[Abyss]

Got the PREDATOR mega-bundle from Dark Horse a while back. i had read a few of these in floppy way back when, but not many.
Now reading them, and this is a blast (pun intended).


As a concept the Preds are a bit more grounded than Alien (present or past instead of future settings, little or no sf beyond the preds themselves) so the stories tend to focus on individual humans, usually badasses of some sort, who are hunted by or go hunting for a Predator or two. As usual for a DH licensed property the art can vary from great to meh, but overall solid. The early LS' about Ah'nuld's movie character Dutch's brother running into preds in LA, the Arctic, and central america are especially great and i liked BLOODY SANDS, tracing the preds through points in WW1.

[QuickTidal]

Finished trade 1 of DEADLY CLASS....yeah, I think it’s safe to say Remender is not for me. This was garbage, the lead character is an overphilosophizing dick, teens don’t talk like this...ever...and th fact that half the first trade was Marcus on an acid trip having moronically dropped a sheet of blotters...was the beginning of the end for me wit( this series.,,and the bad guy and excessive gore just sealed it.

Waste of cash. I think I gotta go read something else to wash the taste out of my mouth from this shit.

[Andorion]

Recently read Injection and Freakangels by Warren Ellis.

I really liked both. I honestly like these sort of stories better than the normal superhero stories.

[Tsundoku]

Ahhhh ... Freakangels. I remember how we followed it on here when it was a webcomic.

Fantastic beginning and middle, dreadful end.

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 27 January 2019 - 05:22 AM, said:

Finished trade 1 of DEADLY CLASS....yeah, I think it's safe to say Remender is not for me. This was garbage, the lead character is an overphilosophizing dick, teens don't talk like this...ever...and th fact that half the first trade was Marcus on an acid trip having moronically dropped a sheet of blotters...was the beginning of the end for me wit( this series.,,and the bad guy and excessive gore just sealed it.

Waste of cash. I think I gotta go read something else to wash the taste out of my mouth from this shit.

If you bought the bundle and thus have it anyways, consider toughing thru to the second tpb. The story picks up, tho i thought 4 was where it really escalated.
Or don't hey, i understand. it's no Downton Abbey thank god.

Andorion, on 27 January 2019 - 02:46 PM, said:

Recently read Injection and Freakangels by Warren Ellis.

I really liked both. I honestly like these sort of stories better than the normal superhero stories.

Same. I still read the capes and masks stuff, but my preferences have really shifted away, and while i don't love everything he does (Blackgas, Supergod), Ellis can really deliver in the sf zone (TREES!).

Tsundoku, on 27 January 2019 - 04:08 PM, said:

Ahhhh ... Freakangels. I remember how we followed it on here when it was a webcomic.

Fantastic beginning and middle, dreadful end.

To this day, i remain annoyed by that ending.

[Salt-Man Z]

Currently on Humble Bundle is Todd McFarlane's Spawn series. You can get almost the first 40 issues for just $1: https://www.humblebu...ge-comics-books

[Hammerhead88]

Has anyone read Spawn? Is it worth getting the whole lot?

[QuickTidal]

Hammerhead88, on 08 February 2019 - 12:42 PM, said:

Has anyone read Spawn? Is it worth getting the whole lot?

It's VERY much a product of its time. The dim and grim 90's...which was when I read it as an angsty teen...and in that vein I liked it...but lokig back it's not very good.

If you were buying it at cost, I'd say fuck no...but as it's a humble bundle for so incredibly cheap, absolutely worth it...just know what you're getting into beforehand...the epitome of grim 90's EXTREME comics and you'll be fine. The art was excellent, even if the writing wasn't totally up to snuff.

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 08 February 2019 - 01:08 PM, said:

Hammerhead88, on 08 February 2019 - 12:42 PM, said:

Has anyone read Spawn? Is it worth getting the whole lot?

It's VERY much a product of its time. The dim and grim 90's...which was when I read it as an angsty teen...and in that vein I liked it...but lokig back it's not very good.

If you were buying it at cost, I'd say fuck no...but as it's a humble bundle for so incredibly cheap, absolutely worth it...just know what you're getting into beforehand...the epitome of grim 90's EXTREME comics and you'll be fine. The art was excellent, even if the writing wasn't totally up to snuff.

I found the art wildly inconsistent. When it's great it's really great but almost once per floppy there is something that looks like the artist just scribbled some crap to finish a page.
The story is... ok to weak, definitely a product of 90s edgy. Entertaining but it's no ALL-STAR SUPERMAN.


Read Sandersons' WHITE SAND vols 1 and 2. Meh. The desert world is a neat concept but i'm finding the story itself fairly basic. Entertaining enough but not my favorite work by him. Honestly i hope he writes the world into his Cosmere stuff because it would benefit from the injection of more interesting plot elements. Will read vol 3 when it appears but not rushing.


Bought the various RIVERS OF LONDON collections. The first, BODY WORK, is pretty great. Haunted cars, some neat Nightingale back story. It's pretty awesome that Aaronovich writes these because the characters and story beats are bang on consistent with the books. Just finished the second, NIGHT WITCH. Never got as intense as i want it to but includes some Beverly, Molly, and Nightinggale moments that are glorious. Comic Molly is so awesome.

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 08 February 2019 - 04:14 PM, said:

Read Sandersons' WHITE SAND vols 1 and 2. Meh. The desert world is a neat concept but i'm finding the story itself fairly basic. Entertaining enough but not my favorite work by him. Honestly i hope he writes the world into his Cosmere stuff because it would benefit from the injection of more interesting plot elements. Will read vol 3 when it appears but not rushing.

He did. It takes place on the planet Taldain, which is in the Cosmere, and contains the Shard Autonomy.

But yes, I agree with your summation. It's fine, but it's the least of the worlds in the Cosmere for me...that said it's tidally locked, which is a cool thing for the story AND (this is the more interesting bit) it's "currently" inaccessible to the wider Cosmere including the World Hoppers...so that's REALLY interesting and I wonder what happened there to make that so...

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 08 February 2019 - 05:16 PM, said:

Abyss, on 08 February 2019 - 04:14 PM, said:

Read Sandersons' WHITE SAND vols 1 and 2. Meh. The desert world is a neat concept but i'm finding the story itself fairly basic. Entertaining enough but not my favorite work by him. Honestly i hope he writes the world into his Cosmere stuff because it would benefit from the injection of more interesting plot elements. Will read vol 3 when it appears but not rushing.

He did. It takes place on the planet Taldain, which is in the Cosmere, and contains the Shard Autonomy.

But yes, I agree with your summation. It's fine, but it's the least of the worlds in the Cosmere for me...that said it's tidally locked, which is a cool thing for the story AND (this is the more interesting bit) it's "currently" inaccessible to the wider Cosmere including the World Hoppers...so that's REALLY interesting and I wonder what happened there to make that so...

I'm aware, but the Cosmere connection is pretty limited so far. Story would benefit from more.

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 08 February 2019 - 06:41 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 08 February 2019 - 05:16 PM, said:

Abyss, on 08 February 2019 - 04:14 PM, said:

Read Sandersons' WHITE SAND vols 1 and 2. Meh. The desert world is a neat concept but i'm finding the story itself fairly basic. Entertaining enough but not my favorite work by him. Honestly i hope he writes the world into his Cosmere stuff because it would benefit from the injection of more interesting plot elements. Will read vol 3 when it appears but not rushing.

He did. It takes place on the planet Taldain, which is in the Cosmere, and contains the Shard Autonomy.

But yes, I agree with your summation. It's fine, but it's the least of the worlds in the Cosmere for me...that said it's tidally locked, which is a cool thing for the story AND (this is the more interesting bit) it's "currently" inaccessible to the wider Cosmere including the World Hoppers...so that's REALLY interesting and I wonder what happened there to make that so...

I'm aware, but the Cosmere connection is pretty limited so far. Story would benefit from more.

Oh, then yeah I totally agree.

[amphibian]

QuickTidal, on 08 February 2019 - 01:08 PM, said:

Hammerhead88, on 08 February 2019 - 12:42 PM, said:

Has anyone read Spawn? Is it worth getting the whole lot?

It's VERY much a product of its time. The dim and grim 90's...which was when I read it as an angsty teen...and in that vein I liked it...but lokig back it's not very good.

If you were buying it at cost, I'd say fuck no...but as it's a humble bundle for so incredibly cheap, absolutely worth it...just know what you're getting into beforehand...the epitome of grim 90's EXTREME comics and you'll be fine. The art was excellent, even if the writing wasn't totally up to snuff.

It's an interesting concept that has a great setting, some interesting characters, and leans really really heavily upon the revenge by visiting violence on truly awful people thing for a while. Then around the time the King of Hell arc is underway it turns into something actually special for a short while. The visuals and the character impacts are really cool. The transition into the end game is more of a controlled stumble through some genuinely unnecessary things and some cool things.

The first 40 issues are not going to convince you that this is a great comic. A about a hundred issues past that, you will be hoping that it's actually great, then disappointed about it not getting there.

Essentially, the whole story needs a great editor, much better treatment of women, and a more robust internal logic that sees the endgame from the start.

I think it's not likely to get those things, but if it did, it would actually be one of the most interesting comics ever made.

[T77]

I recently had the urge to go back to Hellboy/BPRD. Been reading it on and off for a few years. I've always liked it, but didn't love it, until now. I just finished Hellboy: Darkness Calls and I'm in the middle of Hellboy: The Wild Hunt and it's great. Not sure if Mignola just upped his game at this point, or maybe I wasn't in the mood for it previously. The art is great, especially on the 12.9" iPad, and it doesn't get bogged down by a lot of dialog. The pages just fly by.

This post has been edited by T77: 27 February 2019 - 08:29 PM

[Stormcat]

I got the new Domino Vol 1 and Black Monday Murders Vol 1 for my birthday. Looking forward to digging in to those.

[Abyss]

Splitting time between the PREDATOR mega-bundle and FABLES.

Predator continues to be more of the same.... usually the humans either get lucky or clever and win, sometimes they don't (in contrast to the ALIENS stuff where the humans usually lost or get taken out by other more evil humans). Still entertaining.

FABLES... ah, Fables.... once upon a time i marathoned this excellent series up to about issue 100 and then took a break and planned to go back eventually. It took a while and i tried to start a reread, but lacking enthusiasm, i just jumped ahead. Which brings me to vol 18, Cubs in Toyland. Fuck me, that is some dark grim dark dark comic there. Brilliantly written, beautifully illustrated. But.... fuuuuuuuUUUuuuuuuuuck.

Spoiler

The origin of the Discardia toys as murderers.... Dare sacrificing himself... the tiger's fate.... Therese eating the tiger.... holy crap Therese and Dare are like ten years old... and then how the toys are redeemed...

Damn.

I thought the series lost some steam with the Mr Dark storyline, but this....

FuuuUUUuuuuuck.

[T77]

I've been reading Fables on and off too and it's brilliant. I've had the urge to get back to it and will do so soon.

[QuickTidal]

T77, on 01 March 2019 - 02:01 PM, said:

I've been reading Fables on and off too and it's brilliant. I've had the urge to get back to it and will do so soon.

Bill Willingham is the NICEST guy. I met him at a con years ago and he happily chatted with me for so long. I still need to finish that series.

[amphibian]

Bill Willingham is well known to be a MAGA adjacent asshole who takes over panels and talks over women regularly.

So the direct fan experience is a bit different from the panel experience.

[QuickTidal]

Good thing I ever mentioned a panel experience then, huh?