While I'm glad to know they apparently did something good with the character...because seriously I get the need for said character, but Jesus...that fucking origin series.
[Comics] What Comics are you Currently Reading Thread
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Finished Grant Morrison's Animal Man.
I'm not surprised that my favorite part of this was the opening arc, which was originally all that was planned. Not that the rest was bad, but even Morrison himself admits in the end that he wasn't sure where he was ever going with things. He says he felt the animal rights issues were getting soapbox preachy, but to me I never felt like it got a status quo going with that. Some outside-comic event messed up Buddy's powers, he had issues with certain super villains, and then there were issues wholly for seeding the fourth wall and time travel stuff later, with only a handful of issues in the run really focusing on Buddy taking on animals' existence.
But it was never dull and there were always interesting things happening. Buddy and Ellen feel like a genuine couple, from a time period when that was not easy to spot in this medium. There are a lot of parts that feel like "we're going to do this because we can now, fuck you Comics Code" but even Morrison points that out in the end too.
Since ... you know, he's in it. That was expected because the trades I have can't shut up about it, and any time someone brings up this run of Animal Man, it's to mention what happens in the final issue, so I already knew it was going there. Coyote Gospel honestly painted that in a more interesting light than the final issue, but maybe that's because it was unexpected for me. I think it's funny that Morrison commented on problems in comics that are only just now being addressed by the big two, i.e. why weren't they allowed to be fun anymore?
Less funny ... this:
Yyyyeah, Morrison, maybe it was better for you to step away from the animal rights issues
. I'm going to assume PETA wasn't such a scum-sucker pet-killing psychopath organization back then, but today this is just embarrassing.
I'm not surprised that my favorite part of this was the opening arc, which was originally all that was planned. Not that the rest was bad, but even Morrison himself admits in the end that he wasn't sure where he was ever going with things. He says he felt the animal rights issues were getting soapbox preachy, but to me I never felt like it got a status quo going with that. Some outside-comic event messed up Buddy's powers, he had issues with certain super villains, and then there were issues wholly for seeding the fourth wall and time travel stuff later, with only a handful of issues in the run really focusing on Buddy taking on animals' existence.
But it was never dull and there were always interesting things happening. Buddy and Ellen feel like a genuine couple, from a time period when that was not easy to spot in this medium. There are a lot of parts that feel like "we're going to do this because we can now, fuck you Comics Code" but even Morrison points that out in the end too.
Since ... you know, he's in it. That was expected because the trades I have can't shut up about it, and any time someone brings up this run of Animal Man, it's to mention what happens in the final issue, so I already knew it was going there. Coyote Gospel honestly painted that in a more interesting light than the final issue, but maybe that's because it was unexpected for me. I think it's funny that Morrison commented on problems in comics that are only just now being addressed by the big two, i.e. why weren't they allowed to be fun anymore?
Less funny ... this:
Yyyyeah, Morrison, maybe it was better for you to step away from the animal rights issues
. I'm going to assume PETA wasn't such a scum-sucker pet-killing psychopath organization back then, but today this is just embarrassing.Heh-heh YEAH, but he didn't stop shoe-horning his beliefs COMPLETELY. Why do you think THIS scene exists?
On his damn SLEEVES!
On his damn SLEEVES!
I think it makes sense for both characters. Buddy gets his powers from animals, so making him a vegetarian who cares about animal rights is kind of a no-brainer.Heh-heh YEAH, but he didn't stop shoe-horning his beliefs COMPLETELY. Why do you think THIS scene exists?
On his damn SLEEVES!
And the way Damian acts toward people, he had to have some empathy directed somewhere
.True, true, and we all know it'll be a while before Suren and Maya will come back...for some reason.
Justice League of America
Should've made your move Lobo, Ryan's pretty much taken now.
Justice League of America
Should've made your move Lobo, Ryan's pretty much taken now.
Still debating whether to go today when I only got Red Hood annual to pick up. Will probably wait until next week.
Yeah there was not much this week, got JLA and the 2 Jack Kirby specials.
Wife got me first four volumes of Lemire's run on Old Man Logan for my birthday weeks back and I just started volume 1 today.
Lemire's writing is solid and the premise is interesting, but this is kind of a downer and with the mood I've been in, I should really be re-reading Squirrel Girl or Super Sons right now, rather than push myself into this and ruin it when I'm not in the mood.
Just realized we have 10 books by Lemire in my house and I haven't read any of them. Probably more soon since my wife picked up Descender vol 1, ate through it, and is probably going to grab up the next three volumes when she's back from out of town.
Lemire's writing is solid and the premise is interesting, but this is kind of a downer and with the mood I've been in, I should really be re-reading Squirrel Girl or Super Sons right now, rather than push myself into this and ruin it when I'm not in the mood.
Just realized we have 10 books by Lemire in my house and I haven't read any of them. Probably more soon since my wife picked up Descender vol 1, ate through it, and is probably going to grab up the next three volumes when she's back from out of town.
Personally, outside of his Animal Man run, I haven't been impressed by his Marvel & DC work. I find his best work is his own creator-owned stuff like Sweet Tooth, Essex County, etc.
If you want to add another Lemire book to the pile, I recommend Roughneck. I read it a few months ago and it's a fantastic graphic novel.
Fortunately half of those books I have are his Animal Man run
but still gotta read them.I've wanted to check out Sweet Tooth. Really need to chop down some of the to-read pile before I get any more.
"I don't want to read depressing stuff right now."
*starts volume 2 of Alan Moore's Swamp Thing*
Gods this is so fucking good, I don't want to go to work, I just want to stay on the bus immersing myself in this shit, it's so fucking good
*starts volume 2 of Alan Moore's Swamp Thing*
Gods this is so fucking good, I don't want to go to work, I just want to stay on the bus immersing myself in this shit, it's so fucking good
AH, that's some good pre-crazy Alan Moore.
Is there such thing as "pre-crazy" Alan Moore? He always seemed completely bonkers to me.
Meanwhile...
The Sixth Gun
I am loving this book do much. It's very pulpy in the threats, monsters, and characters, but it's fun. The main protagonists aren't particularly deep, but they're interesting enough to keep the story going. It reminds me of Jonathan Hickman's writing - high concept, little character depth - but here it doesn't bother me as much. The characters aren't that shallow and uninteresting by comparison.
Punisher MAX
I started reading the fourth (and final) volume of Ennis' well-regarded run. The run hasn't really lived up to the hype for me. It hasn't been bad and putting Frank in a realistic, non-superhero, Rated-R setting works for him. But the stories are mostly forgettable. I only vaguely remember what happened in the last three volumes. Plus, most stories are mostly from Frank's target's point of view. He's less a character and more a horror movie monster or force of nature. And that's all well and good. It works. It's just the criminal characters are usually very forgettable. And many times, so moustache-twirling evil that they're blatantly there just to inevitably be killed in a horrible way. Few, if any, have any sort of relatable motivation that make them interesting antagonists.
And then there's Barracuda. He was the most takes about for this run. And he's not really that interesting. He's a giant black stereotype, honestly. He says "ni**er" like it's going out of style and reads like a bad impression of Will Smith. All I'm thinking is "Really? This guy was so popular to warrant his own mini-series?" He reminds me of another Ennis Punisher villain, The Russian: massive mound of muscle that's like three weight classes above Frank, absorbs any damage or injuries like a final video game boss, and is a bad walking stereotype.
I think Yoshi was making a distinction between V for Vendetta Moore and Lost Girls Moore.
Punisher MAX
It's rare when I'm so disgusted with a comic that I'm tempted to stop reading, but I'm tempted with this one. I shouldn't have expected better from Ennis the moment a trans character was introduced.
It's rare when I'm so disgusted with a comic that I'm tempted to stop reading, but I'm tempted with this one. I shouldn't have expected better from Ennis the moment a trans character was introduced.
X-Force(The Mike Allred Version)
Whaaaaaaaaaaaat the shit? This is some Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol departure...only...featuring NO recurring characters from the original X-force(there's a REASON it became X-Statix later)! Its also SHOCKINGLY Mike Allred, the Orphan looks like he should be in Madman, both his costume and his face. With that I like it, it kinda feels like what Bloodpack was trying to do but actually works. REALLY grisly though, like a LOT of death, a ri-DIC-ulous ammount of death.
Whaaaaaaaaaaaat the shit? This is some Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol departure...only...featuring NO recurring characters from the original X-force(there's a REASON it became X-Statix later)! Its also SHOCKINGLY Mike Allred, the Orphan looks like he should be in Madman, both his costume and his face. With that I like it, it kinda feels like what Bloodpack was trying to do but actually works. REALLY grisly though, like a LOT of death, a ri-DIC-ulous ammount of death.
Traded in a big stack of comics for credit. Got a relatively smaller stack in return. I call it a win.
Wish my store took books for credit, but I have a feeling yours is doing better financially.
I'm sick of people complaining about how the new America Chavez sucks for having a social justice message, that's just insane! They SHOULD be complaining about how this plot is just bad, not unsavable as its new but...hoo boy. There's WAY too much time travel nonsense in only THREE issues, this one group of Utopians kidnap her ex to get her to help them instead of asking like normal people, and to top it all off America can be a bit of a whiner, even WITH her tragic back-story. Also its one of those stories where heroes try to give up the life, and doesn't that feel like its just a waste of your time? WE KNOW-they're gonna go back to heroing, why waste our lives with this "I need a break" bull shit?
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Marvel finally did a solo series for this character with incredible unrealized potential, and gave that series to a writer with zero ambition.
Yeah I've heard good things about her in Young Avengers, a book I plan on getting...barring...it not being too expensive, giving Marvel these days.
Al Ewing's Ultimates does great stuff with her too.
Wonder Woman Vol 1: Truth (Rucka, Sharp)
Really? This is what everyone raves about? Its entire narrative is "Yep, we rebooted. Here's a couple of different Wonder Woman origins and the whole mystery is which one is true." And it's just not doing it for me. It's trying to weave the universe-changing reboots into the story, but it's so clunky and forced. Plus, the story is so stretched that nothing is really resolved or revealed by the end of the first book. A lot of the book is about "Hey, here's two different origins! Which one is the real one?! Oh, we're not telling." Piss off.
First foray into any DC Rebirth titles and I'm left disappointed. I have volume 2 on order at the library, so I'll read that, but I highly doubt I'll continue with this. Shame, because I love Rucka's first Wonder Woman run.
Really? This is what everyone raves about? Its entire narrative is "Yep, we rebooted. Here's a couple of different Wonder Woman origins and the whole mystery is which one is true." And it's just not doing it for me. It's trying to weave the universe-changing reboots into the story, but it's so clunky and forced. Plus, the story is so stretched that nothing is really resolved or revealed by the end of the first book. A lot of the book is about "Hey, here's two different origins! Which one is the real one?! Oh, we're not telling." Piss off.
First foray into any DC Rebirth titles and I'm left disappointed. I have volume 2 on order at the library, so I'll read that, but I highly doubt I'll continue with this. Shame, because I love Rucka's first Wonder Woman run.
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I'm ambivalent towards WW so take this with a grain of salt, but a lot of fans were just happy to have a wonder woman who's less okay with infanticide.
Um, what?
In Azzerello's run during the new 52, the Amazons would ritually throw any male babies born over a cliff. They tried to argue that it was kept secret from Diana, but since the whole thing was done by the entire society and wasn't regarded by them as wrong or something to be shameful of that makes no sense.
In other words, Wonder Woman's origin really really needed a retconned after New 52.
The paperback Wonder Woman trades are troublesome because they split the story arcs when each is supposed to be told flip-flopping and revealing stuff between each other. Volume 2 is the origin, so you're supposed to be seeing it between the vol 1 issues... It didn't seem like Rucka wrote with the trades in mind, but rather what he wanted to do every two weeks.
And I've heard Robison plans to do the same for his six months on the title.
The paperback Wonder Woman trades are troublesome because they split the story arcs when each is supposed to be told flip-flopping and revealing stuff between each other. Volume 2 is the origin, so you're supposed to be seeing it between the vol 1 issues... It didn't seem like Rucka wrote with the trades in mind, but rather what he wanted to do every two weeks.
And I've heard Robison plans to do the same for his six months on the title.
Maybe I'll like things more when I read volume 2 when that comes in.
I did. Like it's mentioned above, it's basically Rucka saying, "Okay, how do we clean up the steaming garbage that was Nu52 without getting fired?"
Which is why Vol 1 is less frustrating when every other issue is from volume 2 AKA Wonder Woman: Year One. While in vol 1 Wonder Woman is like "which is real--the Nu52 or this Rebirth arc?", vol 2 is saying "This Rebirth arc is real, good thing all that awful shit was a trick played on Diana's mind."
Bane Conquest
Action schlock at its best- I LOVE IT!
Motor Crush Issue 6
I'll be damned if I don't wanna see more from this, good show.
Green Lanterns
On the one hand awesome...on the other hand-
WOJAR
I want a Kite-man mini-series in the future. He is the voice of a generation.
Superman
Superman fights Sinestro, what fucking more do you want? Fun issue.
Action schlock at its best- I LOVE IT!
Motor Crush Issue 6
I'll be damned if I don't wanna see more from this, good show.
Green Lanterns
On the one hand awesome...on the other hand-
-did three of the original lanters exist JUST to give Simon Baz a power up after their death? Das fucked up!
WOJAR
I want a Kite-man mini-series in the future. He is the voice of a generation.
Superman
Superman fights Sinestro, what fucking more do you want? Fun issue.
Shit, that was this week? I just got the first volume, haven't finished it yet, but I'm really enjoying it. I try not to get Image stuff monthly since I really prefer to just get the books, but I'm trying to support stuff that might need it. Image has plenty of guaranteed successes like Saga, Walking Dead, Wicked and Divine, but there are smaller titles that I don't want to let die while I trade-wait.
How was this the sadder of two Kite Man issues when the previous one had Kite Man lose everything important to him? Maybe because, as Joker said in the previous issue, the situation was so chaotic that it was "almost funny." This was like ... he lost everything, and I guess I'd assumed he lost his mind too, but no, he's still sane here, just desperate and lonely. He's created this facade of being one of the Joker's psychos, but really his part in this war is a fantasy to avoid having to accept that Batman ruined his life. When he realizes the war might be coming to an end, Crane makes the point perfectly--he'll have to resume his life. Since it's a flashback story, we already know where this results, that ... what is it now? Five years from the start by New 52, and then Superman Reborn added 10, and this being Batman's year two would mean that thirteen years later, Charlie Brown is still Kite Man. He chose the fantasy over his horrible reality.
Hats off to Tom King for a few accomplishments in this issue that I'll put in spoilers.
1. The gripe squad that hates this run were largely pissed about the early-on Kite Man interlude, but some were willing to withdraw their complaints if he turned out to be key to the story arc. And as of the last couple pages, yeah, he totally is.
2. Despite pretending to be a second interlude, this issue moves the plot forward more than any chapter of this arc since the first one.
3. I know I wasn't the only one who thought Batman was going to side with the Joker, and that would be cherry on top of his failures from this time period, knowing he sided with the maniac who years later would kill Jason Todd with a crowbar. But then--nope! Batman made the logical, albeit unfortunately pragmatic decision to side with the Riddler and systematically tear down Joker's side brick by brick, since he didn't have to worry about fighting Riddler's allies anymore.
2. Despite pretending to be a second interlude, this issue moves the plot forward more than any chapter of this arc since the first one.
3. I know I wasn't the only one who thought Batman was going to side with the Joker, and that would be cherry on top of his failures from this time period, knowing he sided with the maniac who years later would kill Jason Todd with a crowbar. But then--nope! Batman made the logical, albeit unfortunately pragmatic decision to side with the Riddler and systematically tear down Joker's side brick by brick, since he didn't have to worry about fighting Riddler's allies anymore.
One odd aside: I always get weirded out when Two-Face talks to himself aloud. Normally it's just Two-Face talking, not Two-Face and Harvey, and I figure any conversations of the two halves are going on internally, so when it happens externally, it throws me off a little. Not a problem, just an observation.
I am definitely getting volume 1 when I get the chance.
And AH-the WOJAR gripe squad...how I de-SPISE them! "Why is the Riddler's shirt still open?" ITS TO SHOW OFF HIS QUESTION MARK SCAR YOU DUMB ASSES-like Luffy from One Piece!
And true. Part of me feels there should've been more of a difference in the word balloons, but it worked mostly.
And AH-the WOJAR gripe squad...how I de-SPISE them! "Why is the Riddler's shirt still open?" ITS TO SHOW OFF HIS QUESTION MARK SCAR YOU DUMB ASSES-like Luffy from One Piece!
And true. Part of me feels there should've been more of a difference in the word balloons, but it worked mostly.
This was such a weird issue structurally, but I'm not complaining. Think I'm just used to six-part arcs that could be told in much less that this nice little two-parter feels off, but was actually pretty good.
Did you check out the Red Hood annual from last week? I just picked it up yesterday and got to read it today. That was magical and hilarious. Hopefully it'll be included in one of the trades; really great Outlaw team stuff. Felt like a lot was said between Dick and Jason without them talking to each other all that much.