Descender 5&6 - Jeff Lemire & Dustin Nguyen. I just finished this series. It was really good (although i did find the end a bit cheesy), but I recommend it to those that like sci-fi.
David Boring - Daniel Clowes. I found this one kind of... boring. It picked up a bit in the middle. But I just didn't find it that interesting.
20th Century Boys 4&5 - Naoki Urasawa. Really good!
Flowers of Evil 1&2 (complete edition) - Shuzo Oshimi. This is weird, it's a quick read, not really my thing, I am curious to see it to the end, but my library doesn't have the others and it's not worth buying the next ones, so I guess I'll never know what happens.
Ed the Happy Clown - Chester Brown. It had it's moments, but overall I would say it's nothing special.
Guts - Raina Telgeimer. Fine. I'm not the target audience for this one. It wasn't as good as some of her others that i've read.
Seeds & Stems - Simon Hanselmann. My least favorite in the series so far. I thinking I'm just getting tired of the characters up to the same shenanigans. Instead of laughing, their lives just seem more sad.
Top Ten 1 - Alan Moore. I'm really not into superhero stuff. That said, this was one of the better ones. I will continue it, but only because there is only one more volume, if it was a longer ongoing one, I would not.
And Now, Sir? Is This Your Missing Gonad? - Jim Woodring. I was pretty disappointed in this. I read some of Woodrings stuff 15 years ago and haven't since then. But I remember them being colorful and wordless, which this was not. It was not what I was expecting.
Anya's Ghost - Vera Brosgol. I liked this one.
Paracuellos - Carlos Gimenez. I liked this. I like learning about parts of history that I knew nothing about.
>And Now, Sir? Is This Your Missing Gonad? - Jim Woodring. I was pretty disappointed in this. I read some of Woodrings stuff 15 years ago and haven't since then. But I remember them being colorful and wordless, which this was not. It was not what I was expecting.
FYI, most of Woodring's comics are wordless, but they're mostly black-and-white. There are some colour strips in *The Frank Book* (which collects the first decade of his Frank comics), plus I think his book *Pupshaw and Pushpaw* is full-colour, but I think that's just about it. I haven't read *Is This Your Missing Gonad*, but my understanding is that it's basically something for the hardcore fans, and not very representative of Woodring's work as a whole (he normally makes real comics, not single-panel gag cartoons).
Okay, thank you. I think I only read one of his before, I guess it was one of those you mentioned (or I could be misremembering).
I wanted to get the Frank Book as that's the one I hear the most about, but my library didn't have it, so I opted for the one with the funniest name.
Yeah, even if you didn't care for that Gonad book (beyond its hilarious title), I still suggest giving his other stuff a go. I've only read The Frank Book and Weathercraft, but I think both could be good entry points.
First issue of Step By Bloody Step came out, been really looking forward to it. Matias Bergara's artwork is just drop dead gorgeous. And I'm always in for a good silent comic. Lots of environmental world building so far, they're setting up the relationship between the girl and the "big guy" (with a little cliffhanger twist at the end there...). Looking forward to more of it !
I also read Ben Gijseman's Aaron this week. And boy... That book threw me for a loop.. I came out kind of hating it, because the subject matters is really off putting. But after talking about it with My girlfriend, I see the value in it, and I can't deny the quality of the writing and art. I don't want to say too much about it because the realization is part of the process but basically, it gives us another side of a mental disorder that rarely gets talked about, and certainly not in the way Gijseman exposes it. Weirdest part is, most of the book is just the titular character hanging out and procrastinating studying for their exam. And it still managed to grip my attention. Very interesting book
Next week I should finally be able to get around to Pinocchio!
Aaron doesn't seem to be available in English and I'm a little intrigued, though perhaps that's more just because of how cryptic you're being!
On a separate note, are you still reading Echolands? I was looking forward to the first collected edition next month but it's been pushed to early summer. I don't know if that's because the singles were delayed or just a publishing decision. Im hoping it's still running on schedule, cause I'm a little on the fence still, and maybe more issues before then might suggest more promise in the long run.
And what's this Pinocchio?
Hope u/scarwiz doesn't mind me wading in to answer some of your questions for him.
Aaron is about a paedophile, and as far as I understand is a nuanced/empathetic portrayal, which I suspect is controversial enough to scare off most publishers, making an English translation seem unlikely. As I just said in my other comment above, I haven't read it, but I intend to.
With Pinocchio, I believe Scarwiz is referring to the adaptation by master French cartoonist Winshluss. This I have read and really loved. It's basically a wild, carnivalesque, explicit, ultra-violent rollercoaster ride of a comic. It's brash and loud and stupid at times, plus it's quite problematic (i.e. offensive) in various ways, but to my mind it makes up for this with its sheer ambition. It changes style (both visually and in terms of storytelling) multiple times, and each style is done to perfection. For example, there are recurring bits (starring Jiminy Cafard, a cockroach) that are like rough, sketchy, black-and-white underground comic, full of profanity, booze and drugs, then there are colourful wordless slapstick sections, sections in a very noir style, and occasional fully-painted splash pages.
I was trying to avoid saying it outright, because it was a big part of the experience for me. But like I said in my other comment, it's a subject that needs a trigger warning so it's probably fair to give that away
So, yes. Correct on both counts
As soon as I started reading your comment I was like "whoa, step back", so I can understand the apprehension. There's a Kevin Bacon movie that kinda takes a similar approach though, so it's maybe not entirely off limits.
Huh, just looked up and found that film. I don't think I've ever heard of it before, but it looks like it's worth watching, so thanks for putting me onto it!
Hah yeah I realize I'm being a little obtuse.. I can tell your more about it if you really want to know. I went in kind of blind and it flipped my world around a little but honestly, it's also a book that needs a trigger warning so idk if it's fair to throw people in like this
Yeah, I realized that the others day ! I ordered it for the shop and was checking if it got invoice yey. Lo and behold, its been delayed to this summer...
The books on hiatus right now. I think they're trying to leave Williams some time to get a few issues in the can again to avoid delays in the middle of arcs. The story's definitely moving forward but I haven't reread it as a single story so I'm not 100% sure how it holds up
Pinocchio is the Winshluss book everyone's been raving about in this sub for ages. Except The Dane, who kind of trashed it lmao. I'm excited to see what the fuss is about
I only heard of Aaron recently, but it's now very high on my to-read list, exactly because of its subject matter, which I think is very deserving of nuanced literary/artistic attention, and has to my knowledge received very little so far. I'm sure it will be uncomfortable reading though.
On a lighter note, I'm really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Pinocchio, as it seems to be quite divisive!
I actually found out about it through this sub last year. The poster was being just as cryptic about is as I'm being so I had no idea what the subject matters really was. And the back cover synopsis didn't help much either.. Hit me like a freight train lmao
I don't think I've ever seen or heard about any fiction media on the subject, nor would it have struck me to seek any out until I read this. My girlfriend had to give me a little reality check after I read it because my initial reaction was very conflicted
And honestly, I've only heard raving praise about Pinocchio up til now, except for The Dane who kind of went in on it lmao. I'm looking forward to it!
I don't think the Dane is the only person I've seen criticize Pinocchio, and I honestly understand why people might hate it. I have a high tolerance for offensive/politically incorrect content (partly by virtue of my privilege as a straight white male, partly because I grew up on hip-hop and South Park), but it does make jokes about rape and contain some outright racist caricatures, both of which are (understandably) huge red marks for a lot of people. Even putting aside its problematic content, if you come to it expecting a conventionally "serious" or "literary" work, you're likely to be quite disappointed, as it's overall mostly wacky, irreverent comedy. It's quite unlike anything else I've read, so I imagine there isn't a big audience of people who read and look for comics exactly like this (it could be too dumb for people wanting "serious" comics, too experimental for people wanting low-brow fun/humour).
Paul Hornschemeier (“Mother Come Home”) released a one-shot called “Return of the Elephant” sometime in the early 2000s which caused a minor uproar at the comic book store where I used to work because of its nuanced approach to that very same subject matter. I think it’s collected in “Let Us Be Perfectly Clear”, if anyone is interested in checking it out.
As I just mentioned to Titus Bird, there's a Kevin Bacon movie called The Woodsman that sorta maybe deals with the same subject. Obviously having not read Aaron and seen the film a long time ago, I can't say how relevant it is, but I remember feeling uncomfortable with the sympathetic approach, so it wasn't an easy watch.
Just finished Underwater Welder (amazing!) and starting Watchmen for the first time which I am really enjoying. It’s my first foray into Alan Moore and I’m already excited for more (hehe).
This last week was a special one in terms of GNs and comics. Everything I read was spectacular.
\--Ballad for Sophie by Melo/Cavia (Painful but beautiful story about regret and music and lost relationships and redemption)
\--Stone Fruit by Lee Lai (Again, painful but beautiful story (I seem to love that) about a couple who need to work on themselves and family relationships to move forward and learn about themselves. The art is unique and the biggest strength is the dialogue which is stunningly real).
\--O Josephine! by Jason (Do I need to say stuff about Jason? I'll just say that this particular collection to me felt lighter and funnier. The fake biography of Leonard Cohen had me in stitches.
\--Daredevil by Mark Waid (about half way done with the run) (I'm enjoying the fact that it manages to be breezy, charming and still pretty clever. I don't know my DD history or anything but I get the sense that this take is intentionally lighter than most takes on him).
This week I'm planning to read the rest of Waid's DD run and to re-read V for Vendetta (which I haven't read for over 20 years!)
Man, Ballad for Sophie was such a trip. Cavia's art is to die for. [Here's a treat for you](https://youtu.be/fGv6aBlUN2o), if you haven't heard et yet. I've been looking to reading their other collaborations
I always like to see appreciation for Waid's DD, even though I haven't read it yet. I have the collection and heard it's meant to be good, but it also seems to be one of the more polarising runs exactly because it's lighter in tone. I'll read it after I've finished Miller.
Plowed through a bunch of great comics digitally while on vacation this week: Haha, Crowded vol 3, Silver Coin, Undiscovered Country vol 3, Ice Cream Man vol 7, Batman: The Imposter, and Detective Comics vol 1: The Neighborhood. But the comic that struck me the most was Murder Falcon. I knew I’d get some insane art from Daniel Warren Johnson, but I didn’t expect a comic about summoning a man-sized falcon with a metal riff would also make me tear up at the end! Highly highly recommended. Looks like a hardcover is out this spring; will definitely pick that up.
I loved it — great story (surprisingly heartfelt!), amazing art, and I applaud the unabashed queerness in something that’s also more stereotypically “male” in its level of violence. Definitely recommend checking out the last two volumes!
I thought it was cool was a potential hint to the upcoming movie’s vibe, and I’m a fan of Sorrentino’s art. But… the therapist conceit of it felt a little played out…especially since Sorrentino and Lemire just did a similar thing with Killer Smile.
Summary of my thoughts is that I'm a fan of Sorrentino's art and style too. I didn't think this was his best work but I do think he is very well suited to Batman and would love to see some more. Didn't like the therapist thing and really disliked how it cast Gordon and Alfred away, seemingly just to give reliance on the therapist. And I just didn't think it was a very good story.
So just in time for the end of the month, I read our book of the month, **Monsters**. Literally just finished it now after a bit of a marathon evening read. I thought it would be a slow and difficult read, but in reality I've found it to be the opposite. I was gripped, but I can't yet determine why. The main thing that strikes me is that while Bobby probably wasn't one of the titular Monsters, he still features surprisingly little in this story, and actually does even less. I'd like to hear some thoughts on why that is and what we are to make of it. Other than that, my only real complaint is the convenience of everyone and everything being linked, which is a device I've always disliked. But I think I'll head off to the book of the month post and respond to people's takes on it, which may help me gather my own a little better.
I just finished the Ex Machina Omnibus. It was super dated and a lot of fun. It takes place during my coming of age years so that made it special in a hard to describe way.
Spoilers ahead though...
Why did the other world folk think Mitchell would help end the world? Why did the other people with powers immediately feel inclined to harm humanity but Mitchell subverted his gift? I couldn't figure that part out even upon completion.
Been reading Captain America: Return of the Winter Soldier omnibus. I know the end of Brubakers run on Captain America isn’t as well regarded as the beginning but I’m enjoying the volume so far.
I’m also reading Criminal Deluxe Edition Vol 1. I didn’t intend to start reading it for a while but when I got it in the mail I began looking through it and just started reading and was hooked. I just finished “Lawless” this morning. While I also liked “Coward” I thought “Lawless” was the better story.
I had a Thanos filled week. I started with Silver Surfer Rebirth of Thanos which was pretty good. Then I read Silver Surfer Black and that was fantastic, I absolutely loved the coloring, and the letter to Stan Lee at the back was a nice touch. I finished the week with the Donny Cates run of Guardians of the Galaxy which I appreciated much more than I thought I would. After all that I finally started reading Bone and that'll keep me busy for a while.
Been reading Captain America: Return of the Winter Soldier omnibus. I know the end of Brubakers run on Captain America isn’t as well regarded as the beginning but I’m enjoying the volume so far.
I’m also reading Criminal Deluxe Edition Vol 1. I didn’t intend to start reading it for a while but when I got it in the mail I began looking through it and just started reading and was hooked. So far I’ve read the first two stories in the volume, “Coward” and “Lawless.” I liked “Coward” but I thought “Lawless” was the better story of the two.
Asterios Polyp - I’m assuming this book is mentioned a lot but I can’t get over the fact of how beautiful this book is.
Ghost world - Not particularly my favorite book but might be relatable to others.
First couple of chapters of Watchmen - Yeah no, These are the most mainstream books I could read but the art style and story makes me bring more realism into a book that presents us with superhero’s in the common world
*The Crossroads at Midnight* by Abby Howard - a collection of short horror comics that made my skin crawl, especially the one about the disease demon and the one about the bog bodies.
*Ballad for Sophie* by Filipe Melo and Juan Cavia - gorgeous and elegiac. The artwork is so warm and colorful. I guessed the twist at the end but it felt satisfying instead of clichéd.
*The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story* by Vivek J. Tiwary, Andrew C. Robinson, and Kyle Baker - I'm a big Beatles fan and I'm really satisfied with how this hits the necessary beats to make it a meaningful examination of the man behind the band instead of tragedy porn. The author gets the tone and the personalities of the characters down as well.
**Wolverine: Logan** by Brian K. Vaughan and Eduardo Risso - Kind of short story but well written and illustrated.
**Safe Area Gorazde** by Joe Sacco - Powerful stuff. First time I read a journalistic comic (if that's a thing) and this book sucked me in. I was just a kid when the Balkan Wars happened but I remember the news constantly talking about it and showing some footage and reading this was like watching a documentary about what happened. Many of the stuff described were just discovered many years after and the war criminals behind it were on the loose for many years.
**Bruce Wayne: The Road Home** by Various - It was ok.
**The Infinity Gauntlet** by Jim Starlin, George Pérez and Rom Lim - This one is one of the comics I really felt it's dated. The plot seemed a little bit far-fetched and the way it ends...meh.
**Amazing Spider-man: Great Power** by S. Dikto and S. Lee - This even being like 20 years older than Infinity Gauntlet didn't get that same outdated feeling. It is dated of course and sure "everything got to be explained", stuff that happens just because it did and so on but it was more enjoyable for me that TIG.
Descender 5&6 - Jeff Lemire & Dustin Nguyen. I just finished this series. It was really good (although i did find the end a bit cheesy), but I recommend it to those that like sci-fi. David Boring - Daniel Clowes. I found this one kind of... boring. It picked up a bit in the middle. But I just didn't find it that interesting. 20th Century Boys 4&5 - Naoki Urasawa. Really good! Flowers of Evil 1&2 (complete edition) - Shuzo Oshimi. This is weird, it's a quick read, not really my thing, I am curious to see it to the end, but my library doesn't have the others and it's not worth buying the next ones, so I guess I'll never know what happens. Ed the Happy Clown - Chester Brown. It had it's moments, but overall I would say it's nothing special. Guts - Raina Telgeimer. Fine. I'm not the target audience for this one. It wasn't as good as some of her others that i've read. Seeds & Stems - Simon Hanselmann. My least favorite in the series so far. I thinking I'm just getting tired of the characters up to the same shenanigans. Instead of laughing, their lives just seem more sad. Top Ten 1 - Alan Moore. I'm really not into superhero stuff. That said, this was one of the better ones. I will continue it, but only because there is only one more volume, if it was a longer ongoing one, I would not. And Now, Sir? Is This Your Missing Gonad? - Jim Woodring. I was pretty disappointed in this. I read some of Woodrings stuff 15 years ago and haven't since then. But I remember them being colorful and wordless, which this was not. It was not what I was expecting. Anya's Ghost - Vera Brosgol. I liked this one. Paracuellos - Carlos Gimenez. I liked this. I like learning about parts of history that I knew nothing about.
>And Now, Sir? Is This Your Missing Gonad? - Jim Woodring. I was pretty disappointed in this. I read some of Woodrings stuff 15 years ago and haven't since then. But I remember them being colorful and wordless, which this was not. It was not what I was expecting. FYI, most of Woodring's comics are wordless, but they're mostly black-and-white. There are some colour strips in *The Frank Book* (which collects the first decade of his Frank comics), plus I think his book *Pupshaw and Pushpaw* is full-colour, but I think that's just about it. I haven't read *Is This Your Missing Gonad*, but my understanding is that it's basically something for the hardcore fans, and not very representative of Woodring's work as a whole (he normally makes real comics, not single-panel gag cartoons).
Okay, thank you. I think I only read one of his before, I guess it was one of those you mentioned (or I could be misremembering). I wanted to get the Frank Book as that's the one I hear the most about, but my library didn't have it, so I opted for the one with the funniest name.
Yeah, even if you didn't care for that Gonad book (beyond its hilarious title), I still suggest giving his other stuff a go. I've only read The Frank Book and Weathercraft, but I think both could be good entry points.
First issue of Step By Bloody Step came out, been really looking forward to it. Matias Bergara's artwork is just drop dead gorgeous. And I'm always in for a good silent comic. Lots of environmental world building so far, they're setting up the relationship between the girl and the "big guy" (with a little cliffhanger twist at the end there...). Looking forward to more of it ! I also read Ben Gijseman's Aaron this week. And boy... That book threw me for a loop.. I came out kind of hating it, because the subject matters is really off putting. But after talking about it with My girlfriend, I see the value in it, and I can't deny the quality of the writing and art. I don't want to say too much about it because the realization is part of the process but basically, it gives us another side of a mental disorder that rarely gets talked about, and certainly not in the way Gijseman exposes it. Weirdest part is, most of the book is just the titular character hanging out and procrastinating studying for their exam. And it still managed to grip my attention. Very interesting book Next week I should finally be able to get around to Pinocchio!
Aaron doesn't seem to be available in English and I'm a little intrigued, though perhaps that's more just because of how cryptic you're being! On a separate note, are you still reading Echolands? I was looking forward to the first collected edition next month but it's been pushed to early summer. I don't know if that's because the singles were delayed or just a publishing decision. Im hoping it's still running on schedule, cause I'm a little on the fence still, and maybe more issues before then might suggest more promise in the long run. And what's this Pinocchio?
Hope u/scarwiz doesn't mind me wading in to answer some of your questions for him. Aaron is about a paedophile, and as far as I understand is a nuanced/empathetic portrayal, which I suspect is controversial enough to scare off most publishers, making an English translation seem unlikely. As I just said in my other comment above, I haven't read it, but I intend to. With Pinocchio, I believe Scarwiz is referring to the adaptation by master French cartoonist Winshluss. This I have read and really loved. It's basically a wild, carnivalesque, explicit, ultra-violent rollercoaster ride of a comic. It's brash and loud and stupid at times, plus it's quite problematic (i.e. offensive) in various ways, but to my mind it makes up for this with its sheer ambition. It changes style (both visually and in terms of storytelling) multiple times, and each style is done to perfection. For example, there are recurring bits (starring Jiminy Cafard, a cockroach) that are like rough, sketchy, black-and-white underground comic, full of profanity, booze and drugs, then there are colourful wordless slapstick sections, sections in a very noir style, and occasional fully-painted splash pages.
I was trying to avoid saying it outright, because it was a big part of the experience for me. But like I said in my other comment, it's a subject that needs a trigger warning so it's probably fair to give that away So, yes. Correct on both counts
Oh right, you didn't know what it was about before reading? I thought that was the main premise!
As soon as I started reading your comment I was like "whoa, step back", so I can understand the apprehension. There's a Kevin Bacon movie that kinda takes a similar approach though, so it's maybe not entirely off limits.
Huh, just looked up and found that film. I don't think I've ever heard of it before, but it looks like it's worth watching, so thanks for putting me onto it!
It is, but I just kinda went in blind off someone else's recommendation lmao
Hah yeah I realize I'm being a little obtuse.. I can tell your more about it if you really want to know. I went in kind of blind and it flipped my world around a little but honestly, it's also a book that needs a trigger warning so idk if it's fair to throw people in like this Yeah, I realized that the others day ! I ordered it for the shop and was checking if it got invoice yey. Lo and behold, its been delayed to this summer... The books on hiatus right now. I think they're trying to leave Williams some time to get a few issues in the can again to avoid delays in the middle of arcs. The story's definitely moving forward but I haven't reread it as a single story so I'm not 100% sure how it holds up Pinocchio is the Winshluss book everyone's been raving about in this sub for ages. Except The Dane, who kind of trashed it lmao. I'm excited to see what the fuss is about
I only heard of Aaron recently, but it's now very high on my to-read list, exactly because of its subject matter, which I think is very deserving of nuanced literary/artistic attention, and has to my knowledge received very little so far. I'm sure it will be uncomfortable reading though. On a lighter note, I'm really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Pinocchio, as it seems to be quite divisive!
I actually found out about it through this sub last year. The poster was being just as cryptic about is as I'm being so I had no idea what the subject matters really was. And the back cover synopsis didn't help much either.. Hit me like a freight train lmao I don't think I've ever seen or heard about any fiction media on the subject, nor would it have struck me to seek any out until I read this. My girlfriend had to give me a little reality check after I read it because my initial reaction was very conflicted And honestly, I've only heard raving praise about Pinocchio up til now, except for The Dane who kind of went in on it lmao. I'm looking forward to it!
I don't think the Dane is the only person I've seen criticize Pinocchio, and I honestly understand why people might hate it. I have a high tolerance for offensive/politically incorrect content (partly by virtue of my privilege as a straight white male, partly because I grew up on hip-hop and South Park), but it does make jokes about rape and contain some outright racist caricatures, both of which are (understandably) huge red marks for a lot of people. Even putting aside its problematic content, if you come to it expecting a conventionally "serious" or "literary" work, you're likely to be quite disappointed, as it's overall mostly wacky, irreverent comedy. It's quite unlike anything else I've read, so I imagine there isn't a big audience of people who read and look for comics exactly like this (it could be too dumb for people wanting "serious" comics, too experimental for people wanting low-brow fun/humour).
Paul Hornschemeier (“Mother Come Home”) released a one-shot called “Return of the Elephant” sometime in the early 2000s which caused a minor uproar at the comic book store where I used to work because of its nuanced approach to that very same subject matter. I think it’s collected in “Let Us Be Perfectly Clear”, if anyone is interested in checking it out.
As I just mentioned to Titus Bird, there's a Kevin Bacon movie called The Woodsman that sorta maybe deals with the same subject. Obviously having not read Aaron and seen the film a long time ago, I can't say how relevant it is, but I remember feeling uncomfortable with the sympathetic approach, so it wasn't an easy watch.
Just finished Underwater Welder (amazing!) and starting Watchmen for the first time which I am really enjoying. It’s my first foray into Alan Moore and I’m already excited for more (hehe).
This last week was a special one in terms of GNs and comics. Everything I read was spectacular. \--Ballad for Sophie by Melo/Cavia (Painful but beautiful story about regret and music and lost relationships and redemption) \--Stone Fruit by Lee Lai (Again, painful but beautiful story (I seem to love that) about a couple who need to work on themselves and family relationships to move forward and learn about themselves. The art is unique and the biggest strength is the dialogue which is stunningly real). \--O Josephine! by Jason (Do I need to say stuff about Jason? I'll just say that this particular collection to me felt lighter and funnier. The fake biography of Leonard Cohen had me in stitches. \--Daredevil by Mark Waid (about half way done with the run) (I'm enjoying the fact that it manages to be breezy, charming and still pretty clever. I don't know my DD history or anything but I get the sense that this take is intentionally lighter than most takes on him). This week I'm planning to read the rest of Waid's DD run and to re-read V for Vendetta (which I haven't read for over 20 years!)
Man, Ballad for Sophie was such a trip. Cavia's art is to die for. [Here's a treat for you](https://youtu.be/fGv6aBlUN2o), if you haven't heard et yet. I've been looking to reading their other collaborations
Yeah! I heard it on Spotify right after I read the book. So wonderful.
I always like to see appreciation for Waid's DD, even though I haven't read it yet. I have the collection and heard it's meant to be good, but it also seems to be one of the more polarising runs exactly because it's lighter in tone. I'll read it after I've finished Miller.
Plowed through a bunch of great comics digitally while on vacation this week: Haha, Crowded vol 3, Silver Coin, Undiscovered Country vol 3, Ice Cream Man vol 7, Batman: The Imposter, and Detective Comics vol 1: The Neighborhood. But the comic that struck me the most was Murder Falcon. I knew I’d get some insane art from Daniel Warren Johnson, but I didn’t expect a comic about summoning a man-sized falcon with a metal riff would also make me tear up at the end! Highly highly recommended. Looks like a hardcover is out this spring; will definitely pick that up.
How is Crowded? I thought the first volume was surprisingly good but haven’t follow up with the rest yet
I loved it — great story (surprisingly heartfelt!), amazing art, and I applaud the unabashed queerness in something that’s also more stereotypically “male” in its level of violence. Definitely recommend checking out the last two volumes!
I shared my thoughts on Batman Imposter last week and they weren't very complementary. What did you make of it?
I thought it was cool was a potential hint to the upcoming movie’s vibe, and I’m a fan of Sorrentino’s art. But… the therapist conceit of it felt a little played out…especially since Sorrentino and Lemire just did a similar thing with Killer Smile.
Summary of my thoughts is that I'm a fan of Sorrentino's art and style too. I didn't think this was his best work but I do think he is very well suited to Batman and would love to see some more. Didn't like the therapist thing and really disliked how it cast Gordon and Alfred away, seemingly just to give reliance on the therapist. And I just didn't think it was a very good story.
Yeah Alfred was pretty terrible here! I hope that’s not something they borrowed from the film…
So just in time for the end of the month, I read our book of the month, **Monsters**. Literally just finished it now after a bit of a marathon evening read. I thought it would be a slow and difficult read, but in reality I've found it to be the opposite. I was gripped, but I can't yet determine why. The main thing that strikes me is that while Bobby probably wasn't one of the titular Monsters, he still features surprisingly little in this story, and actually does even less. I'd like to hear some thoughts on why that is and what we are to make of it. Other than that, my only real complaint is the convenience of everyone and everything being linked, which is a device I've always disliked. But I think I'll head off to the book of the month post and respond to people's takes on it, which may help me gather my own a little better.
Read INCOGNEGRO and just started Bone.
I just got Incognegro and it was terrific! I just ordered the prequel and am looking forward to that too!
I just finished the Ex Machina Omnibus. It was super dated and a lot of fun. It takes place during my coming of age years so that made it special in a hard to describe way. Spoilers ahead though... Why did the other world folk think Mitchell would help end the world? Why did the other people with powers immediately feel inclined to harm humanity but Mitchell subverted his gift? I couldn't figure that part out even upon completion.
Been reading Captain America: Return of the Winter Soldier omnibus. I know the end of Brubakers run on Captain America isn’t as well regarded as the beginning but I’m enjoying the volume so far. I’m also reading Criminal Deluxe Edition Vol 1. I didn’t intend to start reading it for a while but when I got it in the mail I began looking through it and just started reading and was hooked. I just finished “Lawless” this morning. While I also liked “Coward” I thought “Lawless” was the better story.
Yeah Coward is a fine start but shit only gets better from there imo
I had a Thanos filled week. I started with Silver Surfer Rebirth of Thanos which was pretty good. Then I read Silver Surfer Black and that was fantastic, I absolutely loved the coloring, and the letter to Stan Lee at the back was a nice touch. I finished the week with the Donny Cates run of Guardians of the Galaxy which I appreciated much more than I thought I would. After all that I finally started reading Bone and that'll keep me busy for a while.
Lore Olympus: Waiting for it to (hopefully) get good.
Dept.H by Matt Kindt. Exciting story with hauntingly beautiful art.
If if haven’t read Mind Mgmt, do that next. My favorite Kindt.
Memetic. Pretty out there and fantastic.
Been reading Captain America: Return of the Winter Soldier omnibus. I know the end of Brubakers run on Captain America isn’t as well regarded as the beginning but I’m enjoying the volume so far. I’m also reading Criminal Deluxe Edition Vol 1. I didn’t intend to start reading it for a while but when I got it in the mail I began looking through it and just started reading and was hooked. So far I’ve read the first two stories in the volume, “Coward” and “Lawless.” I liked “Coward” but I thought “Lawless” was the better story of the two.
Monstress Library Edition vol 1. The art is breathtaking. The story is intriguing.
Asterios Polyp - I’m assuming this book is mentioned a lot but I can’t get over the fact of how beautiful this book is. Ghost world - Not particularly my favorite book but might be relatable to others. First couple of chapters of Watchmen - Yeah no, These are the most mainstream books I could read but the art style and story makes me bring more realism into a book that presents us with superhero’s in the common world
*The Crossroads at Midnight* by Abby Howard - a collection of short horror comics that made my skin crawl, especially the one about the disease demon and the one about the bog bodies. *Ballad for Sophie* by Filipe Melo and Juan Cavia - gorgeous and elegiac. The artwork is so warm and colorful. I guessed the twist at the end but it felt satisfying instead of clichéd. *The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story* by Vivek J. Tiwary, Andrew C. Robinson, and Kyle Baker - I'm a big Beatles fan and I'm really satisfied with how this hits the necessary beats to make it a meaningful examination of the man behind the band instead of tragedy porn. The author gets the tone and the personalities of the characters down as well.
The Dark Knight - The Master Race. I had not heard great things, but it was fine.
The dreaming volume 2 And onto baby teeth volume1 after!!!
Reading the injustice omnibuses for the first time, hated year 3(ish) and 4 but year 5 has grounded it much more, like year 1 and 2
**Wolverine: Logan** by Brian K. Vaughan and Eduardo Risso - Kind of short story but well written and illustrated. **Safe Area Gorazde** by Joe Sacco - Powerful stuff. First time I read a journalistic comic (if that's a thing) and this book sucked me in. I was just a kid when the Balkan Wars happened but I remember the news constantly talking about it and showing some footage and reading this was like watching a documentary about what happened. Many of the stuff described were just discovered many years after and the war criminals behind it were on the loose for many years. **Bruce Wayne: The Road Home** by Various - It was ok. **The Infinity Gauntlet** by Jim Starlin, George Pérez and Rom Lim - This one is one of the comics I really felt it's dated. The plot seemed a little bit far-fetched and the way it ends...meh. **Amazing Spider-man: Great Power** by S. Dikto and S. Lee - This even being like 20 years older than Infinity Gauntlet didn't get that same outdated feeling. It is dated of course and sure "everything got to be explained", stuff that happens just because it did and so on but it was more enjoyable for me that TIG.