I made a trip to Barbarian Books today. I wanted to pick up Bleach v24 and 20th Century Boys v4. I found Bleach v24 but they didn't have v4 of 20th Century Boys. They checked for me and it looks like it won't be out until next month. Its a great series and that keeps me reading but also hearing it discussed on podcasts, namely Crankcast (week 198) and 11 O'Clock Comics (episode 58), makes me want to keep as current as possible so that I don't have it spoiled for me by one of my favorite shows.
In addition to Bleach I also picked up the first four issues of Wednesday Comics. Cover price for each one was $3.99. I got a 10% discount but they still cost me $15.36, before adding tax. I dunno what I was thinking, spending that much on individual issues. I've heard a lot of great things about this short-lived series and wanted to experience it for myself. It looks like the sort of thing that won't be the same in trade paperback format. Its like a newspaper. Each page is from a different series. The great part is that the stories feature more than just a-list characters, like Batman and Wonder Woman, but also include b-list characters such as Kamandi, Metamorpho, Sgt. Rock, and Deadman.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Saturday, August 15, 2009
What I Read - Week of August 10, 2009
Watchmen - Chapter 5 - Last week I wrote about how I should take my time and savor each chapter of Watchmen. This week I showed that I have zero discipline. I read all of chapter 5 in one fell swoop. I loved how all the different story lines were laid one atop the other the newsstand, Tales of the Black Freighter, Rorschach, Dan and Laurie, Ozymandias. It very different from chapter 4, in which Dr. Manhattan was the focus. The text piece at the end of chapter 5 about the fictional rise of pirate comic books in the 50s and 60s, which Tales of the Black Freighter was part of, was great. The whole chapter was great, possibly my favorite so far. It was like mainlining crack. I just couldn't stop reading.
I definitely wanna buy the Absolute Edition of this book but I'll probably wait a couple years before doing so.
Phantom Stranger # 21, 22 - Not great but they were fun to read. I didn't bother with the back up stories. I was most interested in the Jim Aparo art, sappy dialogue, and half-baked plot.
Superman: The Bottle City of Kandor - Started to read it last night. The first story (from Action Comics # 242) has some great moments. Loved the art work by Al Plastino, especially some of the facial expressions. Loved how silly and simple some of the science is. Both Kandor and Brainiac make their first appearance in Action Comics # 242. I bought the collection because I love those old Superman and Superman family stories from the 1950s and 60s.
I finished reading the story after having dinner at Mark's Kitchen. The waiter ribbed me for reading Superman. He even went as far as to ask the manager if I would get a Superman discount. I did my best to grin and bear it and ignore his silliness.
20th Century Boys v2 - link - This collection is vindicating my faith in Naoki Urasawa. I can see the story is going to be a slow burn and take its time to develop but I like the direction the story is going in and more importantly I like most of the characters. I like the art too. I especially enjoy looking to see the expression on Kanna's face when she does appear. Quite often I have to go back to look for it because she's in the background and I skip right over her. Kanna is Kenji's niece whom he carries around on his back.
Carl Barks' Greatest Ducktales Stories v2 - link - Another fun read. A nice change of pace but I wouldn't want to read stories of Uncle Scrooge, Donald, Huey, Dewey, and Louie all the time.
I definitely wanna buy the Absolute Edition of this book but I'll probably wait a couple years before doing so.
Phantom Stranger # 21, 22 - Not great but they were fun to read. I didn't bother with the back up stories. I was most interested in the Jim Aparo art, sappy dialogue, and half-baked plot.
Superman: The Bottle City of Kandor - Started to read it last night. The first story (from Action Comics # 242) has some great moments. Loved the art work by Al Plastino, especially some of the facial expressions. Loved how silly and simple some of the science is. Both Kandor and Brainiac make their first appearance in Action Comics # 242. I bought the collection because I love those old Superman and Superman family stories from the 1950s and 60s.
I finished reading the story after having dinner at Mark's Kitchen. The waiter ribbed me for reading Superman. He even went as far as to ask the manager if I would get a Superman discount. I did my best to grin and bear it and ignore his silliness.
20th Century Boys v2 - link - This collection is vindicating my faith in Naoki Urasawa. I can see the story is going to be a slow burn and take its time to develop but I like the direction the story is going in and more importantly I like most of the characters. I like the art too. I especially enjoy looking to see the expression on Kanna's face when she does appear. Quite often I have to go back to look for it because she's in the background and I skip right over her. Kanna is Kenji's niece whom he carries around on his back.
Carl Barks' Greatest Ducktales Stories v2 - link - Another fun read. A nice change of pace but I wouldn't want to read stories of Uncle Scrooge, Donald, Huey, Dewey, and Louie all the time.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Stuff I Wanna Read (vii)
A while back I mentioned that I wanted to read Ed Brubaker's (still ongoing) run on Captain America. Well, I'm also interested in reading some previous runs of Captain America...
Silver Age Captain America - Collected in four volumes of Marvel Masterworks. I've got the Essentials v1 but I would prefer to read them in color. Classic stories that introduce classic villains and organizations such as M.O.D.O.K. and A.I.M. The last volume includes the first appearance of the Falcon. The second volume seems to be currently out of print.
Jack Kirby's return to Captain America - collected in three volumes: Madbomb, Bicentennial Battles, The Swine.
The Invaders - link - Tales of Cap and other superheroes (Sub-Mariner, Original Human Torch, Union Jack, Spitfire, etc.) fighting the Nazis. I read and collected some of this series back in the early 80s. There are currently three collections: v1, v2, v3.
Silver Age Captain America - Collected in four volumes of Marvel Masterworks. I've got the Essentials v1 but I would prefer to read them in color. Classic stories that introduce classic villains and organizations such as M.O.D.O.K. and A.I.M. The last volume includes the first appearance of the Falcon. The second volume seems to be currently out of print.
Jack Kirby's return to Captain America - collected in three volumes: Madbomb, Bicentennial Battles, The Swine.
The Invaders - link - Tales of Cap and other superheroes (Sub-Mariner, Original Human Torch, Union Jack, Spitfire, etc.) fighting the Nazis. I read and collected some of this series back in the early 80s. There are currently three collections: v1, v2, v3.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
What I Read - Watchmen
Watchmen - link - Don't think I've blogged about Watchmen before. I started reading it a few weeks ago. I'm reading a chapter a week. I'm up to chapter 4. Its my first time reading it and so far I think its great. I love how there is a big story and then each issue seems to be its own story and even have stories within the story for that issue.
What struck me today is how fast I read the first three chapters. I've been taking it with me to the laundromat. While my clothes are in the washer and then the dryer I would read the comic book pages. I've been reading the prose pages later the same day.
As I indicated I love the story and the artwork, too. I'm starting to feel as if I am rushing myself through the comic book pages. I should be savoring it more. To that end I only read the first half of chapter 4 at the laundromat. I'll probably finish it later today and maybe read the prose section tomorrow.
Reading a story too quickly, whether prose or comic book, does an injustice to the writer/artist. In my book it is comparable to gulping down fine cuisine. Both should be savored. Even if I can't appreciate it all at first glance I believe that by reading it slowly, re-reading it, and spending time thinking about what I've read before moving on to the next chapter I believe that I will gain greater insight and appreciation.
What struck me today is how fast I read the first three chapters. I've been taking it with me to the laundromat. While my clothes are in the washer and then the dryer I would read the comic book pages. I've been reading the prose pages later the same day.
As I indicated I love the story and the artwork, too. I'm starting to feel as if I am rushing myself through the comic book pages. I should be savoring it more. To that end I only read the first half of chapter 4 at the laundromat. I'll probably finish it later today and maybe read the prose section tomorrow.
Reading a story too quickly, whether prose or comic book, does an injustice to the writer/artist. In my book it is comparable to gulping down fine cuisine. Both should be savored. Even if I can't appreciate it all at first glance I believe that by reading it slowly, re-reading it, and spending time thinking about what I've read before moving on to the next chapter I believe that I will gain greater insight and appreciation.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Dunn Loring Comicon 809
I went to a small comic book convention in Dunn Loring today.
I wasn't looking for anything in particular. I didn't want to spend much money so I stuck to the discount bins. I looked through a lotta 1/2 price trade paperbacks without buying any. I did pick up a dozen comic books mostly from the early-70s to early-80s.
Phantom Stranger # 21, 22, 23, 24 - I love the the cover and interior art by Jim Aparo on all four of these. It's funny but I never noticed it before now but looking at the cover and some of the interior art of PS # 21 made think of Mike Zeck's art work.
House of Mystery # 290, 307, 308 - While HOM was normally an anthology book but all of these issues include part of the ongoing I...Vampire story. My interest in this series was piqued by this blog posting. The art on the covers by Joe Kubert are much more to my tastes than the interior art.
Showcase # 104 - This was the only comic that I found in the many boxes that I went through with a WWII story. Its the final issue of this anthology series which normally didn't feature war stories. Once again a beautiful Joe Kubert cover but alas no Kubert art on the inside.
Hopeless Savages: Ground Zero # 1, 2, 3, 4 - I thought this was the first but it looks like its the second Hopeless Savages mini-series. Alas. I'll read it anyway. I almost didn't buy it because it has been collected in a trade but it was so low priced that I couldn't resist.
So in all I got 12 comics for $8. Good deal. Even if the comics aren't great reads I had fun looking through the back issue bins.
I wasn't looking for anything in particular. I didn't want to spend much money so I stuck to the discount bins. I looked through a lotta 1/2 price trade paperbacks without buying any. I did pick up a dozen comic books mostly from the early-70s to early-80s.
Phantom Stranger # 21, 22, 23, 24 - I love the the cover and interior art by Jim Aparo on all four of these. It's funny but I never noticed it before now but looking at the cover and some of the interior art of PS # 21 made think of Mike Zeck's art work.
House of Mystery # 290, 307, 308 - While HOM was normally an anthology book but all of these issues include part of the ongoing I...Vampire story. My interest in this series was piqued by this blog posting. The art on the covers by Joe Kubert are much more to my tastes than the interior art.
Showcase # 104 - This was the only comic that I found in the many boxes that I went through with a WWII story. Its the final issue of this anthology series which normally didn't feature war stories. Once again a beautiful Joe Kubert cover but alas no Kubert art on the inside.
Hopeless Savages: Ground Zero # 1, 2, 3, 4 - I thought this was the first but it looks like its the second Hopeless Savages mini-series. Alas. I'll read it anyway. I almost didn't buy it because it has been collected in a trade but it was so low priced that I couldn't resist.
So in all I got 12 comics for $8. Good deal. Even if the comics aren't great reads I had fun looking through the back issue bins.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Nostalgia - Comic Books Subscriptions - Part 2
In addition to Cap the other series I had a subscription to was X-Men.
Uncanny X-Men - Phoenix was dead, had been for about a year, and Uncanny X-Men was definitely the book that everyone reading comic books seemed to be talking about. I am sure that was due in part to the beautiful job John Byrne and Terry Austin were doing illustrating the series. By the time I started collecting Byrne and Austin were gone. Chris Claremont was still writing and Dave Cockrum was back penciling the series.
At first I was disappointed but the quality of the stories soon picked up. The first couple issues weren't great.
#152 - I can't remember what this one was all about. On the cover Storm is fighting Emma Frost. Presumably that also happened in the issue but I can't remember what else.
# 153 - One-shot. Kitty has a dream or tells a story à la 1001 nights. I don't think I was spectacularly impressed by this issue. Not bad but not what I wanted.
# 154 & 155 - This is where it started to get better. Cyclops' father, Corsair, returns from outer space. He is being pursued by aliens. Colossus seemingly gets killed during the fight with the aliens but he back on the cover a few issues later. I can't remember how he is saved but I think it might have been by some of the Corsair's alien buddies, the Starjammers.
# 156 & 157 - More Starjammers plus the Shi'ar. The X-Men leave earth temporarily. Warbird, Lilandra's sister is their primary foe.
# 158 - Rogue is on the cover but from what I gather she was still a villain at this point and it would be more than I year before she would join the team.
# 159 - Dracula attempts to turn Storm into his consort. Of course he was ultimately unsuccesful. I remember this issue because it marked the first time I learned that holy symbols like crosses only could affect Dracula if the bearer believed. Overall a pretty good story from what I recall
# 160 - Colossus' sister Illyana is kidnapped by a demon, Belasco. Magic wasn't exactly what I was hoping to read about in X-Men but I think I enjoyed this issue. Especially cool was how Illyana was only gone for a few moments out of the X-Men's lives but years passed for her and she came back a teenager.
# 161 - Probably my favorite single issue from this run. A one-shot story about the past. Professor X and Magneto team up to fight Baron Stucker.
# 162 & 163 - The X-Men return to outer space and fight the Brood. These two issues are just the beginning of a story that ran through issue 167.
I was hooked at this point. I continued to collect and read Uncanny X-Men for a couple more years. Not sure why I ultimately dropped it. My favorite multi-part story following the Brood story was probably the one featuring the Morlocks. After that the title languished a bit. I've tried a couple times but never been able to get myself to read much following the early 180s. I still enjoy going back to read these stories and hope that one day they will be available in a Marvel Masterworks colleciton.
Uncanny X-Men - Phoenix was dead, had been for about a year, and Uncanny X-Men was definitely the book that everyone reading comic books seemed to be talking about. I am sure that was due in part to the beautiful job John Byrne and Terry Austin were doing illustrating the series. By the time I started collecting Byrne and Austin were gone. Chris Claremont was still writing and Dave Cockrum was back penciling the series.
At first I was disappointed but the quality of the stories soon picked up. The first couple issues weren't great.
#152 - I can't remember what this one was all about. On the cover Storm is fighting Emma Frost. Presumably that also happened in the issue but I can't remember what else.
# 153 - One-shot. Kitty has a dream or tells a story à la 1001 nights. I don't think I was spectacularly impressed by this issue. Not bad but not what I wanted.
# 154 & 155 - This is where it started to get better. Cyclops' father, Corsair, returns from outer space. He is being pursued by aliens. Colossus seemingly gets killed during the fight with the aliens but he back on the cover a few issues later. I can't remember how he is saved but I think it might have been by some of the Corsair's alien buddies, the Starjammers.
# 156 & 157 - More Starjammers plus the Shi'ar. The X-Men leave earth temporarily. Warbird, Lilandra's sister is their primary foe.
# 158 - Rogue is on the cover but from what I gather she was still a villain at this point and it would be more than I year before she would join the team.
# 159 - Dracula attempts to turn Storm into his consort. Of course he was ultimately unsuccesful. I remember this issue because it marked the first time I learned that holy symbols like crosses only could affect Dracula if the bearer believed. Overall a pretty good story from what I recall
# 160 - Colossus' sister Illyana is kidnapped by a demon, Belasco. Magic wasn't exactly what I was hoping to read about in X-Men but I think I enjoyed this issue. Especially cool was how Illyana was only gone for a few moments out of the X-Men's lives but years passed for her and she came back a teenager.
# 161 - Probably my favorite single issue from this run. A one-shot story about the past. Professor X and Magneto team up to fight Baron Stucker.
# 162 & 163 - The X-Men return to outer space and fight the Brood. These two issues are just the beginning of a story that ran through issue 167.
I was hooked at this point. I continued to collect and read Uncanny X-Men for a couple more years. Not sure why I ultimately dropped it. My favorite multi-part story following the Brood story was probably the one featuring the Morlocks. After that the title languished a bit. I've tried a couple times but never been able to get myself to read much following the early 180s. I still enjoy going back to read these stories and hope that one day they will be available in a Marvel Masterworks colleciton.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Nostalgia - Comic Book Subscriptions
I should start calling this blog 'Inspired by Podcasts', because that's where I seem to get most of my ideas. This post was inspired by the very first episode of Bullpen Bulletins; I started listening to it earlier this evening.
When I was 9 or 10, or possibly a little older, my mother bought subscriptions for my brother and I to a couple comic books. There were four subscriptions in all. I believe two were my and two were my brother's. I don't think we had all four at the same time. I think we had two and then when those ran out we got another two.
One of my picks was Captain America. The issues I received were # 265 - 276. Not all great issues. Some better than others. My subscription began with a two-parter that guest-starred Spider-Man and Nick Fury. After that it sorta went downhill after that until Nick Fury returned, this time with the Howling Commandos. Together Cap and Fury battled Baron Stucker and Hydra, although if I remember correctly Baron Strucker turned out to be a robot. The real Baron Stucker had been killed years before.
In between the two appearances by Nick Fury were some unmemorable tales that included fighting lame villains like Everyman and Mr. X, and fighting alongside new creations like Team America and old ones like The Defenders.
That's it for now. I'll try to remember to write about the other three subscriptions in the near future.
When I was 9 or 10, or possibly a little older, my mother bought subscriptions for my brother and I to a couple comic books. There were four subscriptions in all. I believe two were my and two were my brother's. I don't think we had all four at the same time. I think we had two and then when those ran out we got another two.
One of my picks was Captain America. The issues I received were # 265 - 276. Not all great issues. Some better than others. My subscription began with a two-parter that guest-starred Spider-Man and Nick Fury. After that it sorta went downhill after that until Nick Fury returned, this time with the Howling Commandos. Together Cap and Fury battled Baron Stucker and Hydra, although if I remember correctly Baron Strucker turned out to be a robot. The real Baron Stucker had been killed years before.
In between the two appearances by Nick Fury were some unmemorable tales that included fighting lame villains like Everyman and Mr. X, and fighting alongside new creations like Team America and old ones like The Defenders.
That's it for now. I'll try to remember to write about the other three subscriptions in the near future.
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