She-Hulk v4: Laws of Attraction - Just started reading it. So far I've only read the first two chapters, # 6 & 7. These chapters/issues cover the story in which She-Hulk is serving as Eros/Starfox' defense attorney in a sexual assault case. Lots of humor here. I liked the writing. I liked how the writer (Dan Slott) used Starfox power of persuasion first for comedic effect and then later took it more seriously. What I wasn't so wild about was the artwork. It worked but it wasn't anything special. I'd rather see either Juan Bobillo or Paul Pelletier draw this book. Unfortunately, neither of them draws any of the remaining chapters in this collection.
Bleach v18 - For the first time in a while I'm excited about this series. The story has been building and building, for at least the past 100 chapters to Rukia's execution and Ichigo's attempt to save her. Finally the moment arrived and of course the execution did not go off as planned. Ichigo's entrance was flashy but not too exciting. What got me giddy was the infighting amongst the captain's of the Gotei 13. At least 4 of them have chosen to side with Ichigo at this point. This really seems to be mucking things up in the Soul Society. I like that because up to now the story has been fairly predictable. Now I'm not sure what is going to happen. I've only read half of v18, still have 5 chapters to go but I am psyched to see how this turns out.
Showing posts with label she-hulk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label she-hulk. Show all posts
Friday, October 3, 2008
Friday, July 4, 2008
She-Hulk, Punisher, X-Men
*** SPOILERS ***
She-Hulk v3: Time Trials - Good but not great. I've written about it before. I enjoyed chapters 1, 2, and 5 . Chapters 3 and 4 I could have done without.
Chapter 3 - It was the 100th issue and was drawn by 50 different artists. It wasn't a regular issue, even though it was written that way. It was a collage, an homage, but not a single story. I wanted to like it but I just couldn't.
Chapter 4 - A follow up to House of M or some such other gigantic Marvel crossover event from years past. It was not drawn by Juan Bobillo, the regular artist.
Chapter 5 - Jen/She-Hulk brings the Two-Gun Kid with her when she returns to the present. This chapter is all about the TGK trying to fit in. What's cool about it is how it is isn't Jen (but Mallory Book) who sees the solution to TGK's dilemma. It's an interesting character moment, letting one of the supporting characters (instead of the She-Hulk) step forward (metaphorically speaking) and help TGK find his place in the 21st century.
I do plan to pick up the next volume of She-Hulk, which I think is the last one written by Dan Slott.
Punisher War Journal v1: Civil War - I had high hopes for this book and so far they have yet to be met. The first four issues collected in this volume all tie into a Marvel crossover.
Chapter 1 - Not a bad start although it was a little disjointed. I'm guessing that part of the story was told in another book. I like the artwork. The black and white version of chapter 1 (that is also included in this collection) makes it abundantly clear (to me at least) how talented Ariel Olivetti is.
Chapter 2 - This is where I really started to have problems with the book. I really don't like the idea of Frank Castle fighting alongside super-heroes. Frank should not be buddies with Captain America. They may see eye-to-eye on an issue or two but I don't like seeing the Punisher following Cap's lead. Thankfully it doesn't last. Castle returns to his tried and true methods before the issue is over, much to Cap's dismay.
Hopefully things will pick up in chapters 3 and 4.
Uncanny X-Men Omnibus v1 - I'm almost there. I've read 95% of this collection: 38 of 40 issues. Its only taken me 6.5 months to get this far. I didn't care much for the Proteus storyline: X-Men # 125 - 128. I didn't think much of him as a villain. His powers were a little too vague.
X-Men # 129 introduces Kitty Pride. I'm not sure if I ever read it before. I did love the expressions on Peter/Colossus' face as he looks over Logan/Wolverine's shoulder as he is reading first Hustler and then Penthouse; priceless. I think this was also the first appearance of Emma Frost. I still can't get over the fact that she is now a member of the X-Men and Scott/Cyclops' lover. Just two more issues to go and then I'll probably have to wait a couple years or more for v2. Unfortunately the break is right at the beginning of the Dark Phoenix storyline.
Overall this has been a great purchase. I had read parts of this run of issues: # 94 - 131, but never read the whole run. It has given me a greater appreciation for what followed it and where the X-Men were coming from leading up to # 150, which is about where I began collecting the series back in the early 1980s.
She-Hulk v3: Time Trials - Good but not great. I've written about it before. I enjoyed chapters 1, 2, and 5 . Chapters 3 and 4 I could have done without.
Chapter 3 - It was the 100th issue and was drawn by 50 different artists. It wasn't a regular issue, even though it was written that way. It was a collage, an homage, but not a single story. I wanted to like it but I just couldn't.
Chapter 4 - A follow up to House of M or some such other gigantic Marvel crossover event from years past. It was not drawn by Juan Bobillo, the regular artist.
Chapter 5 - Jen/She-Hulk brings the Two-Gun Kid with her when she returns to the present. This chapter is all about the TGK trying to fit in. What's cool about it is how it is isn't Jen (but Mallory Book) who sees the solution to TGK's dilemma. It's an interesting character moment, letting one of the supporting characters (instead of the She-Hulk) step forward (metaphorically speaking) and help TGK find his place in the 21st century.
I do plan to pick up the next volume of She-Hulk, which I think is the last one written by Dan Slott.
Punisher War Journal v1: Civil War - I had high hopes for this book and so far they have yet to be met. The first four issues collected in this volume all tie into a Marvel crossover.
Chapter 1 - Not a bad start although it was a little disjointed. I'm guessing that part of the story was told in another book. I like the artwork. The black and white version of chapter 1 (that is also included in this collection) makes it abundantly clear (to me at least) how talented Ariel Olivetti is.
Chapter 2 - This is where I really started to have problems with the book. I really don't like the idea of Frank Castle fighting alongside super-heroes. Frank should not be buddies with Captain America. They may see eye-to-eye on an issue or two but I don't like seeing the Punisher following Cap's lead. Thankfully it doesn't last. Castle returns to his tried and true methods before the issue is over, much to Cap's dismay.
Hopefully things will pick up in chapters 3 and 4.
Uncanny X-Men Omnibus v1 - I'm almost there. I've read 95% of this collection: 38 of 40 issues. Its only taken me 6.5 months to get this far. I didn't care much for the Proteus storyline: X-Men # 125 - 128. I didn't think much of him as a villain. His powers were a little too vague.
X-Men # 129 introduces Kitty Pride. I'm not sure if I ever read it before. I did love the expressions on Peter/Colossus' face as he looks over Logan/Wolverine's shoulder as he is reading first Hustler and then Penthouse; priceless. I think this was also the first appearance of Emma Frost. I still can't get over the fact that she is now a member of the X-Men and Scott/Cyclops' lover. Just two more issues to go and then I'll probably have to wait a couple years or more for v2. Unfortunately the break is right at the beginning of the Dark Phoenix storyline.
Overall this has been a great purchase. I had read parts of this run of issues: # 94 - 131, but never read the whole run. It has given me a greater appreciation for what followed it and where the X-Men were coming from leading up to # 150, which is about where I began collecting the series back in the early 1980s.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
She-Hulk, Namor
She-Hulk v3: Time Trials - The third chapter in this collection (issue # 100) didn't quite live up to what I hoped it would be. The multitude of artists that worked on the book made it a mess. The best parts were those drawn by the (at the time) current artist Juan Bobillo. For the most part the others caused the mood to change just a little too quickly and frequently. It was more montage (of She-Hulk's history, sorry but I can't get my self to call her Shulkie) than an actual story. There was a story buried in this issue but all the guest artists took away from it, IMHO. I found myself rushing to finish it just so that I could be over and done with it, unlike the second chapter which I reread because I liked it so much. Hopefully it will be back to business-as-usual with chapter 4.
Namor - I've started re-reading my collection of John Byrne's Namor. I am missing the last four issues of his initial run on the book (#1 -25) but I'm on the look out for them. I'm undecided as to how great or lame this series was. The ideas often trump the execution. Even the artwork isn't Byrne's best, but I've only read the first two issues so maybe I should give it a few more before I begin to render judgment.
Namor - I've started re-reading my collection of John Byrne's Namor. I am missing the last four issues of his initial run on the book (#1 -25) but I'm on the look out for them. I'm undecided as to how great or lame this series was. The ideas often trump the execution. Even the artwork isn't Byrne's best, but I've only read the first two issues so maybe I should give it a few more before I begin to render judgment.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
She-Hulk, Phoenix
She-Hulk v3: Time Trials - I've only read the first two chapters. The artwork is growing on me; I'm learning to appreciate it. In particular I love how disheveled and geeky Jen looks while sitting at the breakfast table with John and Pug. Many of the other facial expressions are great too, especially on Jen or She-Hulk's face.
Dan Slott's writing is impressive. I love the humorous touches he puts in the story. If I had to pick one reason why I read this book I think it would be for the humor.
Phoenix v9: Strange Beings/Life - I'm not enjoying this one as much as I have some of the previous volumes. In particular, I'm not entirely comfortable with the way Tezuka uses different cultures in his stories; in this case the Incas of South America. I suppose he didn't expect that it would ever see publication outside of Japan or consider his depictions to be negative. I'm not sure that his depictions of other cultures are negative but they do rub me the wrong way; like he is taking the name (Inca, in this case) and then adding the characteristics he wants that culture to have. He seems to be creating a cultural identity for a non-Japanese culture that seems to me is more a creation of his imagination than it is based in fact. That bothers me.
Also maybe I've read a little too much Tezuka in the recent past and need to take a break, at least from Phoenix.
Dan Slott's writing is impressive. I love the humorous touches he puts in the story. If I had to pick one reason why I read this book I think it would be for the humor.
Phoenix v9: Strange Beings/Life - I'm not enjoying this one as much as I have some of the previous volumes. In particular, I'm not entirely comfortable with the way Tezuka uses different cultures in his stories; in this case the Incas of South America. I suppose he didn't expect that it would ever see publication outside of Japan or consider his depictions to be negative. I'm not sure that his depictions of other cultures are negative but they do rub me the wrong way; like he is taking the name (Inca, in this case) and then adding the characteristics he wants that culture to have. He seems to be creating a cultural identity for a non-Japanese culture that seems to me is more a creation of his imagination than it is based in fact. That bothers me.
Also maybe I've read a little too much Tezuka in the recent past and need to take a break, at least from Phoenix.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Nextwave v1, She-Hulk v3
Nextwave v1: This Is What They Want - and it is awesome. Finished reading it last night on the metro. I loved it and I want more, despite the fact that I thought the story lagged in chapters 2 and 3. I'm not sure why it lagged but I don't feel like going back to figure out why.
So I want more Nextwave. Hopefully v2 won't disappoint me like v2 of Young Avengers did. I thought the first six chapters of YA were really good and then it turned into an after school special in v2. Still can't figure that one out.
What worked in Nextwave v1 is the humor, the character interactions, the outrageous weapons, and the artwork (pencils, inks, and colors); or at least those are the things that come to mind most readily.
She-Hulk v3: Time Trials - Only just started reading this today. The first chapter is fun. I'm not wild about the artwork but I like the writing and the artwork isn't dog-awful. I like the comic book jokes, especially the way they used the "waiting for the trade" line. So far not much else to report on. Its fun, its light, the artwork if so-so, I want to keep reading it. Hopefully the rest of the book will be just as fun, light, etc.
So I want more Nextwave. Hopefully v2 won't disappoint me like v2 of Young Avengers did. I thought the first six chapters of YA were really good and then it turned into an after school special in v2. Still can't figure that one out.
What worked in Nextwave v1 is the humor, the character interactions, the outrageous weapons, and the artwork (pencils, inks, and colors); or at least those are the things that come to mind most readily.
She-Hulk v3: Time Trials - Only just started reading this today. The first chapter is fun. I'm not wild about the artwork but I like the writing and the artwork isn't dog-awful. I like the comic book jokes, especially the way they used the "waiting for the trade" line. So far not much else to report on. Its fun, its light, the artwork if so-so, I want to keep reading it. Hopefully the rest of the book will be just as fun, light, etc.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Comic Book Notes (LJ) Aug 2005
08/02/05
I got my latest shipment of comic books. I think I have more or less converted to ranks of the trade paperback collectors. I only got four comic books this month, and two trades. My most recent orders run about the same ratio.
I spent some time looking through the latest Previews catalog. So many things to buy, so little time to read.
+ I think I will finally order a few backlisted items that I've been meaning to get: Conan Vol 1: The Frost Giant's Daughter and Other Stories from Dark Horse (by Kurt Busiek, Cary Nord and Dave Stewart) and JSA: The Golden Age.
+ I'm kind of torn over whether to continue ordering Rocketo as a comic book or try waiting for the trade. The only other two comic books I have on my list to order at the moment are Solo # 7 and Breach # 10.
+ New trades and hardcovers that interest me, but that I think I will pass on for now include Batman: Under the Hood, Catwoman: When in Rome, and Young Avengers Vol 1: Sidekicks.
+ The Brave and the Bold Art of Jim Aparo from TwoMorrows looks too good to resist.
Yes there is more that caught my eye, but I've gotta be selective; kind of like I do with the anime. I've managed to resist ordering anymore, so far. I've got a plan that involves buying more, but not for at least a couple more weeks. Hopefully I can manage until then. :P
08/03/05
Powers Vol. 1: Who Killed Retro Girl? - Still reading and still loving it. Brian Bendis sure can write dialogue. Love this story so far. I like the angle (cops investigating the death of a superhero), the characters and the relationships (especially the one between the two detectives Christian and Deena, his new partner; just love watching them clash), the artwork by Michael Avon Oeming (very expressive), and the humor (I almost died laughing at the end of chapter 3 when the little girl asked him if he had figured out what a clitoris was, in front of Deena). Lots to recommend here. Its light reading, but its much better than most of the stuff put out by DC and Marvel.
08/06/05
She-Hulk: Single Green Female (Vol. 1) - Still reading and still loving it. I'm three chapters in. Love the humor. I'm 99% sure I'll buy the second collection, just not sure if I will continue to read it beyond that.
Took a quick peek at Newsarama this afternoon:
= Andy Diggle's new mini-series Silent Dragon looks interesting. I like his work on Losers and I ordered Adam Strange: Planet Heist.
= Ed Brubaker will be taking over Daredevil. That might be enough to give it a try, although given how much I like Brian Bendis work on Powers maybe I should give his DD a try too. I wonder if this means that Brubaker will be stop writing Captain America soon?
08/14/05
Stray Bullets: The Innocence of Nihilism Vol. 1 - Just started reading today. I loved the first chapter. It was so intense. Loved the artwork, loved the story. Its a little rough around the edges. It reminded me of the sort of story found in old EC horror comics. No zombies or supernatural critters, just one young man whose seen a little too much blood and flips out and starts killing people at the slightest provocation. Its the way in which he flips that sold the story for me. He has moments when he bursts out screaming but for the most part it is a quiet transformation, which made it that much creepier and more worth reading to me.
Powers: Who Killed Rerto Girl Vol. 1 - Loved it cover to cover. The first chapter was as good as the last. I wasn't sure they would be able to wrap it all up in the final chapter and satisfy me, but somehow they managed. I haven't read through the bonus material yet, but the story itself (writing and artwork) really impressed me. I'm definitely gonna have to pick up the next volume.
08/20/05
Hawkman Vol. 3: Wings of Fury - Two chapters in. I wasn't so sure after reading the first chapter, but I'm feeling better about it after second one. Hawkwoman's appearance seemed too good to be true. Maybe it is. So far I like it, but there has been a lot of action so far without as much character development. Part of the strength of the series so far (i.e prior to Vol. 3) has been Carter and Kendra's relationship working and otherwise. It had been rocky. She hasn't exactly been able to come to terms with the fact that they were lovers in a former life and has no interest in him. He can't seem to get over the fact that she doesn't want to be closer than his partner fighting crime. Anyway, there doesn't seem to be much of that so far. Hawkwoman (Shayera from Thanagar) has stolen the spotlight. The other two Hawks are in the picture, but it is taking me a little time to adjust to the change. I don't think she is a permanent addition to the book.
Stray Bullets Vol. 1: Innocence of Nihilism - Chapter two is even darker than chapter one. At first I thought the second chapter was a different story, but now I think writer/artist David Lapham started at the end (in chapter one) and then goes back (in chapter two) to tell the story from the beginning. Anyway, this is one disturbing book. I love it even though it scares the crap out of me. The art and the writing are gripping. I can feel my eyes bulging out as I read it. So glad I finally ordered it.
Comic Geek Speak - Right now, I'm listening to episode 43. Just a bunch of guys sitting around talking comic books, but its kind of fun. Check it out.
08/29/05
I did go to the comicbook store formerly known as Closet of Comics for the first time in at least two-and-a-half months. I picked up Queen & Country Vol. 2: Operation Morningstar, Kare Kano Vol. 5, and Banana Sunday # 1. I probably spent about an hour prowsing before I finally settled on what to buy. So many things to read, so little time to read them in. Currently I am reading two mangas (Buddha Vol. 1, Battle Royale Vol. 2) and two trades (Stray Bullets Vol. 1, Hawkman Vol. 3).
I also listened to a couple more episodes of Comic Geek Speak. Much fun. I enjoy listening to the guys hash over the logic and value of various comic book series, stories, artists, creators, etc.
...
I keep trying to get caught up with Comic Geek Speak podcasts. I'm falling behind. I'm starting to think that I will be perenially behind. *le sigh*
I should just give up on getting caught up and enjoy the show. The nice thing is that I can do other things while listening.
I got my latest shipment of comic books. I think I have more or less converted to ranks of the trade paperback collectors. I only got four comic books this month, and two trades. My most recent orders run about the same ratio.
I spent some time looking through the latest Previews catalog. So many things to buy, so little time to read.
+ I think I will finally order a few backlisted items that I've been meaning to get: Conan Vol 1: The Frost Giant's Daughter and Other Stories from Dark Horse (by Kurt Busiek, Cary Nord and Dave Stewart) and JSA: The Golden Age.
+ I'm kind of torn over whether to continue ordering Rocketo as a comic book or try waiting for the trade. The only other two comic books I have on my list to order at the moment are Solo # 7 and Breach # 10.
+ New trades and hardcovers that interest me, but that I think I will pass on for now include Batman: Under the Hood, Catwoman: When in Rome, and Young Avengers Vol 1: Sidekicks.
+ The Brave and the Bold Art of Jim Aparo from TwoMorrows looks too good to resist.
Yes there is more that caught my eye, but I've gotta be selective; kind of like I do with the anime. I've managed to resist ordering anymore, so far. I've got a plan that involves buying more, but not for at least a couple more weeks. Hopefully I can manage until then. :P
08/03/05
Powers Vol. 1: Who Killed Retro Girl? - Still reading and still loving it. Brian Bendis sure can write dialogue. Love this story so far. I like the angle (cops investigating the death of a superhero), the characters and the relationships (especially the one between the two detectives Christian and Deena, his new partner; just love watching them clash), the artwork by Michael Avon Oeming (very expressive), and the humor (I almost died laughing at the end of chapter 3 when the little girl asked him if he had figured out what a clitoris was, in front of Deena). Lots to recommend here. Its light reading, but its much better than most of the stuff put out by DC and Marvel.
08/06/05
She-Hulk: Single Green Female (Vol. 1) - Still reading and still loving it. I'm three chapters in. Love the humor. I'm 99% sure I'll buy the second collection, just not sure if I will continue to read it beyond that.
Took a quick peek at Newsarama this afternoon:
= Andy Diggle's new mini-series Silent Dragon looks interesting. I like his work on Losers and I ordered Adam Strange: Planet Heist.
= Ed Brubaker will be taking over Daredevil. That might be enough to give it a try, although given how much I like Brian Bendis work on Powers maybe I should give his DD a try too. I wonder if this means that Brubaker will be stop writing Captain America soon?
08/14/05
Stray Bullets: The Innocence of Nihilism Vol. 1 - Just started reading today. I loved the first chapter. It was so intense. Loved the artwork, loved the story. Its a little rough around the edges. It reminded me of the sort of story found in old EC horror comics. No zombies or supernatural critters, just one young man whose seen a little too much blood and flips out and starts killing people at the slightest provocation. Its the way in which he flips that sold the story for me. He has moments when he bursts out screaming but for the most part it is a quiet transformation, which made it that much creepier and more worth reading to me.
Powers: Who Killed Rerto Girl Vol. 1 - Loved it cover to cover. The first chapter was as good as the last. I wasn't sure they would be able to wrap it all up in the final chapter and satisfy me, but somehow they managed. I haven't read through the bonus material yet, but the story itself (writing and artwork) really impressed me. I'm definitely gonna have to pick up the next volume.
08/20/05
Hawkman Vol. 3: Wings of Fury - Two chapters in. I wasn't so sure after reading the first chapter, but I'm feeling better about it after second one. Hawkwoman's appearance seemed too good to be true. Maybe it is. So far I like it, but there has been a lot of action so far without as much character development. Part of the strength of the series so far (i.e prior to Vol. 3) has been Carter and Kendra's relationship working and otherwise. It had been rocky. She hasn't exactly been able to come to terms with the fact that they were lovers in a former life and has no interest in him. He can't seem to get over the fact that she doesn't want to be closer than his partner fighting crime. Anyway, there doesn't seem to be much of that so far. Hawkwoman (Shayera from Thanagar) has stolen the spotlight. The other two Hawks are in the picture, but it is taking me a little time to adjust to the change. I don't think she is a permanent addition to the book.
Stray Bullets Vol. 1: Innocence of Nihilism - Chapter two is even darker than chapter one. At first I thought the second chapter was a different story, but now I think writer/artist David Lapham started at the end (in chapter one) and then goes back (in chapter two) to tell the story from the beginning. Anyway, this is one disturbing book. I love it even though it scares the crap out of me. The art and the writing are gripping. I can feel my eyes bulging out as I read it. So glad I finally ordered it.
Comic Geek Speak - Right now, I'm listening to episode 43. Just a bunch of guys sitting around talking comic books, but its kind of fun. Check it out.
08/29/05
I did go to the comicbook store formerly known as Closet of Comics for the first time in at least two-and-a-half months. I picked up Queen & Country Vol. 2: Operation Morningstar, Kare Kano Vol. 5, and Banana Sunday # 1. I probably spent about an hour prowsing before I finally settled on what to buy. So many things to read, so little time to read them in. Currently I am reading two mangas (Buddha Vol. 1, Battle Royale Vol. 2) and two trades (Stray Bullets Vol. 1, Hawkman Vol. 3).
I also listened to a couple more episodes of Comic Geek Speak. Much fun. I enjoy listening to the guys hash over the logic and value of various comic book series, stories, artists, creators, etc.
...
I keep trying to get caught up with Comic Geek Speak podcasts. I'm falling behind. I'm starting to think that I will be perenially behind. *le sigh*
I should just give up on getting caught up and enjoy the show. The nice thing is that I can do other things while listening.
Sunday, July 31, 2005
Comic Book Notes (LJ) Jul 2005
07/20/05
Powers: I'm two chapters into Who Killed Retro Girl? I love it. Its great. Love the dialogue. Love the characters. Love the artwork. A nutshell its about two (superpowerless) detectives investigating the death of a superhero, Retro Girl. Reminds me a lot of Love Fights, which was probably inspired (in part) by Powers.
07/27/05
Started reading She-Hulk Vol. 1: Single Green Female the other day. So far I like it. I'm only one chapter into it. Not much to judge from, but I do like the humor.
07/27/05
TALKING ROCKETO WITH FRANK ESPINOSA
The pics in the previews catalog looked good, the artwork that accompanies this interview looks even better. I've ordered the first couple issues.
Powers: I'm two chapters into Who Killed Retro Girl? I love it. Its great. Love the dialogue. Love the characters. Love the artwork. A nutshell its about two (superpowerless) detectives investigating the death of a superhero, Retro Girl. Reminds me a lot of Love Fights, which was probably inspired (in part) by Powers.
07/27/05
Started reading She-Hulk Vol. 1: Single Green Female the other day. So far I like it. I'm only one chapter into it. Not much to judge from, but I do like the humor.
07/27/05
TALKING ROCKETO WITH FRANK ESPINOSA
The pics in the previews catalog looked good, the artwork that accompanies this interview looks even better. I've ordered the first couple issues.
Monday, January 31, 2005
Comic Book Notes (LJ) Jan 2005
01/03/05
I haven't been reading a whole lot lately. I've been kinda busy with other stuff. I finished off Ranma 1/2 Book 4 and Hana-Kimi Book 1, over a week ago. I'm winding down on Rex Mundi Book 1 and Scion Book 3.
Marmalade Boy Book 4 - I just started it. I'm not even halfway through the first chapter, which is kinda long. It opens with Miki and her best friend, Meiko, spying on Miki's step-brother, Yuu. He has been spending a lot of time with another good-looking guy, Satoshi. Naturally, everyone at school starts suspecting that they are gay, including Miki who doesn't want to believe it because she has a crush on Yuu.
I love the dialogue and how the characters convince themselves (of Yuu and Satoshi's relationship) without concrete evidence to back up their suspicions. Meiko, getting over her own soap-operatic moment in the sun in Book 3, is tickled pink over the possibilities. Miki only makes things worse for herself by eavesdropping on Yuu and Satoshi, and then trying to figure out what they are talking about in a round about sort of way. Anyhow I find it all very amusing.
01/04/05
I just read (on Newsarama)about Will Eisner passing away last night. I've read a few of his graphic novels. I think I have two of them, Fagin the Jew and another older one. Never got around to reading The Spirit.
I've been thinking more about buying some of the DC Archive Editions of this series and other series. I don't want to get them every month, but maybe once every three months I'll pick one up. They usually sell for 35% off (the $50 cover price) at MailOrderComics.
I'd love to pick up some of the Archive Editions that were drawn by Joe Kubert like Enemy Ace, Sgt. Rock, and Adam Strange. I'm primarily interested in Silver Age Archive Editions, but I'd also like to get New Teen Titans by Wolfman, Perez, and Giordano. Watching Teen Titans on TV really makes me wanna go back and read and reread the stories from the late-70's and early 80's.
Well I don't feel quite as bad as I did after reading the obit. Still, it is sad to be without such a prolific and influential talent. At least we still have his stories.
01/06/05
Well, my monthly shipment should be arrive today. I found out yesterday that two trade paperbacks that were scheduled to be included will not be, so I'll only be getting two trade paperbacks instead of four. :(
On time - Batman: The Long Halloween, Queen & Country Vol. 1
Late - Ministry of Space, Love Fights Vol. 2
At this point I'm just glad to be getting a shipment. I haven't had the time to make it to the comic shop lately and I ran out of new comic books a couple weeks ago. I've been living off of trade paperbacks (Rex Mundi Book 1, Scion Vol 3), manga (Marmalade Boy Vol. 4), and back issues (X-Men: The Hidden Years, Marvel: The Lost Generation, Superman & Batman: Generations 3, Route 666, Dreadstar).
S&B:G3 sucks by comparison to the previous two mini-series. Most of the issues are forgettable. Some of the artwork looks incomplete and most of it is very roughly drawn.
M:TLG is much better by comparison to S&B:G3 but that's not saying much. I bought both these series a couple years back and am just getting arounf to reading them. At least I don't feel like I completely wasted my money on them.
01/07/05
* Comic books arrived on time. Batman: The Long Halloween is a long book, longer than I realized, about 350 pages long. I spent about an hour going through the Previews catalog. There wasn't too much that caught my eye that I hadn't already earmarked.
* I hear it on NPR: an interview with Sharad Devarajan, CEO of Gotham Entertainment Group, which has licensed the Marvel Comics characters to be distributed in South Asia. Their first publication is Spider-Man India, featuring Pavitr Prabhakar as Peter Parker.
Link: Fresh Air for Thursday January 6, 2005 (you have to scroll about 2/3 of the way down the page to find the link to the audio of the interview. It is about 20 minutes long.
Trade Paperbacks and Manga
Currently Reading
+ Rex Mundi Book 1: The Guardian of the Temple
+ Scion Book 3: Divided Loyalties
+ Marmalade Boy Book 4
Waiting to be Read
+ Batman: The Long Halloween
+ Queen & Country Book 1: Operation Broken Ground
+ Human Target Book 2: Living in Amerika
+ Kare Kano Book 4
+ Scion Book 4: Sanctuary
+ Marmalade Boy Book 5
+ Marmalade Boy Book 6
Ordered
+ Ministry of Space
+ Love Fights Book 2
+ Maxx Book 3
+ Stray Bullets Book 1
+ Y: The Last Man Book 2
01/08/05
So I went to liberty Comics and splurged today. Well, I spent more than I usually do. I bought X-Men Unlimited # 6 which features a story written and drawn by the crew that used to write and draw Negation: Paul Pelletier, Dave Meikis, and Tony Bedard. It was okay. It was no where near as good as Negation. What was missing of course was Laura Martin's colors. That and a decent story. Anyone could have written this one.
Comparisons to Negation: The way the four women in this story interacted did remind me kind of the way the main female characters in Negation interacted. Emma White would obviously be Evinlea. Kitty Pryde would be Corrin. I guess Storm would be Shassa, but the correlation isn't as strong. That leaves Sage to be Iress.
I also bought...
+ Teen Titans # 19 - final issue in the Titans of Tomorrow story
+ She Hulk # 9 - the art is by Paul Pelletier and I've heard good things about this series
+ Phoenix Book 2: Future - a year after I bought the first volume in this series I finally got the second one. Written and drawn by the godfather of manga, Osamu Tezuka. I really enjoyed the first book. Not short, but the first book was very good so I have high hopes for this one.
01/09/05
She-Hulk # 9 - Very amusing. Jen trying to learn to control her new strength. Hercules being sued (by a supervillain) for being too aggressively heroic. Very amusing, the whole thing was very tongue in cheek. I may just have to pick up the next issue. It didn't hurt that Paul Pelletier did the pencils.
01/11/05
Teen Titans # 19 - Good but not great. Not good enough to convince me to continue buying this series. I have yet to be truly impressed or satisfied with Geoff Johns writing. I tried JSA for a while and didn't care for it, now I tried Teen Titans and was equally un-wowed. I did enjoy the whole Titans of Tomorrow story. It wasn't bad, but I get the impression that it was the time travel elements and not the writing that worked for me.
Human Target Book 2 - Chapter one of this book (six of the series) is one of those stories that I thinks works a little better if you know the ending in advance. The story was plodding along and I wasn't that impressed with it until I saw the twist in the tale. Then it hit pretty hard. This chapter is a self-contained story. The Human Target is hired to impersonate a priest who is being theatened by a local heavy. Christopher Chance (The Human Target) isn't a religious man, but after spending some time in the role of the priest he finds himself starting to sense that maybe there are things he should believe in. Then he encouters the heavy, and finds out why he has been trying to 'off' the priest: he was molested by the priest when he was a boy. Maybe I should have seen in coming. The story is set in Boston. Anyhow that casts the story in a very different light. I won't give any more of the story away, but I did like how it ends. Still I think there should have been some foreshadowing as to the true motivations of the heavy and the true nature of the priest.
01/19/05
Midori no Hibi is no longer available at SnoopyCool. There ain't much available anymore at SnoopyCool, but from what I understand the anime of Midori no Hibi is going to be released in March, by ADV. I haven't heard anyword on when the manga will be available.I managed to download te first two-and-a-half books before the SnoopyCool went down in December.
No Fallen Angel in April, according to DC. The next and probably last issue, # 20, will come out in May.
Last issue of Adam Strange comes out in March. I wonder how long we'll have to wait for the trade of that?
I'm still not going to order the individual issues of Identity Crisis. Even though DC is rereleasing all of them in March. I'm waiting for the trade, even if I have to wait until 2006. There are plenty of other things to read in the meanwhile.
Human Target is ending with # 21. The second trade collects up through # 10. I guess that means that there will be two more trade collections, hopefully.
Iron Ghost from Image looks good. Written by Ron Marz, it looks like a riff on The Shadow. It is a mini and only runs six issues. I'll probably wait for the trade.
Trade-wise, this month I decided to pre-order the second trade of The Losers (DC/Vertigo), Hysteria Book 2 (Oni Press; written and drawn by Mike Hawthorne), and the DC Archive Edition of Enemy Ace.
OK, that's enough for now. Time to read some more comic books.
I haven't been reading a whole lot lately. I've been kinda busy with other stuff. I finished off Ranma 1/2 Book 4 and Hana-Kimi Book 1, over a week ago. I'm winding down on Rex Mundi Book 1 and Scion Book 3.
Marmalade Boy Book 4 - I just started it. I'm not even halfway through the first chapter, which is kinda long. It opens with Miki and her best friend, Meiko, spying on Miki's step-brother, Yuu. He has been spending a lot of time with another good-looking guy, Satoshi. Naturally, everyone at school starts suspecting that they are gay, including Miki who doesn't want to believe it because she has a crush on Yuu.
I love the dialogue and how the characters convince themselves (of Yuu and Satoshi's relationship) without concrete evidence to back up their suspicions. Meiko, getting over her own soap-operatic moment in the sun in Book 3, is tickled pink over the possibilities. Miki only makes things worse for herself by eavesdropping on Yuu and Satoshi, and then trying to figure out what they are talking about in a round about sort of way. Anyhow I find it all very amusing.
01/04/05
I just read (on Newsarama)about Will Eisner passing away last night. I've read a few of his graphic novels. I think I have two of them, Fagin the Jew and another older one. Never got around to reading The Spirit.
I've been thinking more about buying some of the DC Archive Editions of this series and other series. I don't want to get them every month, but maybe once every three months I'll pick one up. They usually sell for 35% off (the $50 cover price) at MailOrderComics.
I'd love to pick up some of the Archive Editions that were drawn by Joe Kubert like Enemy Ace, Sgt. Rock, and Adam Strange. I'm primarily interested in Silver Age Archive Editions, but I'd also like to get New Teen Titans by Wolfman, Perez, and Giordano. Watching Teen Titans on TV really makes me wanna go back and read and reread the stories from the late-70's and early 80's.
Well I don't feel quite as bad as I did after reading the obit. Still, it is sad to be without such a prolific and influential talent. At least we still have his stories.
01/06/05
Well, my monthly shipment should be arrive today. I found out yesterday that two trade paperbacks that were scheduled to be included will not be, so I'll only be getting two trade paperbacks instead of four. :(
On time - Batman: The Long Halloween, Queen & Country Vol. 1
Late - Ministry of Space, Love Fights Vol. 2
At this point I'm just glad to be getting a shipment. I haven't had the time to make it to the comic shop lately and I ran out of new comic books a couple weeks ago. I've been living off of trade paperbacks (Rex Mundi Book 1, Scion Vol 3), manga (Marmalade Boy Vol. 4), and back issues (X-Men: The Hidden Years, Marvel: The Lost Generation, Superman & Batman: Generations 3, Route 666, Dreadstar).
S&B:G3 sucks by comparison to the previous two mini-series. Most of the issues are forgettable. Some of the artwork looks incomplete and most of it is very roughly drawn.
M:TLG is much better by comparison to S&B:G3 but that's not saying much. I bought both these series a couple years back and am just getting arounf to reading them. At least I don't feel like I completely wasted my money on them.
01/07/05
* Comic books arrived on time. Batman: The Long Halloween is a long book, longer than I realized, about 350 pages long. I spent about an hour going through the Previews catalog. There wasn't too much that caught my eye that I hadn't already earmarked.
* I hear it on NPR: an interview with Sharad Devarajan, CEO of Gotham Entertainment Group, which has licensed the Marvel Comics characters to be distributed in South Asia. Their first publication is Spider-Man India, featuring Pavitr Prabhakar as Peter Parker.
Link: Fresh Air for Thursday January 6, 2005 (you have to scroll about 2/3 of the way down the page to find the link to the audio of the interview. It is about 20 minutes long.
Trade Paperbacks and Manga
Currently Reading
+ Rex Mundi Book 1: The Guardian of the Temple
+ Scion Book 3: Divided Loyalties
+ Marmalade Boy Book 4
Waiting to be Read
+ Batman: The Long Halloween
+ Queen & Country Book 1: Operation Broken Ground
+ Human Target Book 2: Living in Amerika
+ Kare Kano Book 4
+ Scion Book 4: Sanctuary
+ Marmalade Boy Book 5
+ Marmalade Boy Book 6
Ordered
+ Ministry of Space
+ Love Fights Book 2
+ Maxx Book 3
+ Stray Bullets Book 1
+ Y: The Last Man Book 2
01/08/05
So I went to liberty Comics and splurged today. Well, I spent more than I usually do. I bought X-Men Unlimited # 6 which features a story written and drawn by the crew that used to write and draw Negation: Paul Pelletier, Dave Meikis, and Tony Bedard. It was okay. It was no where near as good as Negation. What was missing of course was Laura Martin's colors. That and a decent story. Anyone could have written this one.
Comparisons to Negation: The way the four women in this story interacted did remind me kind of the way the main female characters in Negation interacted. Emma White would obviously be Evinlea. Kitty Pryde would be Corrin. I guess Storm would be Shassa, but the correlation isn't as strong. That leaves Sage to be Iress.
I also bought...
+ Teen Titans # 19 - final issue in the Titans of Tomorrow story
+ She Hulk # 9 - the art is by Paul Pelletier and I've heard good things about this series
+ Phoenix Book 2: Future - a year after I bought the first volume in this series I finally got the second one. Written and drawn by the godfather of manga, Osamu Tezuka. I really enjoyed the first book. Not short, but the first book was very good so I have high hopes for this one.
01/09/05
She-Hulk # 9 - Very amusing. Jen trying to learn to control her new strength. Hercules being sued (by a supervillain) for being too aggressively heroic. Very amusing, the whole thing was very tongue in cheek. I may just have to pick up the next issue. It didn't hurt that Paul Pelletier did the pencils.
01/11/05
Teen Titans # 19 - Good but not great. Not good enough to convince me to continue buying this series. I have yet to be truly impressed or satisfied with Geoff Johns writing. I tried JSA for a while and didn't care for it, now I tried Teen Titans and was equally un-wowed. I did enjoy the whole Titans of Tomorrow story. It wasn't bad, but I get the impression that it was the time travel elements and not the writing that worked for me.
Human Target Book 2 - Chapter one of this book (six of the series) is one of those stories that I thinks works a little better if you know the ending in advance. The story was plodding along and I wasn't that impressed with it until I saw the twist in the tale. Then it hit pretty hard. This chapter is a self-contained story. The Human Target is hired to impersonate a priest who is being theatened by a local heavy. Christopher Chance (The Human Target) isn't a religious man, but after spending some time in the role of the priest he finds himself starting to sense that maybe there are things he should believe in. Then he encouters the heavy, and finds out why he has been trying to 'off' the priest: he was molested by the priest when he was a boy. Maybe I should have seen in coming. The story is set in Boston. Anyhow that casts the story in a very different light. I won't give any more of the story away, but I did like how it ends. Still I think there should have been some foreshadowing as to the true motivations of the heavy and the true nature of the priest.
01/19/05
Midori no Hibi is no longer available at SnoopyCool. There ain't much available anymore at SnoopyCool, but from what I understand the anime of Midori no Hibi is going to be released in March, by ADV. I haven't heard anyword on when the manga will be available.I managed to download te first two-and-a-half books before the SnoopyCool went down in December.
No Fallen Angel in April, according to DC. The next and probably last issue, # 20, will come out in May.
Last issue of Adam Strange comes out in March. I wonder how long we'll have to wait for the trade of that?
I'm still not going to order the individual issues of Identity Crisis. Even though DC is rereleasing all of them in March. I'm waiting for the trade, even if I have to wait until 2006. There are plenty of other things to read in the meanwhile.
Human Target is ending with # 21. The second trade collects up through # 10. I guess that means that there will be two more trade collections, hopefully.
Iron Ghost from Image looks good. Written by Ron Marz, it looks like a riff on The Shadow. It is a mini and only runs six issues. I'll probably wait for the trade.
Trade-wise, this month I decided to pre-order the second trade of The Losers (DC/Vertigo), Hysteria Book 2 (Oni Press; written and drawn by Mike Hawthorne), and the DC Archive Edition of Enemy Ace.
OK, that's enough for now. Time to read some more comic books.
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