyway, without having to worry that they look more like Volume 5 than like Volumes 1 & 2. |
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Jan 1, 2015 21:26:15 GMT -5
Jack Katz's The first Kingdom has recently been reprinted by Titan books in four hardcover volumes. That story is a masterpiece, quite simply put. Each page looks like it took two weeks to draw, and the plot is complex, epic and engrossing. The series was extended with what I understand are as yet-unpublished works by Katz, the first of which being the space explorer's club, now available as "the first kingdom. volume 5". And... boy, am I disappointed. Is it proper for a mere amateur like me to criticize the work of a giant like Katz? I feel like some kind of pretentious imposter... but still, after the awe I felt at reading The First Kingdom, I can't help but wonder what happened. The plot, what there is of it, seems to follow the themes of the earlier volumes (even if characters and settings are unrelated): there is something wrong with our universe, and the people inhabiting it are carrying a "programming" flaw in their DNA that causes them to constantly seek self-destruction rather than accomplish their true potential. But while The First Kingdom used that concept as the background for a rich tapestry of civilizations growing and collapsing, here we have a complete mess of a book with no coherent storyline replete with pseudo-scientific and philosophical mumbo jumbo. I don't mind pseudoscience when it is used as a macguffin to further the plot. "Captain, we have detected an influx of tetryon particles that will interefere with the cloaking device" does the job in Star Trek, even if we have no idea what tetryon particles are supposed to be. But in the space explorer's club, the plot hangs on "infinitverses" being built by scientists and being in dange of destroying the entirety of creation because... a rubber pipe leaks somewhere. I kid you not. We have galaxies that can collapse because some new alloy has a defect. Come on, "alloys" have squat to do with the stability of effin' galaxies.We have some kind of life force that causes DNA to have a memory. We have people who are chosen by god-like figures to travel back in time to "accomplish their celestial destiny" and change history, but first they must undergo a "test" which is essentially a wrestling match. If the point was for the book to reflect the chaotic and illogical nature of our universe, then it's a smashing success, but somehow I had a better feel of that in Michael Moorcock's Jerry Cornelius stories. The art is also very surprising. Instead of the insanely lush and detailed work of The First Kingdom, the space explorer's club looks like it is printed staright from breakdowns. (Katz does beautiful breakdowns, but still... ) Even outer space isn't black, but is left blank. The storytelling is also very awkward: on most pages, you can't really tell in what order to read the images. After the top-left one, are you supposed to go to the half-page top-right one, or to the two small ones below the top-left one? (It doesn't help that very often, the text doesn't make any more sense no matter what order you choose). The pretentious and pompous foreword by comics giant Burne Hogarth didn't help things. I can accept that people describe The First Kingdom as one of comicdom's greatest achievements, because it is. But this volume 5 is not a work of genius; it's not even a good comic. I'll probably get volume 6 out of the tremendous respect I have for the crator, but I feel just like when I read the last few years of Cerebus: I wasn't doing it out of enjoyment, but out of duty. Heck, when you stop a graphic novel to go read Thor, there's something wrong. I haven't yet read the first two volumes, the only ones I have in my possession right now, but totally agree on the difference between the artwork in those and that I saw when I looked at Volume 5 in the bookstore a few days ago. Vol 5 looked like outlines in comparison - fairly well-finished outlines, but no shading or texture, little background detail, giving the overall effect of an unfinished piece. I wonder how the subsequent volumes will look. Glad to hear that at least volumes 3 and 4 maintain the level of those first two. Now I know that I can order those next two, anyway, without having to worry that they look more like Volume 5 than like Volumes 1 & 2. Volume 4 concludes in a strangely unsatisfying way, but the artwork remains stunning throughout. I fully expected volume 4 to simply continue in volume 5, since the conclusion of The First Kingdom is kind of open-ended, and was at first surprised and then outright disappointed that it wasn't the case. Your description of the artwork is spot-on. |
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Post by Action Ace on Jan 4, 2015 14:29:45 GMT -5
for January 7, 2015
DC COMICS
Action Comics #38
Aquaman and the Others #9
Detective Comics #38
Earth 2 #30
Earth 2 World's End #14
Flash: Season Zero #4
Green Lantern #38
Justice League 3000 #13
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2015 19:07:17 GMT -5
Angela Asgard's Assassin #2
Ant-Man #1 (maybe)
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Post by DubipR on Jan 4, 2015 21:12:15 GMT -5
New Year, New Comics...
- Elephantmen #61
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2015 21:25:59 GMT -5
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl!!!
And maybe some other stuff. Probably Ant-Man. |
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Post by Paste Pot Paul on Jan 5, 2015 6:00:28 GMT -5
With regards to The First Kingdom books, I remember reading a friends copies in the 80s, but always found them very hard to read, beautiful(if a bit stiff, figure wise) but the story was quite dense IIRC.
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Post by Dizzy D on Jan 5, 2015 9:09:40 GMT -5
IMAGE COMICS
Casanova Volume 2 Gula The Complete Edition HC > Already have this one in singles, but kinda wondering on what's happening with Casanova. It seems to bounce between Image and Icon all the time.
MARVEL COMICS
Miracleman #14
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Post by dupersuper on Jan 6, 2015 2:39:58 GMT -5
ACTION COMICS #38
EARTH 2 #30
EARTH 2 WORLDS END #14
FLASH SEASON ZERO #4
JUSTICE LEAGUE 3000 #13
LOBO #4
FUTURES END #36
ALL NEW X-FACTOR #19
AVENGERS NO MORE BULLYING #1
MARVELS AVENGERS #2
MIRACLEMAN #14
SPIDER-MAN 2099 #7
trade waiting HELLBOY/BPRD, LONE WOLF & CUB, USAGI YOJIMBO, BATMAN ETERNAL, FABLES/JACK/FAIREST, HINTERKIND, GOD HATES ASTRONAUTS, ROCHE LIMIT, TREES, UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL
DOCTOR WHO: THE BLOOD OF AZRAEL
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Post by Rob Allen on Jan 6, 2015 19:39:44 GMT -5
Volume 4 concludes in a strangely unsatisfying way, but the artwork remains stunning throughout. I fully expected volume 4 to simply continue in volume 5, since the conclusion of The First Kingdom is kind of open-ended, and was at first surprised and then outright disappointed that it wasn't the case. I started reading First Kingdom when it was first coming out, and completed the set in the 80s. I had the same reaction to the conclusion. It felt like Katz had decided early on to do 24 issues but didn't pace it well and ended up with 26-28 issues' worth of story which he just crammed into the preset 24-issue space. The art remained high-quality throughout. Your description of Volume 5 is disheartening. Does the new book set include the art from the portfolio that Bud Plant published in 1982? budsartbooks.com/prod.cfm/pc/FKPT/cid/1 |
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Jan 6, 2015 20:39:15 GMT -5
Volume 4 concludes in a strangely unsatisfying way, but the artwork remains stunning throughout. I fully expected volume 4 to simply continue in volume 5, since the conclusion of The First Kingdom is kind of open-ended, and was at first surprised and then outright disappointed that it wasn't the case. I started reading First Kingdom when it was first coming out, and completed the set in the 80s. I had the same reaction to the conclusion. It felt like Katz had decided early on to do 24 issues but didn't pace it well and ended up with 26-28 issues' worth of story which he just crammed into the preset 24-issue space. The art remained high-quality throughout. Your description of Volume 5 is disheartening. Does the new book set include the art from the portfolio that Bud Plant published in 1982? budsartbooks.com/prod.cfm/pc/FKPT/cid/1I haven't seen Book 6 so perhaps it's in there, but that beautiful artwork looks nothing like Book 5, which is barely above the level of sketches. I'm struggling to finish Book 5. Not to overstate the case, but it's turning out to be one of my least favorite comics ever. In that sense, it would go well with Philippe Druillet's Delirius II, a total piece of dreck by one of my greatest artistic heroes. |
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