[Abyss]

polishgenius, on 28 December 2024 - 08:37 PM, said:

I don't know if Tom Taylor is the best writer in superhero comics at the moment but he might be the funnest...

Also picked up the first two volumes of Tom King's Wonder Woman...

Along w being frequently confused w each other, both of these writers take a lot - seriously a LOT - of crap online, and I disagree w the hate. They are very very good at what they do, clearly love the medium and the history and the work, and just nail character beats.

I see how King's CIA past makes him an obvious target for hate from the 'anything American is bad' crowd', but ffs the man clearly loves comics ( I say this as one of the six people who read and enoyed his ONCE CROWDED SKIES novel) and writes excellent action. And DCeased was a derivative bordering on silly concept ripping off what Marvel had already overdone, and he made it work dammit.


Coming off the TMNT marathon i'm between comics reads, but i see FALL OF X is completed on the MU app so that's next, then Amphi's upthread post has me looking fwd to NIGHTWING on the DCI. I've been enjoying WAYNE FAMILY ADVENTURES on Webtoons, am looking fwd to some more Batfam, may even follow up w the Morrison run i've been almost starting for ages.

[JPK]

Needed something a bit less serious as my trp has been very dense of late so I chewed through THE ULTIMATE TURTLES COLLECTION VOL 4. There's a big skip from the end of Vol 3 to the start of Vol 4 where it goes from issue 21 to issue 48. For the most part this works, but there are a couple of incidents where they run into characters that they've clearly ran into before and it's a bit odd because if you haven't read the missing issues you have no idea who they are. Sometimes it's easy to fill in the blanks but then one seemed to be a pretty major reveal in issue 55. Overall, I'm still loving these, but that is irking me slightly.

[T77]

I went back to the turtles too. I'm on vol 9. Really liking it.

[JPK]

T77, on 09 January 2025 - 02:34 PM, said:

I went back to the turtles too. I'm on vol 9. Really liking it.

So I've been working on the original MIRAGE Black & White run. I'm assuming you're on the IDW run? That seems to be where everyone else in here started. I think that's where I'm headed when I finish up cause Abyss and QT have also had good things to say about it.

[T77]

JPK, on 09 January 2025 - 03:39 PM, said:

T77, on 09 January 2025 - 02:34 PM, said:

I went back to the turtles too. I'm on vol 9. Really liking it.

So I've been working on the original MIRAGE Black & White run. I'm assuming you're on the IDW run? That seems to be where everyone else in here started. I think that's where I'm headed when I finish up cause Abyss and QT have also had good things to say about it.

Yes, IDW. I checked Reddit, and most seem to prefer IDW, not that Mirage is bad. Anyone reading Aaron's current run? Only 5 issues so far. Reviews have been good. The main plot hasn't started yet. It's on Hoopla, so I will read it.

[T77]

Finished Turtles vol 9. This comic continues to amaze me with the different directions the plot moves in, and its depth. Not to mention it's well written. It's much better than it has any right to be. On to vol 10. Spoiler below as to what I am talking about.

Spoiler

Father is walking through their home domain with one of the Turtles talking about whether they should attack Shredder and the Foot Clan or the other global threat, can't recall its name. Then, out of nowhere they are teleported to another dimension with the Rat King and have a long conversation with him and what he is up to.

This post has been edited by T77: 11 January 2025 - 02:10 PM

[JPK]

Alright, I finished up the ULTIMATE TURTLES COLLECTION Vols 5-7 this weekend. I liked a lot of what I read, but it's very disjointed and just kinda all over the place. This set of Omnis also forgets to inform you that it was only one of like 3 different runs going on at the time. I may try to find more of the Mirage published works in the future to see how things originated with some of the other mutants, but for now I'm going to join you all over in the IDW run.

[JPK]

Wow, no joke about how much better this IDW run is. I'm about halfway through Vol 1. It's really nice because it borrows so much from the original MIRAGE run, but nicely modernizes it and makes it make actual sense. The personalities for the individual turtles are way better developed as well.

Spoiler

Donnie in particular is way more fascinating here with his borderline atheistic views and how he's coming into conflict much more with Leo here which was traditionally Raph's role in the old run. I'm also really liking that the Foot are an actual threat here and that Baxter and the Mousers both have a much more coherent story that "I'm actually evil and want to destroy New York, starting with the Twin Towers! Bwahahaha!". Casey's role as the adopted brother in the group and specifically his connection with Raph works way better here too.

[Hammerhead88]

Reading Lobster Johnson omnibus 1 in my mignolaverse read-through.

The last story 'Get the lobster' is especially great.

Spoiler

goes from 'how on earth is he going to beat this mechanical arm guy' to 'holy fuck he just ripped the whole arm off' real quick

This post has been edited by Hammerhead88: 22 January 2025 - 02:38 PM

[T77]

Finished Turtles vol 10, and I really didn't care for it. I thought it was weak, and not up to the previous quality. But I'm not giving up. I immediately started vol 11 and it seems back to form about 10% in.

I've been seeing a lot of positive comments about Geoff Johns' Ghost Machine over at Image. I think he started it, but I could be wrong. It's him and a bunch of others, the only other one I know is Tomasi. I read John's Geiger back in 2021, only six issues, and enjoyed it. But volume 2 of Geiger startes back at issue one, I think to coincide with the Ghost Machine launch. All of it is on Hoopla. I read issue 1 of Rook: Exodus, a post-apocalyptic sci fi story. I liked the first issue. The other series are Redcoat, Hyde Street, Junkyard Joe, The Rocketfellers, Hornsby and Hallow. Therre might be more. I will post my thoughts as I read more.

[Abyss]

BEASTS OF BURDEN Evan Dworkin writes, Jill Thompson art. Where has this comic been all my life?

Animal wizards, sometimes with human partners, sometimes in loose packs or groups, fight the forces of darkness. The stories are well paced, the characters are wonderful (there's a cowardly doberman, an english sheepdog who's basically Gandalf only more badass, a husky who's faced a werewolf, a cat who's a satan worshipper's ex-familiar...). They face a haunted doghouse, free ranging vampire heads, demons, giant spiders. The art is glorious, able to keep the animals cute but show them in full bloody gory combat with a tribe of goblins.
Four good sized collections, all worthwhile.

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 27 January 2025 - 03:44 PM, said:

BEASTS OF BURDEN Evan Dworkin writes, Jill Thompson art. Where has this comic been all my life?

Animal wizards, sometimes with human partners, sometimes in loose packs or groups, fight the forces of darkness. The stories are well paced, the characters are wonderful (there's a cowardly doberman, an english sheepdog who's basically Gandalf only more badass, a husky who's faced a werewolf, a cat who's a satan worshipper's ex-familiar...). They face a haunted doghouse, free ranging vampire heads, demons, giant spiders. The art is glorious, able to keep the animals cute but show them in full bloody gory combat with a tribe of goblins.
Four good sized collections, all worthwhile.

Say less. This sounds awesome!

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 27 January 2025 - 04:31 PM, said:

Abyss, on 27 January 2025 - 03:44 PM, said:

BEASTS OF BURDEN Evan Dworkin writes, Jill Thompson art. Where has this comic been all my life?

Animal wizards, sometimes with human partners, sometimes in loose packs or groups, fight the forces of darkness. The stories are well paced, the characters are wonderful (there's a cowardly doberman, an english sheepdog who's basically Gandalf only more badass, a husky who's faced a werewolf, a cat who's a satan worshipper's ex-familiar...). They face a haunted doghouse, free ranging vampire heads, demons, giant spiders. The art is glorious, able to keep the animals cute but show them in full bloody gory combat with a tribe of goblins.
Four good sized collections, all worthwhile.

Say less. This sounds awesome!

Just Finished the last collection, and yeah, absolutely worth a look. It's definitely an adult book (zombie dogs ew) but it hits all the best notes of an aged up childhood story, friends backing each other up, evil villains, cowards overcoming their fears, enemies become friends, apprentices learning magic, and the art is just perfect... the cats and dogs are all distinct characters with distinct expressions and movement. I may have to look into a hardcover set for this.

[Hammerhead88]

Just read through the entirety of Criminal by Brubaker.

Holy shit that is some good stuff.

[Abyss]

Hammerhead88, on 09 February 2025 - 12:20 PM, said:

Just read through the entirety of Criminal by Brubaker.

Holy shit that is some good stuff.

Had this in the TRP forever, long overdue to check it out.
Current lineup is finish FALL OF Xbooks, Spurrier's DAMN THEM TO HELL, and a NIGHTWING deep dive over on the DCI, have to decide whether i want to do the Morrison Dick & Damian BATMAN & ROBIN first.

[Abyss]

Abyss, on 11 February 2025 - 04:35 PM, said:

...Spurrier's DAMN THEM TO HELL...

This is good comics. Hellblazer/Constantine vibe with a good lead and excellent plot hooks in the first issue/chapter. Magic required rituals and sacrifices and massive risks, and then the rules changed and any drunk idiot with a tiny bit of knowledge could summon a major demon... the demons are particularly unhappy about this.

[Hammerhead88]

Taking a break from the Mignolaverse to read some swamp thing. Starting with the original Len Wein run and it's fantastic.

[Hammerhead88]

 Abyss, on 11 February 2025 - 04:35 PM, said:

 Hammerhead88, on 09 February 2025 - 12:20 PM, said:

Just read through the entirety of Criminal by Brubaker.

Holy shit that is some good stuff.

Had this in the TRP forever, long overdue to check it out.
Current lineup is finish FALL OF Xbooks, Spurrier's DAMN THEM TO HELL, and a NIGHTWING deep dive over on the DCI, have to decide whether i want to do the Morrison Dick & Damian BATMAN & ROBIN first.

I just couldn't put criminal down so it didn't take long!

Also have a Nightwing deep dive on my list - do you have a reading order you are going to follow?

[Abyss]

Abyss, on 12 February 2025 - 02:51 PM, said:

Abyss, on 11 February 2025 - 04:35 PM, said:

...Spurrier's DAMN THEM TO HELL...

This is good comics. Hellblazer/Constantine vibe with a good lead and excellent plot hooks in the first issue/chapter. Magic required rituals and sacrifices and massive risks, and then the rules changed and any drunk idiot with a tiny bit of knowledge could summon a major demon... the demons are particularly unhappy about this.

Damn, that WAS good. Very much in the Hellblazer vibe - Spurrier even acks this in a note, the protagonist is a drunk drug abusing Brit con artist/sorcerer in a suit ffs, albeit 21yo and female - but sufficiently different and original that i have zero reason to complain. It's a gloriously complete-in-12-floppies London, UK based story that sets up a very clever magic system, promptly breaks it, then deals with the impacts. In particular, Spurrier and Adlard do an incredible job with the demons and angels... their visuals, powers, and interactions are all very novel for this kind of book. Recommended as long as nudity sex violence gore theology and on panel drug use aren't a problem.

[Abyss]

Hammerhead88, on 26 February 2025 - 07:54 AM, said:

...Also have a Nightwing deep dive on my list - do you have a reading order you are going to follow?

No, i picked a fairly random point... i like Tom Taylor so i picked his run that starts with NIGHTWING (2016) #105. I read a couple of issues just to confirm i wanted to continue, it has a fun action vibe with a WAYNE FAMILY ADVENTURES undertone. I plan to read up to present or close, then backtrack to the Waid and Morrison BAT/'TEC runs. i REALLY hate how much crossover stuff DC works in tho, it is annoying and mostly just bad comics dragging down good. If you have an order you're following pls share.



I'll go deep, i think, once i finish (semi hate read) the End of Krakoa/Fall of the House of X Xbooks, then will revisit this. The xbooks are all over the place for this phase... little glimmers of good writing with a pile of blunt 'we're phoning this in and we know it' work i'm mostly skimming.