The Comic Book Thread

[SouthtownKid]

Yeah, Bissette and Gibbons are both great additions. How did I forget Gibbons. And then Bissette of course reminds me of Totleben, Yeats, Veitch, and Alcala. And Ridgway was awesome on the early Hellblazer issues. There are a ton more.

 

[Hot Chocolate]

Hey, remember that war comic he did for Marvel Max a while back? It was written by Ennis and had covers by Cassady. I can't remember what it was called, though... Anyway, that was a good example of his current work. It was pretty rockin' if you ask me.

War Is Hell and yes that rocked

EDIT: Oh, I forgot. I did have a chance to grab Frankenstein today, and I dug it. Cool stuff. So we're agreed there, too.

Sweet! I do wonder if Ray will have a bigger part then being just that guy who was a superhero and is our liaison now( wouldn't mind if Ray and Ryan swapped places as I don't want to read about him in Johns/Lee's JL )

Can't believe I just found out Fear Agent #31 came out, been a big gap between it and the last issue I forgot all about it. This was my introduction to Rick Remender and it is great, if you're reading Uncanny X-Force or Venom then you have to check this out

 

[Taiso]

Big time, love these two

I didn't read this but those are awesome covers.

Are those characters Chuckles and the Baroness?

 

[SouthtownKid]

I didn't read this but those are awesome covers.

Are those characters Chuckles and the Baroness?

Yeah, and it was an awesome mini. Even if you didn't read the concurrent regular GI Joe comic and never plan to, Cobra was an interesting (and perfectly self-contained) read. It's about Chuckles infiltrating the organization later to be known as Cobra (in a time before GI Joe is even aware of their existence) and working his way up the corporate ladder. Being undercover, in order to maintain his cover, Chuckles has to make some dubious moral choices. Good stuff.

 

[Electric Grave]

One of the greatest ever, if he could only produce faster. Considering the length he's been in the industry, he has produced a depressingly small amount of material. But yeah, he's miles ahead of nearly anyone who debuted in the 1990s.


Some of the other great artists working in the '80s, off the top of my head:

Giffen
Grell
Rude
Smith
Chaykin
Guice
Jones
Broderick
Kane
Ordway
Byrne
Toth
Maguire
Bisley
Miller
Janson
J Buscema
Simonson
Cowan
Truman
Aparo
Mandrake
Reinhold
Mignola
Colan
R Wagner
M Wagner
Zeck
Whigham
Bright
MacLeod
Sienkiewicz
Breyfogle
Silvestri
Keown
Rogers
Lealoha
Sherman
Starlin
Anderson
Gulacy
Mazzucchelli
Sim
Ploog
Russel
McDonnell
Ezquerra
O'Neil
Bolland
Talbot
J Hernandez
Steranko
Hansen
Sale
Adams
LaRocque
Lightle
Kieth
MacNeil
McCarthy
JR jr, as mentioned

What do you mean, "now we get..."? Do you even read comics? More than half the people you listed are still working regularly.

Pacheco
Bisley
Lee
Bachalo
Silvestri
Hughes

...are all still working. Lee, Silvestri, and Bachalo are all currently on monthly books from either DC or Marvel. Pacheco is also pretty consistently working on something for either of them. Bisley alternates on Hellblazer and has been doing all the covers for a long time now. Joe Mad also still does stuff here and there.

You make me laugh, man. Most of the guys you reffer as to "working still". Are barely producing anything consistent and the we have main titles like amazing spiderman with covers made by Campbell ( which are very nice ) and the art inside by some relatively unknown artist which leaves a lot to be desired.

I may not read comics anymore but I still take a pick from time to time and I rarely find anything worth looking into. It's a shame really, also half those artist you mentioned aren't really my thing, some of them seem a bit mundane to me but then again it's a mater of preference.

 

[Taiso]

Yeah, and it was an awesome mini. Even if you didn't read the concurrent regular GI Joe comic and never plan to, Cobra was an interesting (and perfectly self-contained) read. It's about Chuckles infiltrating the organization later to be known as Cobra (in a time before GI Joe is even aware of their existence) and working his way up the corporate ladder. Being undercover, in order to maintain his cover, Chuckles has to make some dubious moral choices. Good stuff.

This actually DOES sound pretty cool. When the Chuckles figure was released, my focus was too narrow to understand the character's role or what his purpose was. I didn't understand the intrigues of the types of stories you could tell with that kind of character back then. Always just seemed like a big goof in a hawaiian shirt to me.

Then, years later, I would watch more spy/epsionage type movies and I remember thinking 'Ohhhh, THAT'S what Chuckles was all about.'

By that point, I was thoroughly out of the Joe loop. As much as I loved Snake Eyes, I felt the ninja intrigue had run roughshod on the comic at that point. Snake Eyes worked when you only got him here and there, and then every once in a while you got a two parter about him. As much as I loved the run from issue 21 to about issue 50 on the original Marvel comic, I felt it was just too much and by that point I didn't care about what was happening in it anymore.

Thanks for the tip. May have to check this out at some point.

 

[HeartlessNinny]

This actually DOES sound pretty cool. When the Chuckles figure was released, my focus was too narrow to understand the character's role or what his purpose was. I didn't understand the intrigues of the types of stories you could tell with that kind of character back then. Always just seemed like a big goof in a hawaiian shirt to me.

Then, years later, I would watch more spy/epsionage type movies and I remember thinking 'Ohhhh, THAT'S what Chuckles was all about.'

By that point, I was thoroughly out of the Joe loop. As much as I loved Snake Eyes, I felt the ninja intrigue had run roughshod on the comic at that point. Snake Eyes worked when you only got him here and there, and then every once in a while you got a two parter about him. As much as I loved the run from issue 21 to about issue 50 on the original Marvel comic, I felt it was just too much and by that point I didn't care about what was happening in it anymore.

Thanks for the tip. May have to check this out at some point.

I'll back up what STK is saying: I don't like GI Joe. At all. Even as a kid, I thought it was dumb.

A few months ago, a friend of mine was talking about how awesome that series was, and he offered to lend it to me. I read the whole shebang in about three days.

So yeah, check it out. When you're done with that, and if you liked the concept, I recommend Sleeper, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. The premise is almost the same: A guy infiltrates an evil organization in the old Wildstorm universe, but his handler (and the only person to know he hasn't actually gone rogue) winds up in a coma. Oops. I loved that series. I think the whole thing was 24 issues, and there are two trades that contain each 12 issue 'season'. For my money it was actually a bit better than Cobra, but both are worth your time.

 

[SouthtownKid]

You make me laugh, man. Most of the guys you reffer as to "working still". Are barely producing anything consistent

Wrong. The guys I named as "working still" are on current MONTHLY books. Silvestri is on a MONTHLY book. Hulk. Lee is on a MONTHLY book. Justice League. Pacheco is drawing a MONTHLY book. Uncanny X-Men.

So shut it.

 

[Electric Grave]

Yeah for a small arc and then what? Aren't you supposed to know how this business works? Why are you acting so comical.

 

[SouthtownKid]

Yeah for a small arc and then what? Aren't you supposed to know how this business works? Why are you acting so comical.

Why are you pretending these people are no longer working in comics?

 

[Hot Chocolate]

Read Static Shock #2, this was great and the explanation for Sharon's twin( Virgil/Static's sister ) was great in that yes there is something wrong and it looks like it was Virgil's fault. I love McDaniel's art and while he still isn't my top three picks to be the artist on this book I am glad he's on it but I'm still not sure on his writing capability and I hope DC puts another writer on here not named Didio/Beechen/Johns.

Also read Stormwatch #2 which is way better then what issue #1 was, I hope Cornell and Miguel can keep this up even though I believe there will be a fill in artist already in issue #3 or #4

So tempted to read Batwing #2

Also I never understood the fuss over Campbell

 

[HeartlessNinny]

Yeah for a small arc and then what? Aren't you supposed to know how this business works? Why are you acting so comical.

Not to get into it with you or anything, but Pacheco and Lee have been working very steadily. They've pretty much moved from one monthly to another (though Lee has been dogging it a bit I guess). It's true that Silvestri doesn't produce a lot of work, though, and I bet his run on Hulk will be short (like, six issues short). So you're both right, in a sense.

(How's that for diplomacy?)

Also read Stormwatch #2 which is way better then what issue #1 was, I hope Cornell and Miguel can keep this up even though I believe there will be a fill in artist already in issue #3 or #4

Really? A fill-in already... Huh. Well, I can live with it. I think #2 showed a lot of promise. Cornell really 'gets' the concept here, so I hope he sticks around too.

So tempted to read Batwing #2

I liked it, but it's not essential reading.

Also I never understood the fuss over Campbell

Me neither! I always thought that guy was one of the most overrated artists in comics. He's not bad or anything, but he's one of the most popular guys, right up there with Jim Lee and Alex Ross. Never made any sense to me.

 

[SouthtownKid]

But it's not like Hulk is Silvestri's big return to Marvel or anything. He's been doing stuff here and there for them the past few years. He's around.

 

[HeartlessNinny]

That's true. Actually, now that I think about it, he's been around as much as Lee has been lately...

Either way Pacheco has been working very steadily for the past 10 years at least, though. So there's that.

 

[Hot Chocolate]

I liked it, but it's not essential reading.

It's that I'm really pumped for it but I purposely placed it at the bottom of my read pile like I did for Static Shock and Stormwatch. I cheated and read those before others

 

[HeartlessNinny]

Ah yes, the order of the pile. I always put the stuff I want to read the most up top.

 

[SouthtownKid]

I put the stuff I want to read most on top, too. Because lately, I will get bored and just stop reading a comic that isn't blowing me away. My tolerance for mediocrity has diminished. Hopefully, it's a phase.

 

[Hot Chocolate]

I put the good stuff at the bottom, I want to cut through the filler before getting to the good. I feel for me if I did the opposite then I'd have a bunch of mediocre comics laying around that I would have kept buying the next issue of because I never cut it off.

Oh our personal geek tics

 

[Hikaru Ichijyo]

I put the good stuff at the bottom, I want to cut through the filler before getting to the good. I feel for me if I did the opposite then I'd have a bunch of mediocre comics laying around that I would have kept buying the next issue of because I never cut it off.

Oh our personal geek tics

That's how I am...or have been. The best stuff goes at the bottom. Made it up to the store today after not going yesterday.

My pull for the week...

Action Comics V2 #2
Detective Comics V2 #2
Huntress #1
Justice League International #2
Mighty Samson #4
Stormwatch #2
Turok Son of Stone #4

Since I was a day late, I wasn't sure if anything was sold out and I was pressed for time so I didn't ask. I know I missed Swamp Thing and I never did get around to getting issue #1.

 

[Hot Chocolate]

Since I was a day late, I wasn't sure if anything was sold out and I was pressed for time so I didn't ask. I know I missed Swamp Thing and I never did get around to getting issue #1.

There's still time as the reprint for #1 came out this week, for each #2 that comes out the reprint of #1 comes out that day as DC's reprinting everything. I thought Swamp Thing was good but I can trade wait on that one


Has anyone here checked out the new Ghostbusters ongoing? I heard like the new TMNT comic it's great but my shop sold out of both

 

[Taiso]

My reading habit for weekly pulls is to sift through it and see what I'm most in the mood for. The only comics that will always get read first are, in this order:

The Walking Dead
Berserk
Vagabond
Blade of the Immortal

Everything else, I just play by ear.

Then, if a title is consistently in the bottom three because I'm forcing myself to read it for a period of 3 months, I drop it. I spent most of my life sticking with a book in bad years and I'm at a point where I'd rather use the money for something I'd enjoy more. I pay attention to the creative team on books I've dropped and when it changes, I jump back on to see if it'll be different.

 

[Andy Is A Bastard]

I just read the books in the order I pull them out of the bag. I find that if I try to prioritize my reading, I just put it all off. If I don't like the direction a book is taking, I have it taken off my pull the next time I stop in at my LCS. If I feel it may need re-examining (different arc or creative team, renewed interest in supporting cast, whatever) I pick up loose issues (usually up to 3) and then either put it back in or drop it again.

My pull was pretty short this week:

Static Shock
Stormwatch
JLI
Thunderbolts
Skullkickers

 

[HeartlessNinny]

I just read the books in the order I pull them out of the bag.

I kinda do that too, actually, though I do pull out the ones I want to read the most first.

I'm with Taiso, by the way: if there's something that you consistently dread reading, I say drop it. I've been getting Captain America since Brubaker's been on it, and I never thought I'd want to ditch it, but the new McNiven stuff just isn't doing it for me. It feels like the magic is gone. Plus... It's four bucks. For 20 pages (at least that's what the last one was). I'm starting to not enjoy it, and that means it'll hit the chopping block unless it shapes up. I'll give it 'til the end of the arc.

By the way, Taiso, I don't know if you remember, but I disagreed with you about Secret Avengers way back when. In retrospect, you were right -- my Brubaker fanboyness had blinded me somewhat.

I still love Criminal though.

 

[Taiso]

I'm going to look at Cap again when Alan Davis gets on pencils. If I like what I see, I may buy the trade. Despite my current embargo of Marvel, Alan Davis is one of my top all time favorite comic artists and I may not be able to resist a trade.

As for SA, it just didn't click with me. Bru is just much, much better with street level stuff. However, I don't think his SA was BAD. It just didn't grab me.

Bendis' Avengers, on the other hand, is B-A-D. There is an example of a writer that thrives on street level super hero stuff and drama but flat out fucking sucks on big stuff. I think I've pretty much hated everything he did with Avengers. I haven't read the title for a couple of years, but I 'Byrne-steal' the occasional issue to see what's going on and, yeah, it's still crap.

 

[HeartlessNinny]

I'm going to look at Cap again when Alan Davis gets on pencils. If I like what I see, I may buy the trade. Despite my current embargo of Marvel, Alan Davis is one of my top all time favorite comic artists and I may not be able to resist a trade.

As for SA, it just didn't click with me. Bru is just much, much better with street level stuff. However, I don't think his SA was BAD. It just didn't grab me.

Bendis' Avengers, on the other hand, is B-A-D. There is an example of a writer that thrives on street level super hero stuff and drama but flat out fucking sucks on big stuff. I think I've pretty much hated everything he did with Avengers. I haven't read the title for a couple of years, but I 'Byrne-steal' the occasional issue to see what's going on and, yeah, it's still crap.

Alan Davis is taking over..? Well, I'll stick around for that, then. I love that guy too.

Otherwise, I agree with what you're saying completely. SA wasn't bad, just not worth the four bucks (in retrospect). And Bendis fuckin sucks at Avengers. I actually kind of liked him on New Avengers at first (for, say, the first dozen issues or so), but after that it was pretty terrible. He's even worse on big event books. House of M, Secret Invasion, Siege... All of them were truly awful. Each was worse than the last, actually. I still can't believe I bought that shit.