Comics comics comics. Webcomics, minicomics, graphic novels, comic strips, monthly titles, indy, mainstream-- You name it, this is the thread for comics.
I'm making this thread in response to a recent increase in comic-related conversation. Part of that is because Our Very Own Xathan has officially gone pro, but some of it just seems to be a trend. We've had a thread about favorite superheroes recently, as well as single issue reviews, and earlier this month, I had been to a convention. I know we have quite a few comic fans around here, so why not have an official thread for discussing them?
You want to steer that browser to www.gunnerkrigg.com
Quote from: Luminous CrayonYou want to steer that browser to www.gunnerkrigg.com
Will do, once I can get it away from www.theherobiz.com
Edit-- I've actually got about a couple dozen tabs open with sites from fliers and promos from the con. A few of them are webcomics, a few are artists, and a few are various vendors and publishers and such. If anyone is interested, I'll share what I have.
Oh boy here we go...
Dark Places
Dresden Codak
ErfWorld
Fanboys
Fey Winds
Girl Genius
Guilded Age
Gunnerkrigg Court
Manly Guys Doing Manly Things
Order of the Stick
Outsider
Penny Arcade
Question Duck
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
The Dreadful
Unsounded
XKCD
Yet Another Fantasy Gamer Comic
You have my full support for this thread! So whose going to kick off the discussion? If no one else is, i've got a few suggestions, but this is Sdragons thread so I'll let her make the calls.
Also, Manly Guys Doing Manly Things= awesome!
Penny Arcade
PVP
XKCD
Extralife
Sheldon
Drive
Cyanide and Happiness
Order of the Stick
Darths and Droids
Chainsaw Suit
F-Cords
Starslip
Evil Inc.
Erfworld (though I haven't read it since it left GitP (saving it for a rainy day)).
Lone Zaku Comics (made by my IRL Friend, though he's been way too busy to update it this month)
Here's a list of some of my favorite comics.
Calvin and Hobbes (greatest cartoon in the history of the universe)
Flight Anthologies (They're one of those things if i explained it, it would sound dumb, but go read them, cause they will blow your mind)
Zot!
Astro Boy
Webcomics i've read:
Megatokyo
Lackadaisy
another shout out to Manly Guys
And if you're an absolute TV cartoon junkie, than Powerpuff Girls Doujinshi is a good read (no relation to Powerpuff girls Z... This thread needs a throw-up smiley :angry:).
Quote from: Newb MSTieYou have my full support for this thread! So whose going to kick off the discussion? If no one else is, i've got a few suggestions, but this is Sdragons thread so I'll let him make the calls.
Also, Manly Guys Doing Manly Things= awesome!
Bold, mine :p
Feel free to start any comic-related discussion you want in here. That's why I made the thread.
Zot is one book I'd love to get the chance to read. I love McCloud's Understanding/Reinventing/Making Comics books, so I'm interested in seeing what he did before that.
Quote from: SDragonQuote from: Newb MSTieYou have my full support for this thread! So whose going to kick off the discussion? If no one else is, i've got a few suggestions, but this is Sdragons thread so I'll let him make the calls.
Also, Manly Guys Doing Manly Things= awesome!
Bold, mine :p
Feel free to start any comic-related discussion you want in here. That's why I made the thread.
Zot is one book I'd love to get the chance to read. I love McCloud's Understanding/Reinventing/Making Comics books, so I'm interested in seeing what he did before that.
Sorry about that, i was just going off your status thingie. Anyways, i'm glad you brought up Scott McCloud again. I was wondering what you guys thought about his Making Comics and his propositions for the four tribes of artists. Anybody who hasn't read Making Comics you can read more about this here (http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2008/aug/26/thetribesofart).
I'll add to the list...
Hark! A Vagrant (http://beatonna.livejournal.com/) - Great comic by history buff Kate Beaton.
Kinokofry (http://kinokofry.com/) - A strange and quirky collection of comics by Rebecca Clements.
Roommate Comics (http://www.hejibits.com/) - Funny series made by John Kleckner about his annoying college roommate.
Dresden Codak (http://dresdencodak.com/) - An amazingly artistic comic done by Aaron Diaz (Nom de plume: Dresden Codak).
Manly Guys Doing Manly Things (http://thepunchlineismachismo.com/) - A seriously awesome comic about overly machismo characters from video games. Done by Kelly Turnbull.
Subnormality (http://www.viruscomix.com/page325.html)
Octopus Pie (http://www.octopuspie.com/) - By Meredith Gran.
Bolton Blue (http://www.boltonblue.com/) - By Australian surfer Pat Grant.
Vattu (and other comics, like Rice Boy) (http://www.rice-boy.com/vattu/index.php) - By Evan Dahm. Really creative stuff in here. Rice Boy is absolutely bizarre, but Vattu is great!
I realize some of these were mentioned already, but they probably bear repeating anyways. ;)
This is why manly guys doing manly things is awesome btw
(http://thepunchlineismachismo.com/comics/2010-04-26.jpg)
You know, I had just been thinking about starting a Green Lantern thread...
Wow is Manly Guys Doing Manly Things great. It's a lot like The Hero Business, only with video game characters instead of superheroes.
Ninja D: Might as well use this thread, huh? :p
Newb: I think the four tribes are really closer to two dichotomies. The two lines in the chart are more significant than the four corners. The corners, I think, are just exemplary of the extremes of the dichotomies.
Gaiman being considered a Classicist, I think, is a good example of this. Classicists, ideally, are writers and artists with styles of such grandiose beauty, reminiscent of the romantics and the Renaissance. Sure, Gaiman clearly has this quality in his writing, but he frequently employs a more Iconoclast sense of humanity, as well. In Sandman, mortals are frequently exposed, stripped to their bare truth before gods, fairies, and the Endless. Of course, he is friends with Iconoclast Alan Moore.
The other thing that I find amusing is that Frank Cho is given as an example of classicists. This is a guy, mind you, that went into nursing school because the male/female ratio was 1:9, and said "the secret of good art is boobs and butts." Romantic, indeed...
@Nomadic
Mr. Fish FTW!
@Sdragon
Yeah, and plus i can't really tell where i belong either. I seem to encompass ideals from all corners of the board. Another good way to put it is Realist, Caricuturist,Emotionalist, and Plotist.
So here's a good question. Which kinds of comics do you like better? ones that employ caricuture, or ones that are fairly realistic? I've always prefered caricuturized comics over gritty realistic comics. What about you guys?
Reading Gunnerkrigg Court. This is really, really good stuff. I can't help, however, to compare it to Harry Potter. It might be the British schooling system, it might be the magic, or it might even be the protagonist being exposed to a world considerably more grandiose than they expected.
In any case, this is good stuff.
Quote from: SDragonReading Gunnerkrigg Court. This is really, really good stuff. I can't help, however, to compare it to Harry Potter. It might be the British schooling system, it might be the magic, or it might even be the protagonist being exposed to a world considerably more grandiose than they expected.
In any case, this is good stuff.
It does have a bit of a harry potter undertone to it. That being said it's IMO about a thousand times more awesome than harry potter.
Quote from: NomadicQuote from: SDragonReading Gunnerkrigg Court. This is really, really good stuff. I can't help, however, to compare it to Harry Potter. It might be the British schooling system, it might be the magic, or it might even be the protagonist being exposed to a world considerably more grandiose than they expected.
In any case, this is good stuff.
It does have a bit of a harry potter undertone to it. That being said it's IMO about a thousand times more awesome than harry potter.
I actually liked Harry Potter, so the undertone is welcome, in my opinion. I will agree, though, this is much better. New favorite quote: "Hmm. Suddenly I am wearing a party hat."
Quote from: SDragonQuote from: NomadicQuote from: SDragonReading Gunnerkrigg Court. This is really, really good stuff. I can't help, however, to compare it to Harry Potter. It might be the British schooling system, it might be the magic, or it might even be the protagonist being exposed to a world considerably more grandiose than they expected.
In any case, this is good stuff.
It does have a bit of a harry potter undertone to it. That being said it's IMO about a thousand times more awesome than harry potter.
I actually liked Harry Potter, so the undertone is welcome, in my opinion. I will agree, though, this is much better. New favorite quote: "Hmm. Suddenly I am wearing a party hat."
You may appreciate this then: http://gunnerkrigg.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1185
I just made a pretty fantastic purchase on eBay.
[spoiler=THIS]This is the entire run of Green Lantern Vol.3!! The series that introduced Parallax and Kyle Rayner and with the last story leading into Green Lantern: Rebirth!!! All comics are from Fine to Near Mint condition (Most Near Mint but the ones from 20 yrs ago or so aren't in as good of shape).
In this collection you will get:
Green Lantern Vol. 3 #0-#181 and #1,000,000
Green Lantern Quaterly #1-#8
Annuals #1-#9
Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn #1-#6
Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn 2 #1-#6
Green Lantern/Sentinel: Heart of Darkness #1-#3
Brave and the Bold #1-#6 (starring Green Lantern and The Flash)
Green Lantern: Circle of Fire #1-#2 plus one-shots
Green Lantern Secret Files and Origins #1-#3
Green Lantern 80-page Giant #1-#3
Green Lantern plus The Ray
Green Lantern 3-D Special w/ glasses still inside
Green Lantern: Our Worlds at War Special
DC 1st: Green Lantern
DC Comics Presents: Green Lantern
Green Lantern/Flash: Faster Friends #1-#2
Green Lantern: The New Corps #1-#2
Green Lantern: Ganthet's Tale
Green Lantern/Superman: Legend of the Green Flame
Green Lantern: Brightest Day/Blackest Night (has nothing to do with recent events from DC)
Green Lantern/Silver Surfer
Green Lantern: Dragon LOrd #1-#3 (Elseworlds)
Green Lantern: Evil's Might #1-#3 (Elseworlds)
Green Lantern: 1,001 Emerald Nights (Elseworlds)
Green Lantern: THe Last Will and Testament of Hal Jordan HC OGN
Green Lantern: Fear Itself HC OGN
Plus many other comics that cross-over with the series such as issues of Green Arrow, Flash and Superboy![/spoiler]
I've decided to take a shot at reviewing a comic.
Transformers: Hearts of Steel
(http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x112/ngeekhiong3/HeartsofSteel_Comic_Cover.jpg)
Imagine a Transformers universe where instead of coming to earth in the 20th or 21st century, they came in the 19th century. A universe where in the year 1864, Jules Verne was just getting Journey to the Center of the Earth published, and then an epic war between strange alien robots, calling themselves the Autonomous, and the Deceptuals, has been brought to earth. The autonomous side with the american union, while the deceptuals throw there pitch in with the confederates, while the deceptuals leader Megatron whispers in the ears of the british royal family and fanning the flames of war. The series goes alot of places from there including an investigation into the jungles of south america, where they must battle dinosaurs, and even a few of them take on there forms, an expediton to the moon, where the autonomous must enlist the help of Jules Verne in order to build a cannon to shoot them to the moon, so that they may discover some sort of secret, but revealing said secrets would be spoilertastic. There also appears to be bizarre tie ins such as the swashbuckling inventor Nemonico of India who meets up with Jules Verne, and he shows him his super submersible.
The artwork for this unbelievable masterpiece of steampunk sequential superiority is whoever did the artwork for these beauties.
[spoiler] (http://cdn.obsidianportal.com/assets/37419/Steampunk_Art.jpg) [/spoiler]
[spoiler] (http://www.omega7red.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Lady-Mechanika.jpg) [/spoiler]
Yes this is an incredible sounding comics series... Which Transformers Hearts of Steel is certainly not.
IDW comics decided to do an experiment series where they would try to do alternate universes with the transformers, flinging them into different timelines. There first venture into this was a 4 comic series called Hearts of Steel, where bumble bee meets up with john henry, and they must keep the Decepticons from getting to new york city. That's it. That is literally the entire consummation of the series. They keep the decepticons from getting to the big apple... Oh but it's ok! cause just look at Optimus Prime! He's a train! I love trains so much! Ever since i was a toddler, and i wouldn't stop bauling my head off until we went off and listened to a train pass by! I mean just look at this concept art!
[spoiler] (http://www.cosplayisland.co.uk/files/costumes/1537/12545/HeartsofSteel_OptimusPrime.jpg) [/spoiler]
Oh boy!... Wait... you mean you're saying that optimus prime isn't really making an appearance, and he won't be a train.... WHY ARE YOU RELEASING THIS CONCEPT ART THEN???? Oh and megatron's not making an appearance either? Well that's swell!!!!
Here's all i can say about this. If you were to follow my steampunk transformers concept, you might not have a super sales streak the world over, but you would have a very loyal cult following of the series, and have a lot steampunk enthusiasts slobbering all over themselves. As you can imagine, Hearts of Steel didn't exactly go well, and now IDW refuses to do anymore alternate series transformers, which is sad, cause i could totally see a great series where the transformers wake up in the early 20th century, or a medieval version where the transformers turn into robotic versions of mythical monsters.
In conclusion, there is something worse than a bad idea, it's a great idea, which had it's potential wasted. Atleast a bad idea doesn't make you yearn for what wasn't.... Atleast there are people making cool action figures of steampunk prime...
[spoiler] (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_G96gxvrHqrE/SXp2KA-NcwI/AAAAAAAAE0M/z_OAFJYsPi0/s400/HeartsofSteelPrime2.jpg) (http://www.ohgizmo.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/steamprime1.jpg) [/spoiler]
What do you mean they aren't mass manufactured???
All right, i edited it now, and since i hate to waste a perfectly good post, i'll ask a couple of questions.
Did my review suck that much?
What makes a good superhero?
Okay, i've decided it's time to expand my horizons as a comics enthusiast, and begin taking a swim into superhero comics. I've read alot of manga, read all of the flight anthologies except for #7, and i got the Zot! black & white collection. I love Zot!, but that's not really a "mainstream" comic. So speaking of Zot!, I was thinking back to what Scott McCloud said in Reinventing Comics (great read, but it's kind of "of its time") and he was talking about how superhero comics to him are like "chocolate cakes with vanilla frosting" but who wants to eat nothing but cake? Well i've had alot of full course Flight meals, a bitter cup of Evangelion, and a sweet n' sour pork fest of FMA, but now I'm ready to try a slice of cake.
The root problem with me is, i love "cartoony" superheroes, like Darkwing Duck, The PPG's, Freakazoid, The Incredibles, and Zot! is cartoony to a fair degree. And i never really got to grow up with Superhero comics, because my mom wouldn't let me. Cont.
As to why, Moviebob put it best http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/the-big-picture/3105-Done-With-Dark In retrospect i'm glad I was raised on DWD instead of that crap.. But still, i feel it's time to take a shot at mainstream superhero comics. I have forty bucks, twenty of which is going to the second volume of Darkwing Duck, but i also have twenty bucks left to spend on something else, and i was thinking of making an investment into a superhero comic. Still theres really only one hero that has peaked my interest, and that's Captain Marvel (DC). Also maybe some alternate reality heroes like Spidergirl, but that's about it. So what do you guys think? Are there any other heroes that would interest me, is Captain Marvel a good investment, or should i save my money?
And while i'm at it, Dr. Strange looks kinda cool.
Quote from: Newb MSTieAs to why, Moviebob put it best http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/the-big-picture/3105-Done-With-Dark In retrospect i'm glad I was raised on DWD instead of that crap.. But still, i feel it's time to take a shot at mainstream superhero comics. I have forty bucks, twenty of which is going to the second volume of Darkwing Duck, but i also have twenty bucks left to spend on something else, and i was thinking of making an investment into a superhero comic. Still theres really only one hero that has peaked my interest, and that's Captain Marvel (DC). Also maybe some alternate reality heroes like Spidergirl, but that's about it. So what do you guys think? Are there any other heroes that would interest me, is Captain Marvel a good investment, or should i save my money?
And while i'm at it, Dr. Strange looks kinda cool.
Captain Marvel is a tough one, for me. I loved the early Fawcett stuff, but the few times I've glanced at how DC has handled him, it seems like they've made him a little more of a Superman copy. Most creators try to avoid that, but some are better than others. If you like him, though, then go for it!
As a Marvel fan (probably should've mentioned that before giving my opinion on a DC character, huh?), I'm not sure what to say about alternate reality characters. I, for one, like them, but it seems there's not an exceptionally large fanbase for stuff like 2099 or Age of Apocalypse. Though, if you like McCloud's American/Manga hybrid style, check out anything that Joe Madureira drew back in the 90's, including his work on Age of Apocalypse.
Sidenote: I just quickly looked into a listing of his stuff, and it seems there was a trade paperback of the old Generation X released late last year.
Doctor Strange really is pretty cool. There really isn't much that I can say that doesn't emphasize that point. I think his cameo rate is second only to Wolverine and Nick Fury.
@SDragon
Thanks for the help. I've always cared more about the characters than the companies they came from. I only had a couple minutes to glance over the comics at Hastings while getting my dvd set, and that was pinching it. I should probably mention that I've read some other stuff, including that medieval alternate reality comic that Marvel came out with, and I also read an issue from the Civil War saga. And i read a reprint of the first batman comics (wish they'd do the same for Captain Marvel).
If you want to check out reprints of the first few Captain Marvel stories, check out The Smithsonian Book of Comic-Book Comics (http://www.amazon.com/Smithsonian-Comic-Book-Comics-Martin-Williams/dp/0810906961). This also has a reprint of the first Batman story, the first Superman story, a few stories from The Spirit, the first Red Tornado story, and quite a bit more.
McCloud's description of superhero comics aside, I'd probably compare them more to a bottle of Mott's grape juice. It's not a bottle of Vreeg's Finest Wine, but it's where most of us (in the US, anyway) get our start, and sometimes you just want to enjoy something comfortably familiar. Then again, that's just my view.
Witness the magnificent horror of Pictures for Sad Children (http://www.picturesforsadchildren.com/).
Great webcomic and I don't think it has been added to this list yet. The humor is very... odd. Sometimes tragic. You don't always get why you are laughing.
For examples see
problems (http://www.picturesforsadchildren.com/index.php?comicID=341)
shopping (http://www.picturesforsadchildren.com/index.php?comicID=337)
unlikely medicine (http://www.picturesforsadchildren.com/index.php?comicID=378)
Also, Buttersafe (half the terror, double the whimsy):
http://buttersafe.com/2008/03/13/romance-on-the-floating-island/
So i've thought about it long, and hard, and decided to save up an extra ten dollars to get that Blacksad collection. What do you guys think?
Haven't heard about it until just now, but after a quick Google search for info, it looks pretty good. I'd pick it up, myself.
Interestingly enough, despite the level of realism, the artwork looks like it was influenced by the work of Jason:
[spoiler=Blacksad](http://www.madebymakina.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/blacksad3.jpg)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Jason](from: I Killed Adolph Hitler)
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a343/seanwitzke/04_hitler_5.jpg)[/spoiler]
I've decided to start writing out my ideas for comics. Like i said before, i'm a little paranoid about people stealing my ideas, but i am trying to find comics to study. What are some good alternative history comics to read? Webcomics would be best. Thanks!
Loving Lords Leaping Ludicrously...http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/110541-DC-Comics-Rebooting-Entire-Universe-Back-to-1 and just when i was thinking about giving superhero comics another shot...
Quote from: My Aunt LucyLoving Lords Leaping Ludicrously...http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/110541-DC-Comics-Rebooting-Entire-Universe-Back-to-1 and just when i was thinking about giving superhero comics another shot...
Just because they're starting over at number 1, that doesn't have to mean it's actually a reboot. Thinking positiverly, that's the perfect jumping-on point to give them another shot.
In other news, at the thought of a DCU reboot, I feel like someone ran over my dog.
Well now that i think about it, it may be for the best. Once again Moviebob puts it best (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/the-big-picture/2568-Continanity). Maybe a new start isn't such a terrible idea, i just hope (yes, you may point and laugh at me) they do something with Captain Marvel (SHAZAM)....
There was a miniseries a couple of years back called The Trials of SHAZAM that I enjoyed.
I've been back at comics since a little bit before the New 52. I read all 52 of those (plus the minis that launched month 2) for the first two months. I give each new release at least a month or two to decide if I want to keep it or not.
Action Comics has been pretty good, if jumpy and getting confusing, but the book titled Superman was awful. New creative team starts this month, though.
Batman and Robin has been a bit disappointing and Batman The Dark Knight could be better. My biggest problem with Batman is the art when people are out of costumes but the Night of the Owls storyline has been pretty cool. I'm still reading most Batman related titles, though I dropped Catwoman right away and Red Hood and the Outlaws is probably next to go.
I really need to cut back on what I'm ordering even more, though. I've branched out into non-DC titles and it's getting to be a little too much. I'm also going to start preordering through Previews, so I'll be ordering 2 months in advance.
Anyone here into Vertigo stuff? It's a nice alternative to superhero comics. Hellblazer is probably my personal favorite, though I really, really like Transmetropolitan as well, and of course Sandman.
I picked up the first issue of Spaceman and didn't like it. There's a new Vertigo ongoing that starts this week that I've ordered. It's written by Paul Cornell and it's about someone that has been abducted by aliens running for president to save the world or something.
If you'rea Hellblazer fan, John Constantine is also in Justice League Dark, which has the dark magical style.
My favorite non-big two right now is Top Cow. IDW puts out some cool stuff, too.
Justice League Dark looks pretty interesting, though I'm very glad that the continuity is being kept separate - the Hellblazer universe quickly stopped participating in the main DC universe and morphed into something much closer to our own, to its great benefit.
I am a big fan of marvel and have been consuming large quantities of Comics via their Digital Comics Unlimited subscription service.
Recently, I have been pining for Superman, Batman and the other DC super heroes. So I decided to start collecting New 52 comics.
I went to my local comic book store today and wound up picking up:
- Action Comics #7
- Batman #6
- The Flash #6
- The Justice League International #6
- Red Lanterns #2 & 3
I have read each comic and found Action Comics and Batman to be very good. The art was stellar and the writing solid. I disliked the Justice League International, not for any really reason, other than Booster Gold isn't acting like how I imagine/like Booster Gold to act (He's supposed to be snarky and fun, not the stern leader!). I can chalk this up to the fact that I am entering the series in the middle of a story arc, so I suppose we'll see how he acts next week. The Red Lantern was quite a shock - I imagined the Red Lanterns to be mindless Barbarians, not thoughtful and introspective. It was a big surprise and it guaranteed a few more purchases. The Flash was nice, not great, not bad... Just nice.
Can anyone tell me what the difference between all of the different Batman titles are? I know some are in the past and some are set in the current day but... Which is which?
I've been thinking about picking up Hellblazer for months but I really need to thin out the comics I'm ordering. I'm spending as much as $50 some weeks.
Red Lanterns is weird...I think I'm with the majority in thinking they missed the mark but I keep reading it, anyway. I know that one is on #7 now, too, right?
Booster Gold has been growing as a character for years. I guess he's aging with his creator.
All of the Batman books are on the same timeline. The only DC books in a different time, off the top of my head, are All-Star Western, Batman Beyond Unlimited / Justice League Unlimited, Demon Knights, Legion of Superheroes, and Legion Lost. Also, Action Comics for this first arc (Justice League also was for the first arc but no longer). I don't know what gave you the idea that they took place at different times.
I forgot something in my last reply; I'll give you that The Flash is incredibly cheesey and far from my favorite character but this is EXACTLY how Barry Allen is supposed to be. Combine that with the art that fits it very well and is absolutely beautiful in its cartoony glory any youhave quite possibly the best superhero book on the market. It's not my favorite but it's 100% on-target for what they're trying to do. It's like a silver age book put out today.
I was talking to a big DC fan and he said with the new 52 that some of the comics were set 5 years ago, others 2 and the remainder in the present day (excluding far future and far past comics).
Quote from: Ninja D!I've been thinking about picking up Hellblazer for months but I really need to thin out the comics I'm ordering.
I only ever buy comics in trade paperback form, personally. There are some great Hellblazer trades out there. In particular
All His Engines, written by Mike Carey (who also did
Lucifer), is a great "classic Constantine" story.
Hellblazer isn't for everyone. I'd say give it a whirl if you're a fan of dark, supernatural stuff, urban fantasy, and/or horror. They're not "actiony" comics in the slightest - most of the time Constantine deals with his problems with trickery, manipulation, and knowledge, and sometimes a bit of magic, but rarely physical violence or flashy powers. Much time is spent on character development and solving mysteries. The central character is morally ambiguous - far, far more so than someone like Batman, for example - and the content does not shirk from unpleasantness.
Quote from: Elemental_ElfI was talking to a big DC fan and he said with the new 52 that some of the comics were set 5 years ago, others 2 and the remainder in the present day (excluding far future and far past comics).
Justice League was, I think, five for the first arc and Action Comics was set some time before that. Otherwise, they're all together.
Wow, I've been gone a long time.... Sorry, lethal combination of school, Team Fortress 2, Pokemon, and the discovery of obscure cartoons that I feel guilty about not knowing anything about them.
This is both on and off topic, but i've been collecting alot of DC animated stuff, like Batman: Gotham Knights, Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, and Justice League: Unlimited Vol. 1, being the most recent inclusion to my collection.
So here's a question for the comics industry; Why aren't comics written like cartoon episodes? The first episode of Batman: The Animated Series I showed to my mom was "Heart of Ice", and she loved it! Didn't have any real background in Batman except the Nolan films, and I think the Adam West batman. I didn't have to force her to watch all the episodes from the beginning, I just showed her the episode, and she got it immediately. So the point i'm trying to make is, that most of the Batman TAS episodes are self contained and don't require much background information. Why don't any comics I've heard of ever do the same, and why would it be so difficult to do so?
Also, has anyone else heard of Astro City? Looks pretty interesting.
Quote from: Newb Colossus Slayer
Wow, I've been gone a long time.... Sorry, lethal combination of school, Team Fortress 2, Pokemon, and the discovery of obscure cartoons that I feel guilty about not knowing anything about them.
This is both on and off topic, but i've been collecting alot of DC animated stuff, like Batman: Gotham Knights, Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, and Justice League: Unlimited Vol. 1, being the most recent inclusion to my collection.
So here's a question for the comics industry; Why aren't comics written like cartoon episodes? The first episode of Batman: The Animated Series I showed to my mom was "Heart of Ice", and she loved it! Didn't have any real background in Batman except the Nolan films, and I think the Adam West batman. I didn't have to force her to watch all the episodes from the beginning, I just showed her the episode, and she got it immediately. So the point i'm trying to make is, that most of the Batman TAS episodes are self contained and don't require much background information. Why don't any comics I've heard of ever do the same, and why would it be so difficult to do so?
To be honest, I have a sneaking suspicion that the fact that TV shows almost universally favor minimal to no continuity where as comics favor heavy continuity is due to the general audience they are each tapping. TV shows try and appeal to the broadest spectrum possible because it gets better ratings. If you have a show with a lot of complexity and inter-woven, cross-episode, cross-season plots, then it (generally speaking) dissuades new viewers who feel they have to start at the beginning to get everything that is going on. This feeling leads to them not watching the TV show because they never come back to it, while it is on air, and see when the re-runs begin. Furthermore, people who ARE invested are less likely to continue watching the show if they happen to miss and episode or two (preferring to wait until re-runs or the DVDs). Put that together and you can see why TV generally favors minimal continuity.
Comics, on the other hand, do not appeal to the general audience and resemble books more than TV. The medium of comics is much, much slower in that it takes an entire month for the story to continue. Potentially a single fight could eat up half a year's worth of comics (6 issues), where as TV shows could finish the same fight in just a handful of episodes (if that). This time delay generally means people will be more invested in the story because, if you can't wait, you aren't going to enjoy comics. Furthermore, because of the time delay between installments, cross-overs between different comic franchises become very popular since the reader can see his favorite characters multiple times a month, which increases sales for the franchises who participate in the cross over (fans one one will buy the other just to see their fav and vice versa, even if they don't necessarily like the second hero). Because comics take so long to complete a story, and because cross overs are so popular, there's already a feeling that continuity exists, even if one story line has nothing to do with the next.
I'd also wager that continuity also exists because the fans LIKE it. Golden Age comics very rarely had one long running story arcs, rather they simply focused on one-shot adventures and battles. There's only so many times you can watch Superman pummel Bizzarro before it gets to be old hat. Comics have been alive and well, with the same franchises, for 75+ years. If you don't have continuity, comics simply get boring. Each individual comic is small, 22-30 pages long, there isn't enough space to develop a good story and still have the gorgeous art in such a small space.
Also remember that a half-hour TV show episode will encompass 2 to 4 comic strips alone, so what looks like a self contained story on TV actually spanned 2-4 months in the comic form.
If the continuity in comics weren't so important, I would feel less connected to the characters and less compelled to continue to buy every month.
Not to say that there aren't some comics like that...it's just not the norm.
Quote from: Ninja D!
If the continuity in comics weren't so important, I would feel less connected to the characters and less compelled to continue to buy every month.
Not to say that there aren't some comics like that...it's just not the norm.
I agree completely!
Oh! forgot to mention, I picked up some new comics yesterday:
- Bat Woman
- Batgirl
- Batman and Robin
I have read all three titles and enjoyed each thoroughly. I will definitely be picking each up every month
The first Batwoman arc was fantastic. The art was mind-blowing. There's a new artist now but I hope to still enjoy it.
Batgirl has some awkward parts but, overall, Gail Simone is doing a great job with it.
Batman and Robin has been pretty enjoyable but I was hoping for something a little different. Tomasi is a character writer and I really want to see him work with some traditional Batman villains. Of course, the Joker is currently out of the picture.
Okay, I was at a library, and I checked out a few books. Some of them were comics.
Cowboys and Aliens:
I was raised by a pair of cowpoke. And thus I was raised around westerns my entire life. And sorry people, but I loved WIld, Wild, West (yes the Will Smith one) as a kid. I absolutely loved the giant robot spider, the scary super-train, and well, I'm a Will Smith fan, go figure. But I loved the fact it was a genre-blended western. I once read another really cartoonish comic book in the library that was a crazy mix of stuff thrown into a western setting. All I remember was a giant robo-train (pure adrenaline powered geek-out), alien sasquatches, and skeletal cowboys, or something. I also once did a review of Transformers: Hearts of Steel here on this thread a while back, and my basic complaint was that it was to short and to anti-climatic. I would still be keeping up with and buying a series about steampunk/western Transformers that was just as long and "big picture" as the old transformers comic books, or Beast Wars.
The point is I love and would give a chance to anything that tries to blend westerns with Sci-fi, and so I of course was eager to see Cowboys and Aliens when it came out on DVD (sorry I rarely go to the theater), and I watched it with my parents. They liked it, but I wasn't having fun, and considering the fact that its practically a concept that somebody had to have come up with by watching there kids throw there entire toy collection on the floor and going nuts, that's really saying something. I mean how do you screw up a casting with Harrison Ford and Olivia Wilde? I heard it was based off a comic book, and when I saw it in the library, I decided to give it a look at... And I love it! Look, I'm part Cherokee, and Sue, and there was one thing that stuck out to me the entire time. No irony. It's not to say that the cowboys being blasted by technologically superior beings isn't ironic, it's just that they don't do anything with it. And that's what I love about the comic. It's entirely about the irony. It establishes the irony at the beginning, and takes it from there. So I had fun with the comic book, and It has given me the idea to start brainstorming my own crazy western stuff.
Mouseguard: Winter 1152
This is my first medieval/fantasy comic ever, and I absolutely love it! I'm the only male sibling in my house out of four, and I have read Beatrix Potter (the one about the pesky squirrel who get's his tail bitten off by the owl he keeps harassing), and have watched several animated adaptations of her work. The moment I began reading Mouseguard: Winter 1152, I was like "oh my gosh, i have to show this to my mom and sisters". And I did and they loved the artwork, but they didn't read it, which is a shame because it's such a glorious combination of Beatrix Potter, and J.R.R. Tolkien.
I also recently discovered the webcomic Imagine This, which I love for so many reasons.
Finally got round to reading some Tank Girl. So happy I did. From Odyssey's constant digs at the film through Apocalypse's Illuminatus!-esque shenanigans to Barney's "Frankie says you're a cunt" t-shirt in Royal Escape, it's quite simply flawless. I feel I was unwittingly channelling it with my abortive post-apoc setting, Drust: The Tumult (http://www.thecbg.org/index.php/topic,129261.0.html)
Quote from: Elemental_Elf
To be honest, I have a sneaking suspicion that the fact that TV shows almost universally favor minimal to no continuity where as comics favor heavy continuity is due to the general audience they are each tapping. TV shows try and appeal to the broadest spectrum possible because it gets better ratings. If you have a show with a lot of complexity and inter-woven, cross-episode, cross-season plots, then it (generally speaking) dissuades new viewers who feel they have to start at the beginning to get everything that is going on. This feeling leads to them not watching the TV show because they never come back to it, while it is on air, and see when the re-runs begin. Furthermore, people who ARE invested are less likely to continue watching the show if they happen to miss and episode or two (preferring to wait until re-runs or the DVDs). Put that together and you can see why TV generally favors minimal continuity.
Comics, on the other hand, do not appeal to the general audience and resemble books more than TV. The medium of comics is much, much slower in that it takes an entire month for the story to continue. Potentially a single fight could eat up half a year's worth of comics (6 issues), where as TV shows could finish the same fight in just a handful of episodes (if that). This time delay generally means people will be more invested in the story because, if you can't wait, you aren't going to enjoy comics. Furthermore, because of the time delay between installments, cross-overs between different comic franchises become very popular since the reader can see his favorite characters multiple times a month, which increases sales for the franchises who participate in the cross over (fans one one will buy the other just to see their fav and vice versa, even if they don't necessarily like the second hero). Because comics take so long to complete a story, and because cross overs are so popular, there's already a feeling that continuity exists, even if one story line has nothing to do with the next.
I'd also wager that continuity also exists because the fans LIKE it. Golden Age comics very rarely had one long running story arcs, rather they simply focused on one-shot adventures and battles. There's only so many times you can watch Superman pummel Bizzarro before it gets to be old hat. Comics have been alive and well, with the same franchises, for 75+ years. If you don't have continuity, comics simply get boring. Each individual comic is small, 22-30 pages long, there isn't enough space to develop a good story and still have the gorgeous art in such a small space.
Also remember that a half-hour TV show episode will encompass 2 to 4 comic strips alone, so what looks like a self contained story on TV actually spanned 2-4 months in the comic form.
Yeah, fair enough. I don't have anything against the continuity of comics, just that comics seem to be entirely about the continuity. I love Captain Marvel. He's a little boy who turns into a superman-esque hero, and his arch nemesis is an
evil-genius caterpillar from outer space. The moment I heard the backstory alone, I fell in love with Captain Marvel. And so I began looking around, and lo and behold I found this great website called Digital Comic Museum, and they store scans of old and out of print, public domain comics (perfectly legal), and they have so much Captain Marvel stuff on there. And yes I began with the story about the
Evil Genius Caterpillar from Outer Space. That was 23 issues in or so (possibly 50 or something, I can't remember right off the top of my head). I didn't have to read from the very beginning to get what was going on, Heck I didn't even have to get on a wiki, and read summaries of what's been going on since issue #1. Just read from the beginning of the story, and read into it's conclusion two issues later.
I heard it once said that the old rule of thumb for writing comic books was to write it as if it was someones first issue. And it certainly worked with getting me into the old Captain Marvel comics, and considering how dense the writing was in those old books, that's really saying something.
Oh and how could I have forgotten that I read Superman Red Son? The first Superman comic I ever read, and I like it a lot! Although I would've done it a lot differently myself. But then again my vision would probably take up to five or eight issues to tell, as apposed to the 3 issue limit imposed. So I dunno. Is anybody interested in a "How I would do it differently" style review?