It's been a long, LONG time since I did my weekly review thing so I've decided to do something a bit different to catch up. Basically, here (quickly) is everything I've been reading as of late because to be honest, I can't remember what I've reviewed and what I haven't. And I'll probably miss a few books that I've forgotten that I collect, I'll try to add those as I think of them. I'll start with the monthlies as I like to call them and save the TPBs for another post...
Elephantmen -- I think this one may be my favourite monthly. I may have been a bit disappointed with the ending to the Spore Wars but it did leave a few dangling possible stories that seemed intriguing. And I kinda like that some of the recent stories are showing more of the importance of some of the earlier ones.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer -- I'm not a big fan of the whole "Harmony going public" thing and such but I guess it makes sense, it was bound to happen and seems to connect with what's happening in LA in Angel. Overall, the book has been pretty consistent but I'd like to get back to more of the Twilight stuff soon.
Angel -- Man, the ending of that series felt like a kick to the crotch. Yeah, I know that sounds harsh but I did not like it at all. And I wasn't even the biggest fan of this series to begin with. I did kinda like the latest issue though.
She-Hulk -- I know some people are upset that Peter David didn't try to do what Dan Slott had been doing but I still felt this series was very well written and had some interesting storylines. The art was rather inconsistent but pretty good at time and not terrible at other times. I'm sorry to see this one go but I won't be giving the "new She-Hulk" a look, it just bugs me too much.
Skaar -- I'm rather glad to see Lim taking over the art chores on this book. The series has been struggling a bit to work for me but it has had its moments. The last couple issues seem to have picked things up a notch so I'm sticking it out for now. And I'm looking forward to the Planet Skaar storyline.
Tek Jansen -- I know, it's silly (or maybe even "stupid") but I expect nothing less from Stephen Colbert. Though the fact that it's a limited series probably helps. :)
Runaways -- I haven't read this month's issue yet but I've been fairly disappointed with this series. Last month's issue had a pretty good ending to the storyline but the art still rubs me the wrong way. It may be on the chopping block for me which is surprising.
Echo -- Speaking of the chopping block, this series still seems to be going a little too slowly for me. Every issue barely seems to get started when I suddenly realize that I'm done. I'll be picking up next week's issue but I'll most likely be dropping this and maybe coming back for the TPBs.
Mouse Guard -- Again, I haven't read this week's issue yet but I'm sure it's go great art and an interesting story. But it may be another one I'll be picking up in hard/softcover when each chapter is done. It's good and paced well but the time gap between issues and such make it a little tough for me to get back into it by the time each issue comes out.
Stay tuned for my TPB list. :)
Friday, February 27, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Ramblings on Webcomics
I've been recently asking the question "Why aren't webcomics working for me?" a lot. And by "webcomic" I'm going with a comic that is created for distribution on the web, and not print comics that are eventually put up to attract new readers or what not (though some of what I say apply to them as well). Some times I've been mulling it over in my own head and some times I've been discussing it with anyone who will listen (including some who probably didn't want to) so why not post some ramblings here. I have to post something after all. :) This also means that not all the ideas were originally mine. In fact, I'm not sure who came up with some of them so if you're reading this and think "Hey, that was my idea!" feel free to take credit in the comments.
I will get back to doing reviews eventually but my ability to pick up my comics is pretty sporadic at the moment. So until then, I'll go with a random ramblings when I can.
As a comic enthusiast/nerd/geek and someone who works with and is familiar with computers/the internet you'd think the combination would work well for me. But it doesn't and I don't know why. So here are a few random thoughts on the topic.
So let's look at some differences between webcomics and print comics as I see them.
Content: On the one hand, webcomics appear to have a much wider range of content with varying themes and styles (of course I can't prove this). Although you may have some people trying to replicate an already successful book you'll also have people exploring the freedom that comes from just being able to do whatever you want without having to prove to some guy in a business suit that it's marketable or fits in with their money making strategy. Though I should say that the "some people" who are replicating successful ideas is actually a pretty big number too but I guess that adds to the variety in a way. So having said that there should be something for everyone including me.
Schedule: With comics you have a monthly (or something resembling monthly) schedule or a longer gap if you're going the TPB route. For webcomics, the strips are often daily while ones with more elaborate pages or stories are often a page or two per week, or several pages at once every few weeks. Ignoring the daily strip webcomics for now, that's a pretty significant difference in how the work is presented especially if the creators don't take that into consideration. With a monthly book a single page is just a small part of a story, connected by the pages around it. When you are reading a webcomic that updates a page at a time it can lead to problems. If the page is just a small part of the storyline then it feels more disjoint with large gaps of days between these small parts. The tempo is different and it's harder to build a flow from page to page. Though anyone reading through the archives will probably find it less noticeable. Updating a few pages at a time can improve this as long as it's also taken into account. I find a lot of webcomic creators (including myself) trying to find a balance where a page is a worthy story element on its own while at the same time fitting into a narrative for someone reading the full story. How well that is achieved is left to the reader but I often find it's not a good idea to try to balance these.
Money: Here's a funny one. Most webcomics right now are free online. There may be a special print version or some features that you can pay for but the ones I stick to trying are freely available. And other than free comic book day, print comics are not free. You'd think that would be a plus for webcomics right there but there's something else I'm considering at the moment and that is that the money I've spent on books are actually keeping me spending more. Sounds weird doesn't it? But if you take some series (call it "series X") and say I buy the first 7 issues. Now say I'm only kinda liking the series, I may stick with it at least until the current storyline ends because I figure I've already invested money in the first 7 issues, and if I drop it now it might feel like I've wasted my money on those first 7 issues with no closure on the story. And for an ongoing book that doesn't really have closure with the end of each storyline, who knows how long this can drag on for. So I'm thinking the money has created an investment for me in the series, though it may not be the "financial investment" one may think of. I know, you probably think this is a stupid argument but it seems to be the situation for me a lot of the time. And so with webcomics, if I hit a bad patch the only real "investment" I've made (if it's not an emotional investment) is the time I've put into it. So just giving up on the book means I may feel like I've wasted my time reading it up until this point but it won't feel like I've wasted money. I think this also ties in on the idea of "ownership". People complain about not owning a copy of a webcomic (or a print comic put in a digital library). Sometimes it's about being able to go back and read the book any time they want or at least knowing they have that option but I think on some level there's more of a connection going on. That when you "own" the comic you feel a bit more invested in it. Feel free to tear this point apart.
"Guarantee:" Print comics generally have a company behind them and "guarantee" of continuing, sales and company solvency permitting (is that the right term, "solvency"?). This is a pretty big one. I've been burned too often by getting into a webcomic only to have it stop abruptly when the creator lost interest or just got too busy. No conclusion, no closure, just stopped. Companies generally don't do this. Even if a book is failing you'll usually see some sort of conclusion. Not always a good one but as long as you see it on the solicitations you feel safe in believing the book will be there for the next few months. There is also the issue of the "hiatus" which seems to happen much more often in webcomics as well. And with companies, they'll usually provide some sort of "filler" (ie. a book with that character that's not really relevant to the current story) if you really want it. For webcomics this may mean "fan art" which really isn't "filling".
Quality: This one is very debatable as beauty is in the eye of the beholder after all. At first glance I find print comics to be of a higher quality at least in terms of art and appearance. They have more of a budget, more time to invest in it, often a team of artists, etc, etc. And they are often professionals who have been doing this for a while and have learned to do it well (for the most part). And they probably wouldn't have made it to print if their work didn't connect with a large number of people. Webcomics don't usually have that filtering so you'll get a lot of people whose work only really connects with a handful of people. But on the other hand, there are some incredibly talented individuals working on webcomics that just haven't been given the break they need or choose to go the webcomics route. And they usually have a much invested interest in making it work as it's their own character and their own story. It's often more than a job (not to say that many people working in print comics feel it's just a job, but if they're on a monthly book they generally have an issue or two here and there that were of the "I just have to get something out there" variety). But here's the thing, with print comics you are generally looking for really high quality amongst books that are already deemed by people to be of a high quality. With webcomics, you are often left searching for high quality amongst a sea of comics ranging from extremely amateurish to extremely high quality (with, let's face it, a lot more in the amateurish range). Though that's also not to say that some of the amateurish books can really improve as time goes on and could become a great book too. You can try looking at certain sites (limiting yourself to Zuda or only looking at the books "feature" on drunkduck or some other site) and getting suggestions from various blogs or "Top 100 webcomics" lists but that's not always that easy either. Some have ulterior motives while others just have extremely different ideas of what makes a quality book. It is getting better though.
Access/Ease of Use: This is actually two points that I'm trying to merge here. You'd think by "access" I mean "everyone with the internet has access to a free webcomic" versus "everyone with the money or maybe a library card has access to a comic" (provided the local library carries comics) but actually I mean how you "access" the comic. Do you pick it up at your local/online store or do you surf on over to a website looking for an update (or checking your RSS feed or whatever). Now I'm showing my age here but for me it's become a ritual of heading out to the local comic every week to mingle and check out the new books (both the ones I have on reserve and other stuff). I just don't get that same feeling when I turn on the computer and start surfing around trying to find out what books I normally check out or possibly other books I haven't noticed before have updated. And when webcomics (especially the non-established ones) can bounce around from site to site or have me going from site to site to find all the single page updates I just don't have that same feeling as when I sit down to read a printed comic. Which leads me to ease of use (sorta). When I buy a printed comic I can read it on the bus or wherever else I go. Webcomics I need an electronic device of some sort and often an internet connection to read. So I'm fairly limited there. Overall, the print comic experience (from heading to the store to sitting down reading them) just seems more enjoyable.
Proper Use of the Medium: This one is pretty far out in left field and I know a lot of people don't see things the way I do but here's my thing, I believe that in order to create a better work you have to factor in the medium that you are using. I find even print comic "professionals" sometimes miss out on this, from writers who don't really know how to write a comic to artists who lack the ability to effectively tell a story and make the reader's experience more of a chore and much less enjoyable. But in general, print comics go through several sets of eyes, all having the opportunity to say "hey, some thing's not working right here." The web opens up a whole new universe of possibilities (look at the "infinite canvas" for example or other new presentation formats) that I think we're just beginning to explore. But I think we're at a pretty young stage where creators are using the same mentality that they use in comics. And the funny thing is that some print comic creators are probably stuck using methods from other formats (such as film or traditional text novels) instead of making use of the comic format. And again, this ties in to some of my previous points but I'm just rambling here. :)
Or maybe it's just me, none of this applies to you and you now think I'm pretty insane (or more so than you originally did). But what can I say?
Wow, that was a much longer post than I thought it would be and probably much longer than it should be.
I will get back to doing reviews eventually but my ability to pick up my comics is pretty sporadic at the moment. So until then, I'll go with a random ramblings when I can.
As a comic enthusiast/nerd/geek and someone who works with and is familiar with computers/the internet you'd think the combination would work well for me. But it doesn't and I don't know why. So here are a few random thoughts on the topic.
So let's look at some differences between webcomics and print comics as I see them.
Content: On the one hand, webcomics appear to have a much wider range of content with varying themes and styles (of course I can't prove this). Although you may have some people trying to replicate an already successful book you'll also have people exploring the freedom that comes from just being able to do whatever you want without having to prove to some guy in a business suit that it's marketable or fits in with their money making strategy. Though I should say that the "some people" who are replicating successful ideas is actually a pretty big number too but I guess that adds to the variety in a way. So having said that there should be something for everyone including me.
Schedule: With comics you have a monthly (or something resembling monthly) schedule or a longer gap if you're going the TPB route. For webcomics, the strips are often daily while ones with more elaborate pages or stories are often a page or two per week, or several pages at once every few weeks. Ignoring the daily strip webcomics for now, that's a pretty significant difference in how the work is presented especially if the creators don't take that into consideration. With a monthly book a single page is just a small part of a story, connected by the pages around it. When you are reading a webcomic that updates a page at a time it can lead to problems. If the page is just a small part of the storyline then it feels more disjoint with large gaps of days between these small parts. The tempo is different and it's harder to build a flow from page to page. Though anyone reading through the archives will probably find it less noticeable. Updating a few pages at a time can improve this as long as it's also taken into account. I find a lot of webcomic creators (including myself) trying to find a balance where a page is a worthy story element on its own while at the same time fitting into a narrative for someone reading the full story. How well that is achieved is left to the reader but I often find it's not a good idea to try to balance these.
Money: Here's a funny one. Most webcomics right now are free online. There may be a special print version or some features that you can pay for but the ones I stick to trying are freely available. And other than free comic book day, print comics are not free. You'd think that would be a plus for webcomics right there but there's something else I'm considering at the moment and that is that the money I've spent on books are actually keeping me spending more. Sounds weird doesn't it? But if you take some series (call it "series X") and say I buy the first 7 issues. Now say I'm only kinda liking the series, I may stick with it at least until the current storyline ends because I figure I've already invested money in the first 7 issues, and if I drop it now it might feel like I've wasted my money on those first 7 issues with no closure on the story. And for an ongoing book that doesn't really have closure with the end of each storyline, who knows how long this can drag on for. So I'm thinking the money has created an investment for me in the series, though it may not be the "financial investment" one may think of. I know, you probably think this is a stupid argument but it seems to be the situation for me a lot of the time. And so with webcomics, if I hit a bad patch the only real "investment" I've made (if it's not an emotional investment) is the time I've put into it. So just giving up on the book means I may feel like I've wasted my time reading it up until this point but it won't feel like I've wasted money. I think this also ties in on the idea of "ownership". People complain about not owning a copy of a webcomic (or a print comic put in a digital library). Sometimes it's about being able to go back and read the book any time they want or at least knowing they have that option but I think on some level there's more of a connection going on. That when you "own" the comic you feel a bit more invested in it. Feel free to tear this point apart.
"Guarantee:" Print comics generally have a company behind them and "guarantee" of continuing, sales and company solvency permitting (is that the right term, "solvency"?). This is a pretty big one. I've been burned too often by getting into a webcomic only to have it stop abruptly when the creator lost interest or just got too busy. No conclusion, no closure, just stopped. Companies generally don't do this. Even if a book is failing you'll usually see some sort of conclusion. Not always a good one but as long as you see it on the solicitations you feel safe in believing the book will be there for the next few months. There is also the issue of the "hiatus" which seems to happen much more often in webcomics as well. And with companies, they'll usually provide some sort of "filler" (ie. a book with that character that's not really relevant to the current story) if you really want it. For webcomics this may mean "fan art" which really isn't "filling".
Quality: This one is very debatable as beauty is in the eye of the beholder after all. At first glance I find print comics to be of a higher quality at least in terms of art and appearance. They have more of a budget, more time to invest in it, often a team of artists, etc, etc. And they are often professionals who have been doing this for a while and have learned to do it well (for the most part). And they probably wouldn't have made it to print if their work didn't connect with a large number of people. Webcomics don't usually have that filtering so you'll get a lot of people whose work only really connects with a handful of people. But on the other hand, there are some incredibly talented individuals working on webcomics that just haven't been given the break they need or choose to go the webcomics route. And they usually have a much invested interest in making it work as it's their own character and their own story. It's often more than a job (not to say that many people working in print comics feel it's just a job, but if they're on a monthly book they generally have an issue or two here and there that were of the "I just have to get something out there" variety). But here's the thing, with print comics you are generally looking for really high quality amongst books that are already deemed by people to be of a high quality. With webcomics, you are often left searching for high quality amongst a sea of comics ranging from extremely amateurish to extremely high quality (with, let's face it, a lot more in the amateurish range). Though that's also not to say that some of the amateurish books can really improve as time goes on and could become a great book too. You can try looking at certain sites (limiting yourself to Zuda or only looking at the books "feature" on drunkduck or some other site) and getting suggestions from various blogs or "Top 100 webcomics" lists but that's not always that easy either. Some have ulterior motives while others just have extremely different ideas of what makes a quality book. It is getting better though.
Access/Ease of Use: This is actually two points that I'm trying to merge here. You'd think by "access" I mean "everyone with the internet has access to a free webcomic" versus "everyone with the money or maybe a library card has access to a comic" (provided the local library carries comics) but actually I mean how you "access" the comic. Do you pick it up at your local/online store or do you surf on over to a website looking for an update (or checking your RSS feed or whatever). Now I'm showing my age here but for me it's become a ritual of heading out to the local comic every week to mingle and check out the new books (both the ones I have on reserve and other stuff). I just don't get that same feeling when I turn on the computer and start surfing around trying to find out what books I normally check out or possibly other books I haven't noticed before have updated. And when webcomics (especially the non-established ones) can bounce around from site to site or have me going from site to site to find all the single page updates I just don't have that same feeling as when I sit down to read a printed comic. Which leads me to ease of use (sorta). When I buy a printed comic I can read it on the bus or wherever else I go. Webcomics I need an electronic device of some sort and often an internet connection to read. So I'm fairly limited there. Overall, the print comic experience (from heading to the store to sitting down reading them) just seems more enjoyable.
Proper Use of the Medium: This one is pretty far out in left field and I know a lot of people don't see things the way I do but here's my thing, I believe that in order to create a better work you have to factor in the medium that you are using. I find even print comic "professionals" sometimes miss out on this, from writers who don't really know how to write a comic to artists who lack the ability to effectively tell a story and make the reader's experience more of a chore and much less enjoyable. But in general, print comics go through several sets of eyes, all having the opportunity to say "hey, some thing's not working right here." The web opens up a whole new universe of possibilities (look at the "infinite canvas" for example or other new presentation formats) that I think we're just beginning to explore. But I think we're at a pretty young stage where creators are using the same mentality that they use in comics. And the funny thing is that some print comic creators are probably stuck using methods from other formats (such as film or traditional text novels) instead of making use of the comic format. And again, this ties in to some of my previous points but I'm just rambling here. :)
Or maybe it's just me, none of this applies to you and you now think I'm pretty insane (or more so than you originally did). But what can I say?
Wow, that was a much longer post than I thought it would be and probably much longer than it should be.
Friday, February 06, 2009
New York Comic-Con
So the New York Comic-Con starts today and I'll be missing it again this year. Every year it seems to be the same story for me, I talk the talk but don't walk the walk. But I still have a mission to experience the New York Comic-Con at least once.
So what would I have done had I gone? Or perhaps that should be "what would I have HOPED to have done had I gone" considering how busy these things are. I would have liked to try and meet Richard Starkings of Elephantmen, I've been blown away by that series since it started so that would have been cool. Then there's David Gallaher, Steve Ellis, and several others at the Zuda panel. I probably also would have checked to see if anyone from DrunkDuck would be going and maybe meet up with them.
Aside from that, I'd probably just play it by ear. See if I could get a sketch (of the Hulk of course) or two from artists selling sketches, get something Hulk oriented signed by Peter David, attend an educational panel or two if I'm able to, and just soak in the geek atmosphere. I wouldn't even try for the main Marvel, DC, or Image panels, not only would I not get in but they aren't really appealing to me at the moment.
Yeah, it's probably a stupid thing not to go in with more of a plan but I think I'd enjoy it anyways.
So for those attending New York Comic-Con, I hope you have a good time. And feel free to let me know how it goes for you, good or bad, so I can live vicariously through you. :)
So what would I have done had I gone? Or perhaps that should be "what would I have HOPED to have done had I gone" considering how busy these things are. I would have liked to try and meet Richard Starkings of Elephantmen, I've been blown away by that series since it started so that would have been cool. Then there's David Gallaher, Steve Ellis, and several others at the Zuda panel. I probably also would have checked to see if anyone from DrunkDuck would be going and maybe meet up with them.
Aside from that, I'd probably just play it by ear. See if I could get a sketch (of the Hulk of course) or two from artists selling sketches, get something Hulk oriented signed by Peter David, attend an educational panel or two if I'm able to, and just soak in the geek atmosphere. I wouldn't even try for the main Marvel, DC, or Image panels, not only would I not get in but they aren't really appealing to me at the moment.
Yeah, it's probably a stupid thing not to go in with more of a plan but I think I'd enjoy it anyways.
So for those attending New York Comic-Con, I hope you have a good time. And feel free to let me know how it goes for you, good or bad, so I can live vicariously through you. :)
Monday, February 02, 2009
Ramblings...
Moving on...
Until the buses get back up and running my ability to pick up and review my regular monthly books remains up in the air. So hopefully once we get enough buses running next week I'll be able to make it to my comic store on a semi-regular basis. I had been hoping to get down there this past Saturday as Tom Fowler was signing copies of his new book, "Mysterius the Unfathomable", but it wasn't to be.
So let's talk about what other books I've been reading in TPB form. We have the latest volume of The Walking Dead (volume 9), a really moving volume after the events of the previous one. This series continues to be engaging and keeps me guessing as to what will happen next. Then we have Powers, I'm still waiting on volume 5 but the first four were a great mix of... well, pretty much everything you'd want. I laughed, I cried, I loved it more than Cats... Okay, that's a lie, I don't love anything more than Cats.
A friend is also lending me the Sandman TPBs and I've been making my way through them. I'm currently on volume 7. Engaging stories but not exactly an easy comic to breeze through, it seems no matter how hard I try it feels like I'm missing story elements.
I also picked up the first volume of Locke and Key after hearing much buzz about this book. I liked Gabriel Rodriguez's art on the Great and Secret Show, at first I didn't think I would but the style really seems to fit these weird horror type stories. And it continues to be great here. The story is well crafted and I'm really happy to hear it will be continuing, I'd hate to have it end where it did.
Hmm... I'm sure there's more stuff I've been reading since I last posted but I can't think of what at the moment.
As an aside, webcomics seems to be becoming a hot topic at the moment. Either it's because of the economy, Diamond's announcement of raising their benchmark, or something else, or maybe it's just time for the comic news media to talk about it again. Hopefully I'll be able to assemble my thoughts on the topic soon, whether it's about people trying to make a living off webcomics, or just seeing them as a stepping stone to "real"/print comics, or how many webcomics just get deserted (possibly linked to the first point), or just what webcomics I recommend (though that didn't go so well last time).
That's it for now. Take care!
Until the buses get back up and running my ability to pick up and review my regular monthly books remains up in the air. So hopefully once we get enough buses running next week I'll be able to make it to my comic store on a semi-regular basis. I had been hoping to get down there this past Saturday as Tom Fowler was signing copies of his new book, "Mysterius the Unfathomable", but it wasn't to be.
So let's talk about what other books I've been reading in TPB form. We have the latest volume of The Walking Dead (volume 9), a really moving volume after the events of the previous one. This series continues to be engaging and keeps me guessing as to what will happen next. Then we have Powers, I'm still waiting on volume 5 but the first four were a great mix of... well, pretty much everything you'd want. I laughed, I cried, I loved it more than Cats... Okay, that's a lie, I don't love anything more than Cats.
A friend is also lending me the Sandman TPBs and I've been making my way through them. I'm currently on volume 7. Engaging stories but not exactly an easy comic to breeze through, it seems no matter how hard I try it feels like I'm missing story elements.
I also picked up the first volume of Locke and Key after hearing much buzz about this book. I liked Gabriel Rodriguez's art on the Great and Secret Show, at first I didn't think I would but the style really seems to fit these weird horror type stories. And it continues to be great here. The story is well crafted and I'm really happy to hear it will be continuing, I'd hate to have it end where it did.
Hmm... I'm sure there's more stuff I've been reading since I last posted but I can't think of what at the moment.
As an aside, webcomics seems to be becoming a hot topic at the moment. Either it's because of the economy, Diamond's announcement of raising their benchmark, or something else, or maybe it's just time for the comic news media to talk about it again. Hopefully I'll be able to assemble my thoughts on the topic soon, whether it's about people trying to make a living off webcomics, or just seeing them as a stepping stone to "real"/print comics, or how many webcomics just get deserted (possibly linked to the first point), or just what webcomics I recommend (though that didn't go so well last time).
That's it for now. Take care!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
yay
51 days later they decide to send everything to binding arbitration...
...
The heck with it, I'm just happy it's over and I'll be getting my buses back soon. And I'll leave it at that.
...
The heck with it, I'm just happy it's over and I'll be getting my buses back soon. And I'll leave it at that.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
A Few Random Things...
I'm not sure if I'll be able to pick up my comics this week so I might as well post some other random thoughts.
First up, we have Marvel posting a picture of the "New She-Hulk" which appears to be the daughter of Thundra and the Hulk (from her stealing his DNA). I absolutely hate this. As a fan of She-Hulk who is not happy that her book is getting cancelled my first reaction was not good but I may be misunderstanding their plans. I really hope they aren't starting a new She-Hulk series with this "Thulk" (hey, if people can create "Rulk" I can go with "Thulk") as "She-Hulk" because that would seem like a kick in the pants to me. If that's not the plan, if she gets her own "Thulk: Daughter of Hulk" series then I may check it out. If she does indeed go with She-Hulk then I'll probably be passing. Yeah, I know it sounds crazy but I'm getting tired of some of the crap Marvel is doing.
Secondly, we have the talk of Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell signing on for Iron Man 2, possibly as the Crimson Dynamo and Justin Hammer respectively. I'd love this. I think both are extremely talented actors. I'm already imagining just how great any scenes with Downey Jr and Rockwell together will be.
And a little while back I read an article on Newsarama discussing opportunities for breakthroughs in 2009. Regarding breaking into the digital market, it's easy to see that computers and the internet will continue to dominate comic talk but I really hope that more focus is put into using the medium properly. I usually find printed comics taken directly to digital (whether through "motion comics" or whatever else) often don't work as well for me. I think it's because the people doing the transfer really aren't considering how the story gets told. A good comic writer will use the medium to tell the story more effectively and what they do often ends up getting lost in the conversion. I find comics written specifically for the digital medium are more effective.
There seems to be a lot of talk about movies/television in that article as well. Now while I recognize the upside of those forms (more money for the creators and hopefully increasing the awareness of a good comic, etc, etc) I sometimes feel that people (creators, readers, and everyone else for that matter) see comics as the lesser form and just a stepping stone to something "better" and that worries me a bit. But then again, that's just me.
Hmm... That's all I can think of at the moment but I'm sure there's more I wanted to talk about... Oh well.
First up, we have Marvel posting a picture of the "New She-Hulk" which appears to be the daughter of Thundra and the Hulk (from her stealing his DNA). I absolutely hate this. As a fan of She-Hulk who is not happy that her book is getting cancelled my first reaction was not good but I may be misunderstanding their plans. I really hope they aren't starting a new She-Hulk series with this "Thulk" (hey, if people can create "Rulk" I can go with "Thulk") as "She-Hulk" because that would seem like a kick in the pants to me. If that's not the plan, if she gets her own "Thulk: Daughter of Hulk" series then I may check it out. If she does indeed go with She-Hulk then I'll probably be passing. Yeah, I know it sounds crazy but I'm getting tired of some of the crap Marvel is doing.
Secondly, we have the talk of Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell signing on for Iron Man 2, possibly as the Crimson Dynamo and Justin Hammer respectively. I'd love this. I think both are extremely talented actors. I'm already imagining just how great any scenes with Downey Jr and Rockwell together will be.
And a little while back I read an article on Newsarama discussing opportunities for breakthroughs in 2009. Regarding breaking into the digital market, it's easy to see that computers and the internet will continue to dominate comic talk but I really hope that more focus is put into using the medium properly. I usually find printed comics taken directly to digital (whether through "motion comics" or whatever else) often don't work as well for me. I think it's because the people doing the transfer really aren't considering how the story gets told. A good comic writer will use the medium to tell the story more effectively and what they do often ends up getting lost in the conversion. I find comics written specifically for the digital medium are more effective.
There seems to be a lot of talk about movies/television in that article as well. Now while I recognize the upside of those forms (more money for the creators and hopefully increasing the awareness of a good comic, etc, etc) I sometimes feel that people (creators, readers, and everyone else for that matter) see comics as the lesser form and just a stepping stone to something "better" and that worries me a bit. But then again, that's just me.
Hmm... That's all I can think of at the moment but I'm sure there's more I wanted to talk about... Oh well.
Monday, January 05, 2009
Just Checking In Again...
As you've probably guessed, I wasn't able to get downtown to pick up my comics last week. In fact, I wasn't really able to get anywhere last week. As I don't own a car nor do I live in the downtown area, I've been pretty much stuck at home during the transit strike. I've had to rely on friends, family, and the odd taxi to get into work or do the necessities (pick up groceries and such) but I won't be burdening them (the friends and family I mean) even more with driving me downtown to go shopping.
So if anyone's wondering, reviews will continue to be sporadic until this thing is resolved (I'm currently guessing late January).
So if anyone's wondering, reviews will continue to be sporadic until this thing is resolved (I'm currently guessing late January).
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Looking back...
I know, it's a bit late to do a "year in review" type post but oh well, it's my blog right. ;)
Comics of the Year (in no particular order):
Elephantmen -- Despite some delays in the main series Elephantmen continues to hit the mark for me. And the War Toys series (which technically started December 2007) was superb to say the least.
Fables -- Every time I try and explain this series to people they look at me like I'm crazy but I don't care, I love it. From the unique take on the various fairy tale characters to the constant emotional ups and downs, this series is simply amazing.
Invincible -- I started picking up the TPBs of this series pretty late in the game but it very quickly became a must read for me. I've been sticking with the TPB route but it's tough to wait, avoiding spoilers, until the next TPB comes out.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer -- To be honest, I was tempted just to give this series an "honourable mention" but c'mon, it's Buffy. For the most part, I think it's made itself a worthy continuation of the series (perhaps even surpassing the last season of the show in my mind).
Honourable mention goes out to She-Hulk. I've really enjoyed this series. I know Dan Slott fans were turned off by Peter David's take on the character but I think he said it best, if he tried to mimic Dan Slott's take on the series then people would complain about that. He had to write to his strengths and I think he succeeded. Though I think the art hasn't been as good as it could be. I'll be sorry to see it go.
Regarding Webcomics:
To be honest, I was hoping to list my webcomics of the year but it would be way too limitted to Zuda comics. There'd be Bayou, High Moon, Celadore, all of which are on Zuda and Araknid Kid which got its start there. The main problem is that I tend to stick to places I know which seem to be mostly DrunkDuck and Zuda. And on DrunkDuck, the comics I like tend to disappear, either because the creators stop or because they move around and I can't be bothered to track them down so I can keep checking for updates. So I've listed what webcomics I read, how about I leave the rest to you. Comment and let me know what webcomics you'd put as the webcomics of the year (and no, they shouldn't be your own).
2009:
Through my life I've pretty much always been a Marvel fan (I don't think I'd go so far as to say "zombie" butyou might). Lately, and this year in particular, I've seen my Marvel count dwindle. I avoided the events of both Marvel and DC, and even dropped the Hulk (which was a big deal for me personally). Instead, I've branched off more into the non-mainstream books (though I'll admit, I haven't strayed too far). So what do I see for 2009? Well, with the cancellation of She-Hulk, Dark Reign taking over most of Marvel, and promises to bring the X-Men more into the Marvel Universe events/storylines I don't see myself going back. I'll be keeping up with a few like Runaways and Skaar for now but there doesn't seem to be much to draw me back to other books, I'm just not part of Marvel's target audience any more.
I also continue to see my monthly book purchases going down while my TPB/graphic novel purchases go up. The reasons are plenty and perhaps the analysis can wait for another post but to be honest, I don't see this changing. Books like Ex Machina, Fables, Invincible, and others I find more enjoyable when read in TPB form.
And I'll probably find at least one Manga series to try out in 2009, whether it be an old series or something new (new to North America at least). This year was Monster and Akira.
In the end:
Despite some disappointments, 2008 has been a great comic year for me. I've found enough enjoyable books to keep me busy, some new, some old. And I think the outlook is pretty positive, whether it's in the field of printed comic or web/digital comics. To be honest, I don't know what the future holds exactly so I won't bother trying to come up with a prediction but with some great talent putting out some wonderful books I think it's looking pretty good at the moment.
And in conclusion:
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Comics of the Year (in no particular order):
Elephantmen -- Despite some delays in the main series Elephantmen continues to hit the mark for me. And the War Toys series (which technically started December 2007) was superb to say the least.
Fables -- Every time I try and explain this series to people they look at me like I'm crazy but I don't care, I love it. From the unique take on the various fairy tale characters to the constant emotional ups and downs, this series is simply amazing.
Invincible -- I started picking up the TPBs of this series pretty late in the game but it very quickly became a must read for me. I've been sticking with the TPB route but it's tough to wait, avoiding spoilers, until the next TPB comes out.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer -- To be honest, I was tempted just to give this series an "honourable mention" but c'mon, it's Buffy. For the most part, I think it's made itself a worthy continuation of the series (perhaps even surpassing the last season of the show in my mind).
Honourable mention goes out to She-Hulk. I've really enjoyed this series. I know Dan Slott fans were turned off by Peter David's take on the character but I think he said it best, if he tried to mimic Dan Slott's take on the series then people would complain about that. He had to write to his strengths and I think he succeeded. Though I think the art hasn't been as good as it could be. I'll be sorry to see it go.
Regarding Webcomics:
To be honest, I was hoping to list my webcomics of the year but it would be way too limitted to Zuda comics. There'd be Bayou, High Moon, Celadore, all of which are on Zuda and Araknid Kid which got its start there. The main problem is that I tend to stick to places I know which seem to be mostly DrunkDuck and Zuda. And on DrunkDuck, the comics I like tend to disappear, either because the creators stop or because they move around and I can't be bothered to track them down so I can keep checking for updates. So I've listed what webcomics I read, how about I leave the rest to you. Comment and let me know what webcomics you'd put as the webcomics of the year (and no, they shouldn't be your own).
2009:
Through my life I've pretty much always been a Marvel fan (I don't think I'd go so far as to say "zombie" butyou might). Lately, and this year in particular, I've seen my Marvel count dwindle. I avoided the events of both Marvel and DC, and even dropped the Hulk (which was a big deal for me personally). Instead, I've branched off more into the non-mainstream books (though I'll admit, I haven't strayed too far). So what do I see for 2009? Well, with the cancellation of She-Hulk, Dark Reign taking over most of Marvel, and promises to bring the X-Men more into the Marvel Universe events/storylines I don't see myself going back. I'll be keeping up with a few like Runaways and Skaar for now but there doesn't seem to be much to draw me back to other books, I'm just not part of Marvel's target audience any more.
I also continue to see my monthly book purchases going down while my TPB/graphic novel purchases go up. The reasons are plenty and perhaps the analysis can wait for another post but to be honest, I don't see this changing. Books like Ex Machina, Fables, Invincible, and others I find more enjoyable when read in TPB form.
And I'll probably find at least one Manga series to try out in 2009, whether it be an old series or something new (new to North America at least). This year was Monster and Akira.
In the end:
Despite some disappointments, 2008 has been a great comic year for me. I've found enough enjoyable books to keep me busy, some new, some old. And I think the outlook is pretty positive, whether it's in the field of printed comic or web/digital comics. To be honest, I don't know what the future holds exactly so I won't bother trying to come up with a prediction but with some great talent putting out some wonderful books I think it's looking pretty good at the moment.
And in conclusion:
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Comic Reviews -- For many weeks
How is this for great customer service, due to the transit strike I haven't been able to get downtown to pick up my comics (or anywhere else for that matter). So Dave, a friend who works at the shop I go to, offered to pick up my books and drive them out to me. I was a little reluctant as I'm pretty far out of the city but eventually I took him up on his offer. So I'm now caught up (almost). And since there is a whackload of reviews I'm going to be lazy and make these extra short. Sorry.
Hulk Family: Green Genes -- Yeah, I'm still looking for my Hulk fix since dropping the Hulk series. I wasn't expecting much from this book but it was actually decent. The art wasn't top notch or anything but it was pretty strong in comparison to similar one shots I've seen. And the stories were pretty good as well. I was a little surprised that She-Hulk didn't recognize the Hulk in his gray form and a little disappointed that we didn't get more of a conclusion on the Scorpion story but overall, it was a good book.
Iron Man/The Incredible Hulk/Nick Fury -- This was a movie tie in and I thought it was pretty good. The Iron Man portion didn't have as much Iron Man as I was expecting but it fit the mood of the movie well and was a good tale. The Hulk part at least had the Hulk in it briefly but I liked the Nick Fury connection. And the last story was sort of your typical Nick Fury story. Overall, it was a pretty decent book to read. Not sure it's worth picking up but if you're looking for something to read it's worth a look.
Elephantmen #14 -- The "Spore Wars" continue with the conclusion coming up in the next issue. And I'm on the edge of my seat, I didn't see the ending coming to be honest. We learn more about the virus at the heart of this story and a bit more about the Elephantmen's back story. Solid writing and great artwork keep this book on my recommended reading list.
Echo #8 -- The action picks up with this issue, that's for sure. Yet somehow, this book still feels rather... short. After finishing each issue I seem to ask "that's it?" I don't know why that is. It's still a great story and the art is wonderful. I just have to decide soon whether to keep up with it or perhaps go the TPB route for a while.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer #20 -- Hey, Angel makes an appearance! This little interlude is actually a nice departure I think. The show often had episodes that didn't necessarily focus on the main storyline of the season (though perhaps it had little tidbits connecting it to the storyline) but had great character moments. I felt this was like that. It was a nice little Buffy story. And the use of the two art styles (one being extra cartoony) was a nice touch.
Skaar Son of Hulk #6 -- First up, I think they made strong improvements on the art front with this issue. It doesn't seem to be as extremely sketchy as the previous issues. It looks like more work was put into cleaning it up. There's some promise with this issue that things are going to pick up big time really soon with a few surprise appearances and the Skaar's quest for the old power seemingly reaching its climax. I kinda hope things do pick up, we're six issues in already. So I'm seeing improvements here but it's still not quite enough to put me over with this series.
Runaways #5 -- The art continues to not really work for me here. I still find some stuff just too over the top in terms of cartoony-ness or just not quite clear enough in the story telling aspect. I seem to be spending too much time trying to figure out what's being shown in some panels and it's making the book a bit too much of a chore to read. I also find the story to be dragging on a bit at this point. It's not like I'll be dropping the series but it's a bit of a disappointment at the moment for me.
She-Hulk #36 -- Peter David has never really been one to pull any punches when it comes to pushing heroes to the brink. Quite a few questions are left lingering, never to be fully answered. And in the end, we're reminded that these real world situations don't have the simple answer sometimes presented by superheroes in costumes. So yeah, it's a deep story. On a lighter note, the art was a bit of hit or miss with me. Still, I'll be sorry to see this series go.
Angel After the Fall #15 -- Yeah, still not liking the art that much. Just had to get that out of the way. I felt a little let down with the events of this book, or at least one event that I don't want to spoil. I don't know what it was but it just didn't seem to fit with the book. With so much emotion being spent on other characters in this book, this character's situation just seemed to get washed over by everything else. Still, it sets the stage for the final two issues.
Angel: Smile Time #1 -- This one was a bit of a booboo as I wasn't really interested in picking it up but oh well. It's a nice adaptation of the episode with pretty solid artwork. But in the end, I think I'd just rather go re-watch the episode than read this series.
Naoki Urasawa's Monster -- I was happy to finally be able to finish this 18 volume epic. Things wrapped up very well in this final volume. There were a few twists and turns, some of which I expected, some I didn't. It's a pretty amazing series all things considered.
Hulk Family: Green Genes -- Yeah, I'm still looking for my Hulk fix since dropping the Hulk series. I wasn't expecting much from this book but it was actually decent. The art wasn't top notch or anything but it was pretty strong in comparison to similar one shots I've seen. And the stories were pretty good as well. I was a little surprised that She-Hulk didn't recognize the Hulk in his gray form and a little disappointed that we didn't get more of a conclusion on the Scorpion story but overall, it was a good book.
Iron Man/The Incredible Hulk/Nick Fury -- This was a movie tie in and I thought it was pretty good. The Iron Man portion didn't have as much Iron Man as I was expecting but it fit the mood of the movie well and was a good tale. The Hulk part at least had the Hulk in it briefly but I liked the Nick Fury connection. And the last story was sort of your typical Nick Fury story. Overall, it was a pretty decent book to read. Not sure it's worth picking up but if you're looking for something to read it's worth a look.
Elephantmen #14 -- The "Spore Wars" continue with the conclusion coming up in the next issue. And I'm on the edge of my seat, I didn't see the ending coming to be honest. We learn more about the virus at the heart of this story and a bit more about the Elephantmen's back story. Solid writing and great artwork keep this book on my recommended reading list.
Echo #8 -- The action picks up with this issue, that's for sure. Yet somehow, this book still feels rather... short. After finishing each issue I seem to ask "that's it?" I don't know why that is. It's still a great story and the art is wonderful. I just have to decide soon whether to keep up with it or perhaps go the TPB route for a while.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer #20 -- Hey, Angel makes an appearance! This little interlude is actually a nice departure I think. The show often had episodes that didn't necessarily focus on the main storyline of the season (though perhaps it had little tidbits connecting it to the storyline) but had great character moments. I felt this was like that. It was a nice little Buffy story. And the use of the two art styles (one being extra cartoony) was a nice touch.
Skaar Son of Hulk #6 -- First up, I think they made strong improvements on the art front with this issue. It doesn't seem to be as extremely sketchy as the previous issues. It looks like more work was put into cleaning it up. There's some promise with this issue that things are going to pick up big time really soon with a few surprise appearances and the Skaar's quest for the old power seemingly reaching its climax. I kinda hope things do pick up, we're six issues in already. So I'm seeing improvements here but it's still not quite enough to put me over with this series.
Runaways #5 -- The art continues to not really work for me here. I still find some stuff just too over the top in terms of cartoony-ness or just not quite clear enough in the story telling aspect. I seem to be spending too much time trying to figure out what's being shown in some panels and it's making the book a bit too much of a chore to read. I also find the story to be dragging on a bit at this point. It's not like I'll be dropping the series but it's a bit of a disappointment at the moment for me.
She-Hulk #36 -- Peter David has never really been one to pull any punches when it comes to pushing heroes to the brink. Quite a few questions are left lingering, never to be fully answered. And in the end, we're reminded that these real world situations don't have the simple answer sometimes presented by superheroes in costumes. So yeah, it's a deep story. On a lighter note, the art was a bit of hit or miss with me. Still, I'll be sorry to see this series go.
Angel After the Fall #15 -- Yeah, still not liking the art that much. Just had to get that out of the way. I felt a little let down with the events of this book, or at least one event that I don't want to spoil. I don't know what it was but it just didn't seem to fit with the book. With so much emotion being spent on other characters in this book, this character's situation just seemed to get washed over by everything else. Still, it sets the stage for the final two issues.
Angel: Smile Time #1 -- This one was a bit of a booboo as I wasn't really interested in picking it up but oh well. It's a nice adaptation of the episode with pretty solid artwork. But in the end, I think I'd just rather go re-watch the episode than read this series.
Naoki Urasawa's Monster -- I was happy to finally be able to finish this 18 volume epic. Things wrapped up very well in this final volume. There were a few twists and turns, some of which I expected, some I didn't. It's a pretty amazing series all things considered.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!!
Hopefully one of these days the transit strike will end or I'll find some way to get downtown for my comics so I can get back to reviewing. But until then...
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
CHEERS!!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
CHEERS!!!
Friday, December 12, 2008
Yep, no reviews again this week
Due to the current transit strike and me not owning a car my focus has been more on getting in to work (thank you Carl, Michelle, and Nicole) than on getting downtown to pick up my comics. So I'm not sure when I'll be getting back to comic reviews.
Monday, December 01, 2008
I've Been Better
It hasn't been a great couple of days. On Saturday I ended up slipping on some icy steps outside my condo. Fortunately, nothing was broken or anything but I have a few sore areas (mostly in the arms from the wrists up to the shoulders, my lower back, and my ankle). Of course, ball hockey yesterday didn't help. But if anyone was watching I'm sure they got a chuckle out of seeing me fly down the stairs. My power went out early this morning (most likely due to the crappy weather) so I had to get ready by candlelight. And then my bus was 30 minutes late, he said he broke down and had to wait for a new bus. Hopefully I put all the negative energy behind me when I head off to a conference tomorrow.
Which reminds me, there will be no reviews this week as I will be out of town until the weekend.
Which reminds me, there will be no reviews this week as I will be out of town until the weekend.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Weekly Comic Review for November 26th, 2008
Woohoo! I have comics to review. Actually, this was a pretty busy week in comparison to most weeks. I had a whopping 5 books come out.
She-Hulk #35 -- First off, let me just say that I'm going to miss this series. I usually find that even a not-so-good issue of She-Hulk more enjoyable than most other books I see coming out of the big two companies right now. Having said that, I didn't find this issue to be one of the stronger issues of Peter David's run. Don't get me wrong, it was pretty good. The story was a pretty solid Peter David story (and I say "Peter David story" because the blending of superheroes with real world problems in this issue seemed similar to the stories he did in the Hulk or Captain Marvel) and despite She-Hulk and friends taking the moral high ground you have to give credit that the Red Guardian wasn't portrayed too poorly given the stance he was forced to take. But I found the problems I had with the issue were mostly in the art/story telling side of things. There were a few panels that I thought were rather weak in terms of anatomy and such but I could get by those, but there were moments where the art just didn't feel right. It didn't seem to be telling the story very well. The part with Crimson Dynamo seemingly putting Thundra to sleep with no dialogue seemed weird, almost as though the dialogue was missing or the art just wasn't portraying what was actually happening. And there were quite a few times where the expressions and body language just didn't match with what was going on. It was too bad, I think this issue could have been a lot better.
Skaar Son of Hulk #5 -- This may have been the strongest issue of this series in my opinion. The art was less distracting to me (though I still had some problems with the overall sketchiness of it and it being hard to figure out who's who at times) but more importantly, I felt this issue flowed a bit better and when combined with the second story presented, I finally feel like I understand what's going on. I hope this is a sign that the series is on track (at least for me). I'm looking forward to the next issue more so than I have in the past for this series.
Runaways #4 -- This issue was a bit weird for me. I did like parts of it but after I was done reading it I felt a bit let down that really the story didn't seem to progress very far. There was some reinforcement that the team's disfunction is due to her spell as they battle a big green ball of snot (okay, it wasn't snot but still) but that was about it. And I felt let down by the art at times as I couldn't quite tell what was going on, especially during the afore mentioned battle with the snot. Maybe I'm just getting too used to reading TPBs where this would just be one part of the story and I could keep reading to the next part and now, reading it monthly, it feels like I'm only getting a small portion of the story and it just wasn't enough for me. Having said that, I'm still interested to see where things go.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer #19 -- This issue had some pretty huge moments (at least for me, and no, I won't spoil it by saying what those moments are) but some moments I had to go back and forth to figure out and it was a little distracting. Early on there was a scene I had to flip back and forth from page to page to see if maybe I missed something (like a full page or two). And for the reveal of Twilight's latest ally, I had to go back to the start of this storyline to see what he was referring to and to see if there were any clues as to who he was (some people recognized him from the art, I didn't, I guessed based on what we knew and from what I've read online afterwards it looks like I was right). And Xander's story felt like it was just getting in the way here as it ended rather abruptly. The ending felt a little weird at first as more questions are raised and only a few are answered but once it settled in it felt like a good chapter of an ongoing story. So overall, it felt like a good important chapter of a bigger story but the execution maybe could have been better.
Mouse Guard Winter 1152 #4 (of 6) -- It actually didn't take me too long to get back into the story. With the delay, I was expecting it to be worse. Though I did forget that one of the mice was a female. :) The art is really amazing here and there is a surprising amount of story to be absorbed in this one issue. I just hope the wait for the next issue isn't as long as the wait for this one. This really is a great series and well worth checking out. Though I think I'll go back to reading the collected versions with the next series. Oh yeah, I forgot about the Millennium Falcon being hidden in the cover. So keep an eye out for it.
My reading pile just grew a huge amount. A friend lent me the first two volumes of Akira while another friend keeps wanting to lend me non-comic stuff to read thinking it's stuff I may be interested in. I don't mind having a decent reading pile but I hate it when it's filled with loaned books because I tend to be a slow reader.
And I don't know when I'll be posting next week's reviews. I'm flying out on Tuesday for a conference and won't be back until Friday. So I may not get a chance to pick up my books until the following week.
Take care!
She-Hulk #35 -- First off, let me just say that I'm going to miss this series. I usually find that even a not-so-good issue of She-Hulk more enjoyable than most other books I see coming out of the big two companies right now. Having said that, I didn't find this issue to be one of the stronger issues of Peter David's run. Don't get me wrong, it was pretty good. The story was a pretty solid Peter David story (and I say "Peter David story" because the blending of superheroes with real world problems in this issue seemed similar to the stories he did in the Hulk or Captain Marvel) and despite She-Hulk and friends taking the moral high ground you have to give credit that the Red Guardian wasn't portrayed too poorly given the stance he was forced to take. But I found the problems I had with the issue were mostly in the art/story telling side of things. There were a few panels that I thought were rather weak in terms of anatomy and such but I could get by those, but there were moments where the art just didn't feel right. It didn't seem to be telling the story very well. The part with Crimson Dynamo seemingly putting Thundra to sleep with no dialogue seemed weird, almost as though the dialogue was missing or the art just wasn't portraying what was actually happening. And there were quite a few times where the expressions and body language just didn't match with what was going on. It was too bad, I think this issue could have been a lot better.
Skaar Son of Hulk #5 -- This may have been the strongest issue of this series in my opinion. The art was less distracting to me (though I still had some problems with the overall sketchiness of it and it being hard to figure out who's who at times) but more importantly, I felt this issue flowed a bit better and when combined with the second story presented, I finally feel like I understand what's going on. I hope this is a sign that the series is on track (at least for me). I'm looking forward to the next issue more so than I have in the past for this series.
Runaways #4 -- This issue was a bit weird for me. I did like parts of it but after I was done reading it I felt a bit let down that really the story didn't seem to progress very far. There was some reinforcement that the team's disfunction is due to her spell as they battle a big green ball of snot (okay, it wasn't snot but still) but that was about it. And I felt let down by the art at times as I couldn't quite tell what was going on, especially during the afore mentioned battle with the snot. Maybe I'm just getting too used to reading TPBs where this would just be one part of the story and I could keep reading to the next part and now, reading it monthly, it feels like I'm only getting a small portion of the story and it just wasn't enough for me. Having said that, I'm still interested to see where things go.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer #19 -- This issue had some pretty huge moments (at least for me, and no, I won't spoil it by saying what those moments are) but some moments I had to go back and forth to figure out and it was a little distracting. Early on there was a scene I had to flip back and forth from page to page to see if maybe I missed something (like a full page or two). And for the reveal of Twilight's latest ally, I had to go back to the start of this storyline to see what he was referring to and to see if there were any clues as to who he was (some people recognized him from the art, I didn't, I guessed based on what we knew and from what I've read online afterwards it looks like I was right). And Xander's story felt like it was just getting in the way here as it ended rather abruptly. The ending felt a little weird at first as more questions are raised and only a few are answered but once it settled in it felt like a good chapter of an ongoing story. So overall, it felt like a good important chapter of a bigger story but the execution maybe could have been better.
Mouse Guard Winter 1152 #4 (of 6) -- It actually didn't take me too long to get back into the story. With the delay, I was expecting it to be worse. Though I did forget that one of the mice was a female. :) The art is really amazing here and there is a surprising amount of story to be absorbed in this one issue. I just hope the wait for the next issue isn't as long as the wait for this one. This really is a great series and well worth checking out. Though I think I'll go back to reading the collected versions with the next series. Oh yeah, I forgot about the Millennium Falcon being hidden in the cover. So keep an eye out for it.
My reading pile just grew a huge amount. A friend lent me the first two volumes of Akira while another friend keeps wanting to lend me non-comic stuff to read thinking it's stuff I may be interested in. I don't mind having a decent reading pile but I hate it when it's filled with loaned books because I tend to be a slow reader.
And I don't know when I'll be posting next week's reviews. I'm flying out on Tuesday for a conference and won't be back until Friday. So I may not get a chance to pick up my books until the following week.
Take care!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Inside joke and quick review
So I dropped by my usual comic shop on Saturday which is somewhat unusual for me, I usually go on Thursdays. But I was downtown and figured why not. This would be the shop I've been going to for about 8 or 9 years now. And upon entering the manager looks at me and yells "CARL!!!"
*sigh*
As for the review, volume 11 of Fables was awesome in my opinion. And that's all I have to say about that.
*sigh*
As for the review, volume 11 of Fables was awesome in my opinion. And that's all I have to say about that.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Weekly Comic Reviews for November 19th, 2008
A whopping one book for me this week. Though I did order a few TPBs including a few more volumes of Conan and the first volume of Powers. But as for this week's book...
Angel: After the Fall #14 -- I felt this issue did resolve a few things that I've been trying to figure out and moved the story on but I still feel this series is lacking for some reason. I just can't seem to get into it, it doesn't seem to have any energy to it. I can't get into the dialogue nor the art and a lot of things seem disjoint. I know a lot of people are loving this series and overall I think there's a solid story in there somewhere, but I just don't like the execution of it.
Angel: After the Fall #14 -- I felt this issue did resolve a few things that I've been trying to figure out and moved the story on but I still feel this series is lacking for some reason. I just can't seem to get into it, it doesn't seem to have any energy to it. I can't get into the dialogue nor the art and a lot of things seem disjoint. I know a lot of people are loving this series and overall I think there's a solid story in there somewhere, but I just don't like the execution of it.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Weekly Comic Reviews for November 12th, 2008
Woohoo! I bought some comics this week. Okay, it was one regular comic and the latest volume of the Manga series Monster. And to make it sadder, the comic was Mice Templar and I'm probably going to drop it. *sigh*
Mice Templar #6 -- From what I can remember of the first 5 issues (it's been a while) I think this was my favourite so far. It was a pretty easy book to read with good storytelling and good resolution to some of the storylines while introducing new stuff along the way. I didn't find myself fighting through it as I did previous issues. I still had a bit of trouble knowing who's who in the book but it seemed a bit better here. But unfortunately, I just don't think this book is for me. Maybe down the road I'll go back and pick up the TPBs but as it is, it's just not keeping my interest. When the first TPB comes out it may be worth picking up as I think the series has some potential and could connect well with some readers, it just isn't for me.
Monster Volume 17 -- I know, I don't normally do reviews of TPBs or the Manga stuff I pick up but I need to do something on this blog don't I? So I'll keep this short. I think this series has dragged on a little too long for my liking. At least with this issue we're starting to reach the climax of the story but I felt a bit let down as most of the plot twists were pretty obvious several volumes ago. There are still a few surprises or twists along the way but I think it could have been shortened a bit. I still think it's a pretty good series, I just think it drags on from time to time.
Anyone see ER last night? I wasn't expecting the cameos and they were a very, very pleasant surprise. I haven't been liking the show all that muchh for a while now but I did like last night's episode.
Mice Templar #6 -- From what I can remember of the first 5 issues (it's been a while) I think this was my favourite so far. It was a pretty easy book to read with good storytelling and good resolution to some of the storylines while introducing new stuff along the way. I didn't find myself fighting through it as I did previous issues. I still had a bit of trouble knowing who's who in the book but it seemed a bit better here. But unfortunately, I just don't think this book is for me. Maybe down the road I'll go back and pick up the TPBs but as it is, it's just not keeping my interest. When the first TPB comes out it may be worth picking up as I think the series has some potential and could connect well with some readers, it just isn't for me.
Monster Volume 17 -- I know, I don't normally do reviews of TPBs or the Manga stuff I pick up but I need to do something on this blog don't I? So I'll keep this short. I think this series has dragged on a little too long for my liking. At least with this issue we're starting to reach the climax of the story but I felt a bit let down as most of the plot twists were pretty obvious several volumes ago. There are still a few surprises or twists along the way but I think it could have been shortened a bit. I still think it's a pretty good series, I just think it drags on from time to time.
Anyone see ER last night? I wasn't expecting the cameos and they were a very, very pleasant surprise. I haven't been liking the show all that muchh for a while now but I did like last night's episode.
Friday, November 07, 2008
Weekly Comic Reviews for November 5th, 2008
PSYCHE!!! Another week of no new comics for me. I know, it's getting really sad that I have this blog yet I don't seem to even be buying comics anymore. Though I am still buying TPBs and I really should be reviewing some of those. But for today I'll just have to find other stuff to talk about...
First up we have the shake up on Heroes with Jeph Loeb and Jesse Alexander being released from the writing and executive producing duties. My opinion, they need to change things up, at least for me. Although this season has been a step up from last season (which I thought was a mess) I still find it lacking in comparison to the first season. Though there have been some great portions to it (I kinda like Parkman's initial storyline and his relationship with the speedster, Noah's interaction with Sylar, Hiro and Ando's initial stuff, and a few other things) I find myself disliking the main storyline with the Petrelli's and the battle of the companies. I liked how in the initial season every character was important and had a role to play. Now, it seems if you aren't one of the uber-powers (especially the mind-control or power stealing/borrowing ones) you just don't have a place. I really do hope things turn around though.
Zuda celebrated it's one year anniversary a short while ago. Things seem to be going well over there and I'm happy about that. It's a great platform for new talent to get their work out there and to attract readers to some different book ideas.
Hmm... I know there was more I wanted to talk about but it's not coming to me at the moment. And now I have to get back to work. Oh well, I can always post again later.
First up we have the shake up on Heroes with Jeph Loeb and Jesse Alexander being released from the writing and executive producing duties. My opinion, they need to change things up, at least for me. Although this season has been a step up from last season (which I thought was a mess) I still find it lacking in comparison to the first season. Though there have been some great portions to it (I kinda like Parkman's initial storyline and his relationship with the speedster, Noah's interaction with Sylar, Hiro and Ando's initial stuff, and a few other things) I find myself disliking the main storyline with the Petrelli's and the battle of the companies. I liked how in the initial season every character was important and had a role to play. Now, it seems if you aren't one of the uber-powers (especially the mind-control or power stealing/borrowing ones) you just don't have a place. I really do hope things turn around though.
Zuda celebrated it's one year anniversary a short while ago. Things seem to be going well over there and I'm happy about that. It's a great platform for new talent to get their work out there and to attract readers to some different book ideas.
Hmm... I know there was more I wanted to talk about but it's not coming to me at the moment. And now I have to get back to work. Oh well, I can always post again later.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Weekly Comic Reviews for October 29th, 2008
Happy Halloween!
Like usual for me, it was a slow week with only two books. I'm going to have to start reviewing other stuff just to give me something to post about. :) Oh well, there's always TV shows or I really should start reviewing the TPBs I'm picking up (just got the latest Ex Machina TPB as well as two Conan TPBs).
Spike: After the Fall #4 -- I think this series ended on a positive note. I haven't been a huge fan of this series so it was a bit of a surprise. Most of it was the Ilyria/Fred stuff that's going on. I kinda wish the Angel series focussed a bit more on this element (though from the cover to the next Angel book, perhaps they will). The art didn't blow me away or anything and I kept trying to figure out who was who between Connor and the other regular guy in this book. But all around, it was a pretty strong finish for a series that I wasn't all that into. Perhaps it'll work well in TPB form.
Skaar: Son of Hulk #4 -- I know I'm in the minority here but things still seem off with this book. I really want to enjoy it, it seems to have some interesting stuff going on, but the execution still seems off to me. One thing I find myself needing is a character key in the front of the book. Half the time I don't have a clue who anyone is. I think part of that is the art to me, it seems so rushed that I don't find the characters to be easily identifiable. With the conclusion of this issue I have hopes that the next issue will answer a lot of questions so hopefully it'll help settle things for me.
Huh, I'm starting to feel that too many of my reviews are turning towards the negative. That worries me a bit. Though on the positive side of things, I am enjoying catching up on Dark Horse's Conan series and the latest Ex Machina TPB looks pretty good (though I've only read the first issue from it so far). So perhaps it's just my tastes changing or something.
Like usual for me, it was a slow week with only two books. I'm going to have to start reviewing other stuff just to give me something to post about. :) Oh well, there's always TV shows or I really should start reviewing the TPBs I'm picking up (just got the latest Ex Machina TPB as well as two Conan TPBs).
Spike: After the Fall #4 -- I think this series ended on a positive note. I haven't been a huge fan of this series so it was a bit of a surprise. Most of it was the Ilyria/Fred stuff that's going on. I kinda wish the Angel series focussed a bit more on this element (though from the cover to the next Angel book, perhaps they will). The art didn't blow me away or anything and I kept trying to figure out who was who between Connor and the other regular guy in this book. But all around, it was a pretty strong finish for a series that I wasn't all that into. Perhaps it'll work well in TPB form.
Skaar: Son of Hulk #4 -- I know I'm in the minority here but things still seem off with this book. I really want to enjoy it, it seems to have some interesting stuff going on, but the execution still seems off to me. One thing I find myself needing is a character key in the front of the book. Half the time I don't have a clue who anyone is. I think part of that is the art to me, it seems so rushed that I don't find the characters to be easily identifiable. With the conclusion of this issue I have hopes that the next issue will answer a lot of questions so hopefully it'll help settle things for me.
Huh, I'm starting to feel that too many of my reviews are turning towards the negative. That worries me a bit. Though on the positive side of things, I am enjoying catching up on Dark Horse's Conan series and the latest Ex Machina TPB looks pretty good (though I've only read the first issue from it so far). So perhaps it's just my tastes changing or something.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Will $1 make a difference?
Thanks to a comment by Joe Quesada about comics (Marvel ones in particular) inevitably going up in price there seems to be a lot of discussion about what the reaction of the readers will be. Many publishers are already at the $3.50/$3.99 mark but Marvel and DC have been able to hold many of their books at $2.99. So I've been thinking quite a bit about what it would mean for me.
Financially, I could probably afford the extra dollar on the Marvel books I'm currently reading but it helps that I'm not collecting very many Marvel books. Definitely not as much as some people. But I do find it a bit of a tipping point for me. It's making me re-evaluate a few books I'm collecting that I'm not really feeling are worth it. The funny thing is that they aren't necessarily the Marvel books but the independent ones that are already at the $3.50/$3.99 mark. They're the books I've talked about dropping for a while now and spending the extra buck on the Marvel books I buy may just give me one more excuse to do drop them.
But I also find myself in a different situation in that quite a few of the books I buy are limited series. So for these I'll probably keep buying them but the question becomes whether I'll add anything else to replace them. Looking ahead as far as I can I don't really see anything on either the Marvel or DC side that catches my eye. Though honestly, I haven't looked too hard on the DC side of things. But "Dark Reign" looks like just another "Marvel event" that I'm rather tired of.
So will the $1 make a difference? I can't say it's going to be the one thing that makes me drop stuff but it may be another straw that's breaking this camel's back. It's one more thing that makes me think "is this really worth spending the money on?" But the bigger picture is just lack of interest in the books being put out.
Oh well, there's always free webcomics on Zuda, DrunkDuck, and other places right? Well, free for now at least. Who knows what will happen there.
Financially, I could probably afford the extra dollar on the Marvel books I'm currently reading but it helps that I'm not collecting very many Marvel books. Definitely not as much as some people. But I do find it a bit of a tipping point for me. It's making me re-evaluate a few books I'm collecting that I'm not really feeling are worth it. The funny thing is that they aren't necessarily the Marvel books but the independent ones that are already at the $3.50/$3.99 mark. They're the books I've talked about dropping for a while now and spending the extra buck on the Marvel books I buy may just give me one more excuse to do drop them.
But I also find myself in a different situation in that quite a few of the books I buy are limited series. So for these I'll probably keep buying them but the question becomes whether I'll add anything else to replace them. Looking ahead as far as I can I don't really see anything on either the Marvel or DC side that catches my eye. Though honestly, I haven't looked too hard on the DC side of things. But "Dark Reign" looks like just another "Marvel event" that I'm rather tired of.
So will the $1 make a difference? I can't say it's going to be the one thing that makes me drop stuff but it may be another straw that's breaking this camel's back. It's one more thing that makes me think "is this really worth spending the money on?" But the bigger picture is just lack of interest in the books being put out.
Oh well, there's always free webcomics on Zuda, DrunkDuck, and other places right? Well, free for now at least. Who knows what will happen there.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Weekly Comic Reviews for October 22nd, 2008 -- Some Spoilers
After a few slow weeks I finally had a decent week with 4 books coming out. But before I get to the reviews, here's what not to say while applying for a passport. As they were looking through my application the guy asked "So, you've known John for at least 2 years?" To which I replied "Who?" He pointed at my application and said "John". Stupid me, it was early in the morning and I forgot that my reference's first name was John as he always goes by his middle name. I laughed about it after the fact but it's probably a sure fire way to get my application flagged as a possible problem. :)
She-Hulk vol.2 #34 -- I was a little surprised to see this book begin to tackle a problem that is reflected very closely in the real world. It even singles out Russia and China as two countries that are enabling the fictional dictator in a fictional land. I wonder how much negative responses Marvel gets for that. There is also quite a bit of humour in this issue, possibly to counter the serious side of the story. But there's not much action as we mostly get set up in this issue. But enough about that, I do like that it's touching on a real world like problem while still keeping things a little light. And I got a few chuckles out of it. The art was solid (though the Red Guardian looked a little off to me on that last page). Overall, the series still gets a recommend from me.
Echo #7 -- I know I've talked about dropping this series due to the pace but I just haven't bothered to yet. I think the next issue will be it for me though as it'll bring me to the end of the second TPB. It's still a somewhat interesting story with good characters but it's just going a bit too slowly for me. I may pick up the TPBs eventually but we'll have to wait and see.
Runaways vol.3 #3 -- This issue seemed off while I was reading it. It was fun and all seeing the Runaways interact but it felt off somehow. Then the last page hits and wow, I didn't see that coming. After reading so many books that seem off and being told by the writers to just give it time, with this book you're hit with it right away. The art seems to be growing on me slightly though I still have some issues with it here and there. Not much action though so it was a little lengthy to read through but all around a decent issue. I'm eager to see what happens next and I still recommend this series.
Angel: After the Fall #13 -- Again, I like the storyline, I just don't like the execution. I found the art was a little better in this issue but I still find I'm reading this in a fog, where I don't really get what's going on and it's hurting my caring for the characters. And it's not just the art, I just can't get into a flow with it. It's a bit of a disappointment really. I couldn't recommend this series to anyone but Angel fans and even that I'd be hesitant to do.
She-Hulk vol.2 #34 -- I was a little surprised to see this book begin to tackle a problem that is reflected very closely in the real world. It even singles out Russia and China as two countries that are enabling the fictional dictator in a fictional land. I wonder how much negative responses Marvel gets for that. There is also quite a bit of humour in this issue, possibly to counter the serious side of the story. But there's not much action as we mostly get set up in this issue. But enough about that, I do like that it's touching on a real world like problem while still keeping things a little light. And I got a few chuckles out of it. The art was solid (though the Red Guardian looked a little off to me on that last page). Overall, the series still gets a recommend from me.
Echo #7 -- I know I've talked about dropping this series due to the pace but I just haven't bothered to yet. I think the next issue will be it for me though as it'll bring me to the end of the second TPB. It's still a somewhat interesting story with good characters but it's just going a bit too slowly for me. I may pick up the TPBs eventually but we'll have to wait and see.
Runaways vol.3 #3 -- This issue seemed off while I was reading it. It was fun and all seeing the Runaways interact but it felt off somehow. Then the last page hits and wow, I didn't see that coming. After reading so many books that seem off and being told by the writers to just give it time, with this book you're hit with it right away. The art seems to be growing on me slightly though I still have some issues with it here and there. Not much action though so it was a little lengthy to read through but all around a decent issue. I'm eager to see what happens next and I still recommend this series.
Angel: After the Fall #13 -- Again, I like the storyline, I just don't like the execution. I found the art was a little better in this issue but I still find I'm reading this in a fog, where I don't really get what's going on and it's hurting my caring for the characters. And it's not just the art, I just can't get into a flow with it. It's a bit of a disappointment really. I couldn't recommend this series to anyone but Angel fans and even that I'd be hesitant to do.
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