shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Feb 15, 2016 20:59:32 GMT -5
Okay, so I hope I can be forgiven for starting this thread waaaay too early, but one week just isn't enough for me. I like to start my GN reading over Presidents' Day weekend because I have more time then.
If the Master of Ceremonies (mrp) would prefer, this thread can be deleted and started again at the appropriate time. But I just HAD to get started...
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,871
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Post by shaxper on Feb 15, 2016 21:09:45 GMT -5
I finally got around to reading The Incal this weekend. It's been high on my radar for about two years now, but it went out of print for a while, and so I just purchased it last week.  I'm sorry to say that I didn't love it as much as I'd hoped to, and I know it has some serious hardcore fans here. The universe was complex and intriguing, the concept high-minded (though, ultimately, largely nonsensical) and Moebius' art matured brilliantly throughout the series' eight year run. At first, I wasn't overly impressed with his experimenting with unusual visual designs based upon basic shapes, but by the close it was evident that he'd really matured as an artist and could draw higher realms and entities with a brilliant realism and/or expressionism (depending upon the entity) that drew sharp contrast to the somewhat cartoony plane upon which the protagonists resided. It's not even fair to say I had a problem with the series. I didn't ; it was well done and impressed me. But I didn't LOVE it. I think it comes down to two things: One, that the plot itself just felt like Jodorowsky making up a lot of stuff as he went. There was no real internal logic holding the whole thing together so far as I could tell, and there were many questions I had at the beginning that were never satisfactorily addressed by the close. Two, characterization matters more to me than anything else in literature (graphic or otherwise). I have to care about the characters and feel good rooting for them, even when they make mistakes or betray my morality. But John Difool is the ultimate cosmic jerk, granted special importance in the universe for no clear reason and never once evolving from that state, even when given multiple opportunities to. I suppose the ending of the work opens the door for possible growth, but it's too little, and it comes at least one hundred pages too late for me. I do know that this series was not written as a GN and, in fact, still continues to this day, but I don't intend to follow it any further. This was a very very good stand alone volume, but it isn't in my top twenty, and if it takes years worth of sequels for Jodorowsky to fill in all the gaps I felt in this story, that feels clumsy to me. So, to those of you who are major fans of this work, I apologize for not loving it more. I definitely tried. |
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Post by tingramretro on Feb 18, 2016 4:05:53 GMT -5
Just reread Bryan Talbot's Alice in Sunderland, which I guess is best described as a social history work, much of it focusing on either Sunderland in the north of England, or on Charles Dodgson, AKA Lewis Carroll. It's a truly unique work, with Talbot himself acting as the narrator, supposedly standing on a stage and educating a theatre audience of one about his chosen subject. Different parts of the book are illustrated in different styles, from cartoon to photorealism, making it an arresting visual experience. I'd recommend it to anyone on the lookout for something a bit different, even if you've never heard of Sunderland!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2016 10:22:00 GMT -5
Welcome to the official start of the What have you read portion of the 2016 Read a Graphic Novel Week (despite the quite enjoyable early start, today marks the start of the week). Got home form work last night and 'round midnight curled up in my leather easy chair with a blanket and some reading material. First up...  The Horns of Elfland by Charles Vess Archival Press 1979 Some might quibble with the use of GN to describe this, as it is actually a collection of three short stories/novellas, and the format of two of them is barely comics, but in the spirit of things we'll press on. This is very early work by Vess, featuring material begun while still getting his degree in fine arts and finished just afterwards as best as I can gather from the introduction. Published in '79 it was an odd bird for the market, but was similar in publishing format to the Sabre album that came out just before. The three stories within include: 1)The Shadow Witch 2) The Demon Sword 3) The Fiddler and the Swan Stories 1 and 3 are told as illustrated stories, somewhere between the format Gil Kane used in Blackmark and a traditional illustrated prose story. They feature typeset text incorporated into the art in double page segments, with the left hand page having the text within a framing piece of art that sets up the full page illo on the right hand page. The second story is done in traditional comic format. The Shadow WitchClassic fairy tale style story of a disgruntled witch who steals a town's shadows and gets her comeuppance at the hand of a young hero. The Demon Sword Classic style fantasy tale of a witch who forges a sword that imprisons a demon and her plot to get a king to use the sword and become her consort. A sample of the art from that tale...  The Fiddler and the SwanAnother classic fairy story (literally this time) of a young boy who sees a fairy princess and with the aid of his witchy grandmother's gifts sets out to win her as his bride Sample to show the framed text/illo style format of the story...  Overall if you are familiar with the work of Charles Vess and like it, you will like this and should check it out (a new edition of it was supposed to be released in December of last year, but not sure if it was). If you haven't read stuff by Vess, this is a perfect introduction to his oeuvre, as it contains all the elements that typify his solo work and many of his collaborations. Fans of fairy literature, classic ballads and saga, and fantasy stories will delight in this. Capes and tights fans who only know Vess work from his Spider-Man stuff and super-hero cover work maybe not so much, unless they enjoy fantasy stuff as well. -M |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2016 10:34:03 GMT -5
Next up....  Marvel Graphic Novel #10: Heartburst by Rick VeitchMarvel Comics 1984 (later reissued with other Veitch stories as Heartburst and other Pleasures in 2008 by King Hell-Veitch's publishing company) A science fiction tale of an earth colony whose only contact with earth now is the echoes of classic television broadcasts form the 50s and 60s that forms the basis of their religion and the repressive theocratic society that develops, and their horrid interactions with the aboriginal race on the planet. Sample page  Sample page (contains nudity) As with most good science fiction, it makes a commentary on our own society and Veitch certainly has a lot to say about human society in the late 20th century. It's an engrossing story and Veitch is at the top of his game here, though early in his career. If you are a fan of Veitch or sci-fi in general, well worth checking out. -M |
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Post by Rob Allen on Mar 1, 2016 12:18:34 GMT -5
In recent weeks I've read these, and I intend to write about them this week if I can:
Bad Houses by Sara Ryan & Carla Speed McNeil
It Rhymes With Lust by Arnold Drake, Leslie Waller, Matt Baker & Ray Osrin
Dog Moon by Robert Hunter and Tim Truman
Age of Bronze Book 2: Sacrifice by Eric Shanower
edit - forgot one:
Are You My Mother? by Alison Bechdel
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Post by Action Ace on Mar 1, 2016 19:41:29 GMT -5
The Comic Book Randomizer 5000 has made it's choice... SPIDER-MAN: BIRTH OF VENOM corporate super hero? check collected edition of a mishmash of issues? check Todd McFarlane? check If Shaxper's definition of a graphic novel is the bright center of the galaxy, this thing is on the planet furthest from.  |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 2, 2016 0:59:13 GMT -5
Next up....  Shuddertown by Nick Spencer and Adam Geen Image Comics 2010 This was a bitter disappointment for me. I've liked Spencer on other books, and crime noir seemed to be in his wheelhouse. The premise-a homicide detective on a bad part of town gets a bad case where the DNA evidence points to a dead man as the murderer sounded interesting, but the execution was chaotic, the characters unlikable (not uncommon in a noir story though), and worse those characters were uninteresting (the kiss of death in any story). The story telling is choppy and the narrative flow so haphazard it is nigh impossible to get into the story, the art is muddy with bad panel to panel and page ot page storytelling. It collected all 4 issue published, but the series seems to have been abandoned because the story just stops unresolved at the end of the 4th issue. Final assessment, nothing to see here, move along. But just in case you're a glutton for punoshment, here's some sample pages...   -M |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2016 3:05:36 GMT -5
NB I've read and commented on A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories and Dropsie Avenue: The Neighborhood in Shax's Graphic Novels of Will Eisner thread as part of RAGNW this year as well. Next up, officially listed as First Graphic Novel #4 it is actually a trade collection of the 3 magazine sized issue of Nexus called The Original Nexus...  by Mike Baron & Steve Rude, introduction by Chris Claremont collection released 1985, original issues 1981-1982 The launch of a classic science-fiction quasi-superheroic epic is collected here. We are introduced to The Nexs, a.k. a. Horatio Hellpop and the dreams that drive him on his mission of vengeance, his world, the future civilization of earth and its expanses across the galaxy, his supporting cast and everything we need to know to launch into this story in the first issue collected and then we see the 2 part origin of the Nexus in the next 2 issues as well as an epic confrontation that turns Hellpop's status quo introduced an issue ago on its head. Everything here can be read on its own and stands up as a whole, but it also sets the stage for a much bigger story that Baron & Rude will tell in the subsequent regular comic series of Nexus, but just reading this collection gives you a full story that can exist on its own and a taste of what a great storytelling team Baron and The Dude make. Well worth checking out. sample pages by the Dude...   -M |
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Post by Reptisaurus! on Mar 4, 2016 20:35:05 GMT -5
I got three pages into Duncan the Wonder Dog, but I read the newest Love and Rockets.
If 100 pages of short-stories that are part of an ongoing narrative count as a graphic novel.
REALLY liked Jaime's sci-fi story that led off the issue, and choked up a little bit at the last two panels. (The first time I ever had THAT reaction to a middle finger!) Got a little confused in Beto's segments - These will read better in (bigger) trades.
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Post by Action Ace on Mar 4, 2016 22:44:13 GMT -5
SPIDER-MAN: BIRTH OF VENOM COMMENTARY
MARVEL SECRET WARS #8: Did the Spider Sense tingling give you a clue Peter?
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #252: The new costume is a bit more convenient for storing stuff and a quick outfit change. The best foreshadowing was how it slithered across the room to him and looked like a shark in doing so. Aunt May didn't worry herself into a coma, so that's good. Peter concludes he needs to have Reed look at the costume twice, but other things get in the way in the classic Spidey manner. Ron Frenz does a satisfactory job with the artwork.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #253: A QB is throwing games for the mob story. DeFalco even works in the "tell 'em it ain't so!" line. Peter crushed Aunt May by telling her he's dropping out of grad school. Rick Leonardi is barely tolerable since it's a Spider-Man story.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #254: Recap for those that missed the last 3 issues. Hobgolin's battlewagon is stolen from the city after they dredged it out of the river. Peter has to choose, find the culprits or talk with Aunt May about his future. Maybe the costume can stop the bad guys by itself while Peter talks to his Aunt? No? Off to stop the bad guys he goes and has to dodge the pumpkins bombs of his Arch Enemy....no of some Oz reject named Jack O'Lantern. Meanwhile, Aunt May laments that Peter has changed so much in the last few years that she feels like she doesn't even know him anymore. Cameo by some GI JOE action figures. (check out issue #25 now!) The battlewagon gets away on its own and Jack escapes as well. Peter misses his meeting and Aunt May's friend Nathan reads Peter the riot act. I liked Leonardi's art a little more this issue.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #255: Peter washed the costume and mentions he needs to learn more about it. A burglar, Black Fox (not Black Cat) comes across Red Ghost and his Super-Apes. He needs the burglar to go out and steal money for him, he even gets to take the Super-Apes along! The story and editor's boxes refer you to stories in Spectacular and Marvel Team Up as well as Secret Wars again. The Black Fox tries to rob a place, but the Super-Apes get a "little" out of control. Spidey saves him from the Super-Apes and he gives him the location of the Red Ghost. They escape, but his plans are ruined. Spidey tried to track down one villain and now has another one mad at him. The other villain with the Hobgoblin's battlewagon is disappointed Spidey didn't come in time to fall into his trap. Frenz is back and I'm happy.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #256: Black Cat shows up to help and the costume even makes a space so he can kiss her. No matter how much Peter sleeps he always seems to be tired. He finds his old backup costume, but puts it away. He thinks he's grown as a person, so he doesn't want to go back or have the alien outfit change to look like his old one. As he sleeps though the alien costume makes its way across the room toward him. The Rose has decided he needs to get rid of the interfering Spider-Man and calls in The Puma. I was hoping for Razorback. Guess what Tiger, Mary Jane's back! Puma attacks Spidey as he's swinging and he wrenches his shoulder out of its socket during the fall.
Puma approaches the helpless hero, ready to kill.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #257: Black Cat saves Spidey just in time. The escape to Peter's apartment while Puma bides his time. This time, the costume takes a bit of effort to come off. Black Cat now mentions that he was supposed to have Reed check this things out. I assume that will happen at some point in the next six issues of this book. The Kingpin takes a few hours off from trying to kill Daredevil to have words with The Rose about killing Spider-Man when Tubby has his own plans for the wall crawler. Puma tracks down Peter to his apartment just as he gets MJ out in time. In the ensuing fight Puma discovers that Spider-Man's new webbing is organic, a discovery that surprises even Peter. The fight is broken off and the Rose later tells Puma that the contract is cancelled. The Rose is then joined by a new ally, The Hobgoblin! Peter arrives back at the apartment and MJ announces she just can't cope with knowing that Peter is really Spider-Man!
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #258: MJ runs out in tears after Black Cat shows up and confirms her fears. Later Peter falls asleep and the costume surrounds him and sends Spider-Man out on patrol. As Peter sleeps, he dreams of being back in his old Ditko look while his costumes battle it out. He wakes up at the crack of 5 and he's off to the Baxter Building for answers... FINALLY! Surprisingly, Reed is home so we don't need to drag this out for another four issues. Reed conducts some tests and tells Spider-Man that his costume is alive! Reed suggest Peter take off the costume, but it doesn't want to come off. Reed grabs a sonic blaster and that gets it off. They put the outfit into a container and Peter gets an old FF costume and a paper bag for his head. Naturally, he has to stop a robbery on his way home. Nice job by Johnny getting that Kick Me sign on him. It's also starting to snow because of something going on in Thor. MJ comes by later to apologize. Meanwhile, the spurned alien costume plots its revenge!
Frenz is really on top of his game this issue.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #259: MJ reveals her past. Reed tells She Hulk what's going on with this alien costume. Hobgoblin is on the loose! Spidey sets out after him in his original costume.
EPILOGUE OF FF #274 (I think): The alien costume escapes!
EPILOGUE OF AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #25 (I think): The costume borrows a couple of guys to get across town to Peter's closet.
WEB OF SPIDER-MAN #1: The alien outfit changes into the classic red and blue one and Peter puts it on by mistake. Meanwhile someone that used to be in the prison with the Vulture has come up with some new wings so he and his pals can commit crimes. Meanwhile, Spider-Man is trying to get back to the Baxter Building and the costume just won't let him. He gets captured by the Vulturions (UGH!), but they do happen upon a church with a large ringing bell. He ditches the Vulturians and the bell gets the costume off of him. The costume pulls Peter away from the bells as it seems to have developed new emotions and then disappears. The text piece notes that Spider-Man then used a fabric black outfit for a while. Greg LaRocque pencils with Jim Mooney inks is a winning combo.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #298 EPILOGUE: Someone else has come across the alien costume.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #299 EPILOGUE: MJ arrives home and the Venom is waiting for her!
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #300: MJ tells Peter that a bulked up evil looking version of him was just there. It did not know that they had been married. The next day Peter picks up a sonic blaster from Reed and gets his stuff together to move in with MJ. Eddie Brock is following him, but doesn't trigger his Spider Sense. Nearly the entire cast of the last 25 years shows up to help Peter and MJ move into their condo. Peter sees Venom swinging around, so he grabs the sonic blaster and goes after him. They start fighting and Eddie reveals himself as the man behind Venom. Then we get a recap of his career. In the next tussle Spidey uses the sonic blaster, but if he kills Venom he will kill Eddie as well since they've bonded so much. Venom knocks out Spidey and puts him in one of those giant church bells that nearly killed them before. Venom used up too much of his power when he webbed up the trap for Spidey so when he escapes he doesn't have enough in reserve. Spidey catches Venom and returns him to the Baxter Building. The black costume is upsetting to MJ, so Peter burns it and returns to the classic red and blues. HALLELUJAH! McFarlaine's art looks good for Spider-Man and an utter disaster on everything else.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #315: Venom escapes from the super villain prison The Vault. Spider-Man tussles with Hydro Man until he escapes. That condo didn't last long and Peter and MJ are back in the Parker boarding house. The rest of the issue is Nathan stealing from Aunt May because he has a gambling problem. Peter seems to help him get his issues resolved, but he still buys some lottery tickets at the end.
Then there's some scene at a truck stop from an unknown issue. Here Eddie and Venom start on their path as "anti-heroes."
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #316: Black Cat arrives at Peter's old place and so does Venom! He smacks her down, but leaves since she doesn't know where he is. He also drops the news that Spider-Man is married. As Venom swings over the city, MJ sees him. Peter calls various government agencies demanding to know how Venom escaped and gets put on hold. What government agency is The Vault in anyway? Spidey sets out to find Venom and they clash in a meat packing plant. McFarlane drawing slabs of raw meat...ewwwwwww. Spider-Man escapes, but Venom finds a paper belonging to Peter that tells him where he lives.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #317: Eddie Brock shows up at the front door and asks if Peter can come out to play. Eddie and Peter walk away as he explains that he didn't want to hurt innocent people in his quest to kill Spider-Man. Eddie tells Peter to meet him in an abandoned area in Long Island to finish the conflict. Spider-Man gets help from the Fantastic Four, but Eddie shows up at dinner to tell him to get rid of them. Peter keeps forgetting that Venom doesn't trigger his Spider Sense, so he can easily be followed. Spider-Man then consults with a psychiatrist to figure out how to deal with a jilted symbiote. The next day Spidey clashes with Venom and offers himself up to the symbiote. It starts to bond with Peter, but the stress knocks out Eddie and the symbiote.
VENOM's WHO'S WHO ENTRY
THE END!
The alien costume was a neat idea and it led to a successful anti-hero for Marvel that they have used for over a quarter century. The stories were a mixed bag throughout as I liked and disliked things about every issue. You can see the slow erosion of the 1980s Marvel storytelling get sped up as we hit the 1990s stories.
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Post by coke & comics on Mar 5, 2016 4:41:22 GMT -5
I read 2 Sisters. A graphic novel by any definition. A giant masterpiece of storytelling originally published by Top Shelf and recently rereleased in a giant hardcover from Dark Horse. The giant format is a great help in bringing the large panels to life. Kindt is just masterful at finding ways to effectively convey the story through creative use of the medium, often not needing words for long stretches of pages. A WWII spy tale with a bit of swashbuckling pirate adventure from a previous century, and a story that ultimately traces itself back to an escaped slave in ancient Rome.
It was a good comic.
I have also started reading Brooklyn Dreams by Demateiss and Barr. Given that Demateiss is one of my favorite writers, I have no excuse for not having read this yet. It seems to pick up where Moonshadow left off in terms of what he wants to say as a writer.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2016 6:36:38 GMT -5
Just read a GN I stumbled across at the local library, but one that I probably should have had on my radar... Barbarian Lord by Matt Smith Clarion Books 2014  back cover...  Take equal parts Robert E. Howard, Tolkien, Icelandic Sagas and Saturday morning cartoon barbarians and you get Barbarian Lord. The OGN tells the tale of the protagonist (named Barbarian Lord) and the schemes of his rival Skull Lord to brand Barbarian Lord an outlaw and steal his lands, and the quest for justice and vengeance Barbarian Lord undertakes. The art feels a mix of Mike Avon Oeming and Mike Mignola, and if it is the same Matt Smith who started working in comics in the 90s, it is reminiscent of his earlier style buy evolved into more of the cartoonish tilt of the Oeming/Mignola ilk. Some sample pages...    and you can see more samples, behind the scenes sketches, etc. at the Barbarian Lord websiteSmith cites the aforementioned REH, Tolkien, Icelandic Sagas and Norse Mythology as influences, as well as Mignola, Jeff Smith, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Thundarr the Barbarian, Baril Poldeirus (and yes I can hear the Conan soundtrack in my head as I read this) and Dan Brereton as well. This is perhaps one of my favorite new comics that I have discovered in quite some time. Completely unexpected, but oh so delightful. There looks to be more Barbarian Lord coming (and some shorts floating around on that website I still need to check out), so I am excited. -M |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2016 6:43:15 GMT -5
Ok there's even a trailer for this book....
-M
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Post by coke & comics on Mar 6, 2016 3:33:44 GMT -5
I read Book 1 of Beanworld. I know this series has been praised on these boards, by Reptisaurus and Pol Rua in particular. And I know general buzz is that this is one of those great iconic comics everybody should read. And yes, Scott McCloud wrote in the introduction of this book that, "Of all the comics being published today, Beanworld is far and away my favorite."
Despite all that, I had never read it. And, moreover, I suspect I am not the only one here. Unlike Sandman, which I assume everybody but berk has read, I strongly suspect there are lot of people on these here boards who have never read Beanworld. I think they should rectify that.
I have only just begun. I will find be finding Book 2 presently. And I will continue to understand this world. Because while in some sense this first book told 4 complete stories, there are a lot of open questions hanging in the air, like where Professor Garbanzo's experiments with the twinks will lead and whether Mr. Spook's fears about the pod-things that have invaded Beanworld prove correct. So onto Book 2...
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