Comic books

[Shaggy 2 Grote]

Velvet Glove will give you nightmares.  For that matter, Black Hole probably will too.  I love all of L&R, but many friends who have started with Maggie the Mechanic it say they don't get what the big deal is - personally, I love it, but many prefer the more realistic later Locas stories, like The Death of Speedy.

[Spoony]

I don't read comics very often. I'm not against them by any means, I just don't get too caught up in them very often... UNTIL a friend handed me a copy of DMZ. This is most intelligent and well-rendered comic I've read in a while. If there is anything that speaks to current events and my NYC-bred paranoia, it's this.

This same gentlemen also handed me a copy of Y and I thought it was the dumbest thing I'd ever read. I admit, I haven't read the entire series yet, so if I do I'm completely prepared to eat my words if it sneaks back in the 9th inning and redeems itself. I WANT it to redeem itself.

The premise is brilliant and it builds the tension well early on, but I just don't believe the motivation for any of the characters. I can't suspend my disbelief. I know it's just a comic book, but it's characters don't make sense in their own world, or he's just not taking the time and rushing to the action.

I expressed my opinion to the said gentleman who loaned it to me and he's withholding the rest of the series. This might be a beginning of a tantrum. Or maybe he's protecting me! As if at the end of the series there will be a guy who is behind the whole plot and he'll look like me, and wouldn't that REALLY shake my soda! I went into hock over DMZ, but I'm not inclined to shill for Y. I may never know.

[Gagneaux]

The thing I liked about DMZ is that it basically turns New York City into present-day Baghdad. It's interesting to see that horrible mess transplanted to home. There's no doubt that DMZ has a political edge (I don't see any consistent overwhelming dogma to it though), but it can also be enjoyed outside of that element.
..and the artwork is very gorgeous.

[Spoony]

Seriously!

It throws the ideology aside and just deals with the people who have to live in the mess created by people who think they have the greater good in mind. DMZ explores the everyday details of trying to survive in a warzone and tries to restore the dignity of people who have lost it to forces that are totally out of their control.

It's something that Americans have never had to deal with and could use a little empathy towards.

I can't wait see the movie movie-adaption that ruins this. I'm thinking Matt Daemon as the lead.

[Satchmo Mask]

Invincible Presents: Atom Eve #2 by friends Benito Cereno and Nate Bellegarde came to be today. Buy if you want a good comic, and if you want to see a 14 year-old incarnate of young Satchmo as the villain. (You should probably get issue one too).

I'm on my way to reading DMZ, finishing Ex Machina and some other stuff. Also, I enjoyed Jeff Smith's RASL #1.

[Spoony]

CAREFUL! DMX is going to ruin you for other comics!

Yesterday I was flipping through my Superman #1, with my little felt gloves on to protect this trillion dollar asset... and I chucked it across the room and shouted, "YOU BE MORE LIKE DMZ!"

Investment ruined.

[Laurie]

There's a pretty funny Sin City parody in the latest HOTWIRE (Fantagraphics). It's called Sin Shitty. Loved it.

You know, I'm actually loving HOTWIRE. There are a few things in there that verge on unreadable and have no redeeming qualities whatsoever, but there's a lot of wonderful stuff to be found in the second volume here. "Zombie Justice" by Matti Hagelberg and "A Massive Stroke of Bad Luck" by Jonathan Rosen were worth the price of admission. I'm also enamored by Mary Fleener's cubist variations on Our Lady of Guadalupe imagery and Mark Dean Veca's wallpapery drawings. I would paper an entire room in his stuff if it were commercially available. I love it. Colette, get on that shit.

[Shaggy 2 Grote]

I picked up DMZ, thought it was OK - kinda like 100 Bullets in execution, if not concept.  I might stick with it for a little while, but I wasn't floored by it.

Laurie, isn't that pretty much the way of comic anthologies?  Some good stuff, lots of OK stuff, about a fifth of it a total waste of trees.

[Laurie]

I guess so. I do know where I'm buying my next paintings, though, so... Score?

Jason, did you pick up the latest issue of DMZ, or the first volume? If it was the former, I recommend checking out the latter. My favorite issue was number 4. I also love #25. I think Mr. Wilson is a great character.

I like 100 Bullets, but I think it's better to read it in TPB-form. It isn't easy following the plot on a bi-monthly basis. By the time two months or more have passed, I've already forgotten what happened in the last issue. Well, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but you get what I'm saying. It was just more entertaining reading four trades in one shot then waiting two months for the next 24 pages or whatever.

[orangewhip]

I'd never recommend 100 Bullets in monthly format.  Even remembering what happened between the TPB's when they come out can be kinda tricky.  It is a good book though.
Marvel seems to mostly be putting out crap lately.  I do like The Twelve.  But that's probably because it's not in the same continuity as the rest of the Marvel U.  They were really doing well for a few years, putting out good stuff.  But a couple years ago when they decided to have "events" happening across every book one after the other?  I tuned out.  But The Twelve is great.  I'm also really enjoying Kick-Ass so far.
DC-wise it's gotten pretty grim lately too, with all the "event" bullshit.  I still pick up the Fables stuff.  A few other random things.  All Star Superman is great, as is almost everything Morrison does (his recent Batman stuff is lacking though).  And I'm going to go out a limb and defend All-Star Batman, because it's so ridiculous.
I will buy anything Mignolla or Hellboy-related.  It is all consistently great.
I also love anything by Dan Clowes, Chris Ware, Jason, Johnny Ryan, and a handful of other "alternative" comics.

[Shaggy 2 Grote]

Laurie - I should probably check out a DMZ trade.  Maybe I'll leaf through it at Barnes & Noble if I ever have any time to kill ever again.  I loved 100 Bullets at first, then got really bored by the whole conspiracy thing.  Maybe there was a good payoff, but I couldn't wait.

Orangewhip - Ditto on Morrison.  I'm looking forward to Final Crisis and hoping it doesn't fall apart at the end.  Re. Marvel: I'm with Patton Oswalt in thinking Ed Brubaker is awesome.  Captain America and Daredevil are must-reads for me each month.  Iron Man (the regular title) has also been pretty good lately.  Also, I'm not ready to drop it just yet, but I'm starting to think that Mark Millar's Fantastic Four SUCKS.  So far it reads like a middle-aged Scottish guy watching a lot of Fox programming and mistaking it for hipness, then trying to graft that onto a fucking superhero comic book.

I also like the alt-comix.  Johnny Ryan makes me laff but he also makes me a little sick and depressed after a while - the stuff's actually better in single issues.

[orangewhip]

i was really enjoying Brubakers Daredevil and Cap. stuff, but then it got pulled into all the event stuff and I got turned off.  Actually, I kinda dropped out of Daredevil during that story where he is in France.  I kinda plan on catching up with TPB's eventually.

[Laurie]

Oh, Grote, drop the FF already. I did months ago, and I've never been happier.

I also dropped ALL of the Spider-Man books during the One More Delay bullshit. Seriously, the second One More Day issue dropped, and I was so over it. I didn't care what happened to Aunt May anymore. Boring. I still read Ultimate Spider-Man, though. I actually like Bendis. Is that an unpopular opinion to have?

I've heard people bitching about how The New Avengers has never looked more beautiful (true, you can NEVER go wrong with David Mack), but the writing is just terrible blah blah blah. I disagree. I think Bendis is a fine writer, and he's shown that he can drop the banter-y schtick when the story calls for a more serious tone. Oh man. That Hawkeye/Scarlet Witch story was beautiful -- both the writing and David Mack's gorgeous art. I really loved it.

[Shaggy 2 Grote]

A lot of people with good taste keep telling me how great Bendis is, so you're not alone, but I honestly don't get it.  I really have tried.

OK, I'm dropping the FF.  I guess I'll have to face the fact that it will never be good again. 

And I wouldn't read any of that One More day garbage with...  I don't know, some other nerd's eyes.  I'll try to come up with a better metaphor.

[Pride of Staten Island]

I recently finished reading Benids and Alex Maleev's run on Daredevil after reading about in Douglas Wolk's Reading Comics and I have to say I was absolutely blown away. Though I've not read any of his other work yet (aside from his autobio quickie Fortune and Glory) I am looking forward to further examining his body of work so you can count me as a fan. I was considering picking up this week's Secret Invasion debut but that sort of "event" comic seems far to bogged down in continuity for me to get a grip on it.

I've been digging Brubaker's stuff as well. His Daredevil with Michael Lark and Criminal with Sean Phillips are two of the only "floppies" I pick up whenever they come out. I haven't read any of his Captain America stuff yet but everyone tells me it's fantastic. I first got turned on the Brube via Gotham Central (also with Michael Lark) which was canceled due to poor sales but the trades are well worth picking up.

I tried to get into DMZ. I picked up the first trade but it wasn't really to my liking. Oh well. I do have to compliment Laurie once again on recommending Crossing Midnight to me. I'm really loving it.

Anyone read Walking Dead? The last issue was pretty brutal (emotionally, not artistically). Without giving away any spoilers I'll say that after opening with what I perceived as a cop out, the story then took a really dark turn. I can't tell if it's legitimately good storytelling or easy shock value. Either way I'm compelled.

I also picked up the latest American Splendor yesterday. If anything it's gotten more mundane. It's a shame because for the first time Pekar is regularly working with top artists but as Tom said he's just run out of story. The new issue is divided between Harvey's cranky old man stories and reminisces about the past that don't go anywhere. I think Pekar is slowly turning into Grandpa Simpson.