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COMICS! |OT| August 2014. Infinite universes, or just fifty-two? Thanos.

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Great question a page or so back about horror comics. I think of a general obvious scares level, no, I don't really think the medium lends itself to horror. That said, half my collection is made up of horror comics because I love the writing style and aesthetic of the art and while they don't necessarily scare me, they can shock me. They can unsettle me, they can creep me out.

Now the other side of this question you have to go back to is what is horror right? Is it the ring or paranormal activity, or is it Stephen King? Because King's kind of horror is basically character drama right? It's investing you in the characters, making you relate to them and often putting them in circumstances that are utterly horrifying because they could happen. You could lose a child, you could lose a loved one, or be in a tragic accident and lose your ability to walk and so on. Yes, it is often surrounded by creepy supernatural events, but the horror is always in the heart (and imo why it's so good).

So, half a ramble later, I guess my thought is there are some creepy disturbing comics like Severed, that are genuinely quite unsettling but not necessarily scary. There aare a lot of comics that are sometimes termed as horror comics like Hellboy and the BPRD or Fatale that are absolutely phenomenal, but not scary at all. Then there are a few books I've read that had moments and character developments that horrified the fuck out of me. Sweet Tooth, Locke & Key, American Vampire, Black Science is even maybe in there, that would terrify me as a partner, a father, a son, a friend. I guess there have been comics that scared me. These are far and few between though, because to achieve that level of *scary*, the writer has to not only be brilliant, but nail it as well, and I guess be going for it in general too.


Anyway, as an aside. I read the new volume of Abe Sapien last night, and oh jesus, I love that book. Scott Allie is actually such a good writer, he's doing such a good job right now with that book by just telling really cool little contained stories but also showing another facet to the HB universe and fleshing it out a lot in doing so. Love the Fiumara brothers work in it too.
 
Tiny Titans: Return to the Treehouse #3
Detective Comics #34
Tech Jacket #2
Genius #1
Imperial #1
Rocket Raccoon #2

I noticed a Detective Comics Annual came out the other week. I haven't read #33, so i don't know - do i gotta read it? It's missing Manapul's art, aka the best part of the current run
 

Kipp

but I am taking tiny steps forward
Great question a page or so back about horror comics. I think of a general obvious scares level, no, I don't really think the medium lends itself to horror. That said, half my collection is made up of horror comics because I love the writing style and aesthetic of the art and while they don't necessarily scare me, they can shock me. They can unsettle me, they can creep me out.

Now the other side of this question you have to go back to is what is horror right? Is it the ring or paranormal activity, or is it Stephen King? Because King's kind of horror is basically character drama right? It's investing you in the characters, making you relate to them and often putting them in circumstances that are utterly horrifying because they could happen. You could lose a child, you could lose a loved one, or be in a tragic accident and lose your ability to walk and so on. Yes, it is often surrounded by creepy supernatural events, but the horror is always in the heart (and imo why it's so good).

So, half a ramble later, I guess my thought is there are some creepy disturbing comics like Severed, that are genuinely quite unsettling but not necessarily scary. There aare a lot of comics that are sometimes termed as horror comics like Hellboy and the BPRD or Fatale that are absolutely phenomenal, but not scary at all. Then there are a few books I've read that had moments and character developments that horrified the fuck out of me. Sweet Tooth, Locke & Key, American Vampire, Black Science is even maybe in there, that would terrify me as a partner, a father, a son, a friend. I guess there have been comics that scared me. These are far and few between though, because to achieve that level of *scary*, the writer has to not only be brilliant, but nail it as well, and I guess be going for it in general too.

As someone who's never been into horror, because all the horror stuff I've experienced has been the shock/violence type of horror, your post got me really wanting to try out some of that Stephen King style horror. That sounds like something I could really get into.

Bii needs to be Kipps inker. Now we just need a colorist. The dream is alive.

It's perfect. And fauxtrot actually did say he could do some coloring! I need to take him up on that sometime. It's all coming together...

Just tried a quick sample at coloring and I've no idea what I'm doing. Someone needs to step up!

You know, the potential is there. If you took the time to color closer to the lines (I realize that takes time and you were just doing a quick example), that would look pretty sweet. I've always been a huge fan of that watercolor coloring style.
 

Tizoc

Member
I forgot about the new Tiny Titans comic...that and I really need to remember to catch up on Locke and Key.
 

Anth1888

Member
Start with Batman.

Bingo, then Batman and Robin. But read all of Snyders Batman first.

All of these are New 52 which is the relaunch. Current issues are around #33 for titles that started with the New 52 launch in 2011:

Batman with #1 to current [Trades for the earlier stuff]
Batman and Robin with #1 to current [Trades for the earlier stuff]
Detective Comics with #30 to current

Skip Detective before 30, Dark Knight. Wait on Batman Inc until you get a little more experience under your belt, as it touches on alot of Batman lore but is worth it to come back to eventually.

That'd be my suggestion. There is also Batman Eternal, which is a weekly title that is around issue #18, and is quite good.

Batman it is then. I'll skip Justice League for now.

Will I not miss anything if I start at #30 for Detective Comics? Or is it self contained.
 

Filthy Slug

Crowd screaming like hounds at the heat of the chase/ All the colors of the rainbow flood my face
Tiny Titans: Return to the Treehouse #3
Detective Comics #34
Tech Jacket #2
Genius #1
Imperial #1
Rocket Raccoon #2

I noticed a Detective Comics Annual came out the other week. I haven't read #33, so i don't know - do i gotta read it? It's missing Manapul's art, aka the best part of the current run
If it's just Bouchebag writing, I'd say skip it. The run is starting to fall apart for me, in the same ways their Flash run did.
 

Zombine

Banned
Funny you mention that. I just ordered the first Omnibus. I've never read the AvP comics, i'm pretty interested to check them out

AvP Dark Horse comics are the only acceptable AvP related material. Really interesting stuff. I find all the Dark Horse Alien/Predator books to be superior to the Star Wars EU.
 
As someone who's never been into horror, because all the horror stuff I've experienced has been the shock/violence type of horror, your post got me really wanting to try out some of that Stephen King style horror. That sounds like something I could really get into.

Definitely man, horror imo is one of the most compelling genres when done right, because it's basically character drama that makes you feel something you don't in day to day life.

A good example is Pet Sematary which I just got round to reading. The book centers around a family of four, two adults and two fairly young children, and the theme that runs through the whole book is pretty much death. How we all deal with the concept of death at different stages of our lives, how we all conceive it, how and when and what the best way is to let go after a death. This is something we can all relate to on a base level as a subject and as members of a family, no matter where you are in your personal family's hierarchy. Now the book does have some creepy overtones, there are supernatural things that dance around the edges of the story and eventually play a big part in the book's final act, but they really just that thread King uses to get you to follow him down the rabbit hole of characters, relationships and themes he wants to open your eyes to.

Even the worst thing in the book, something that has very little to do with the *supernatural* elements of the story, he actually skips a period of time in the story and picks up in the aftermath of said event. There is no crassness, or blunt on the nose descriptions. What happens is extremely upsetting and really is horrific to imagine happening to you in your own life, yet he never actually fully gives you the event itself. The lead narrator of the story reminisces and dreams of what happens, and king teases you with imagery to imply heavily what happens, but he keeps away from anything that would sully what he's trying to get you to really think about it, and it makes the book all that more horrifying. And like I said, it has almost nada to do with the titular *Pet Sematary*.

Imo, not many comics try that kind of in depth personal horror, but the writers that get how that works and why it works really can nail it, it's very achievable on the comic book page. And as always, I would recommend King himself in terms of if you're looking for a good horror novel, to no end. In terms of character driven dark tales of loss and suffering and (sometimes) hope at the end of the tunnel in comics that can really terrify you with the situations they make you contemplate and relate to, Sweet Tooth is a great one. Locke & Key has been a great one (still gotta read that ending volume!), I think Snyder has a really good grip on that kind of stuff in Am Vamp. ( I don't meant Unknown Soldier as you've read it, but man, if that ain't a horror book, then I don't know what is).
 

IHaveIce

Banned
So I know I asked already in the last thread but am I missing something huge?
I read the Comic Marvel reading order and finished it, then I didn't know what to read next cosmicbased., so I jumped to Thanos Rising and the new GotG series, and yeah I heard Thanos and StarLord's comeback will be explained in coming issues but what is with the rest of the universe?
How comes the Spartoi are so prominent now, where were they during War of Kings and Annihilation? Where are the explanations?
Why are Mantis, Bug and Moondragon not with Gamora and the rest? It also seems Black Bolt is back, may have to search for that, but it also seems the inhumans aren't the kree royal family anymore.

The new writing team(Bendis the fuckwit) just ignores everything that happened..
Nobody? :(
 
Man just finished the 03-04 run of Runaways..

damn in the back of my mind I knew it was Alex but I really really didn't want it to be him, you stupid kid, I'm feeling feels right now :(
 
D

Deleted member 13876

Unconfirmed Member
How comes the Spartoi are so prominent now, where were they during War of Kings and Annihilation? Where are the explanations?
Why are Mantis, Bug and Moondragon not with Gamora and the rest? It also seems Black Bolt is back, may have to search for that, but it also seems the inhumans aren't the kree royal family anymore.

The new writing team(Bendis the fuckwit) just ignores everything that happened..

Bendis likes the character of J'Son. No real explanation why the other characters aren't in. Maybe to better match the movie line-up. As for the Black Bolt stuff and Kree changes, this was covered in Hickman's FF run.
 

Tizoc

Member
AvP Dark Horse comics are the only acceptable AvP related material. Really interesting stuff. I find all the Dark Horse Alien/Predator books to be superior to the Star Wars EU.

Are their stand alone Predator and Alien comics not that good?
 
No one ever did answer me as to how Black Bolt took back his kingdom after Silent War and why the hell Maximus seemed so different in Secret Invasion.
 

Lashley

Why does he wear the mask!?
I was thinking of framing my finished comics (I usually go digital but have a few actual ones) and was wondering the best way to frame em on my wall without damaging them?
 

Cheska

Member
Man just finished the 03-04 run of Runaways..

damn in the back of my mind I knew it was Alex but I really really didn't want it to be him, you stupid kid, I'm feeling feels right now :(

Just wait, there's more shockers to come in the rest of Vaughan's run.


I love that statue! It's the one that got me interested, and now addicted with Sideshow's line.

I've made a pact to buy NO comics this month.
WHAT!? How will that even be possible for you?
 

Ein Bear

Member
Has there been any word on Annihilation Conquest getting a reprint? It's the only gap I have in my cosmic-Marvel collection, and, typically, seems to be the only thing they haven't re-released for the Guardians movie.
 

Messi

Member
Messi, are you still in the US or did you go back home?

Still here until thursday

It's torture, this statue is in 3 different comic shops here. I just can't carry it home and I will get bumfucked on shipping and import tax if I bought it online.
 
Has there been any word on Annihilation Conquest getting a reprint? It's the only gap I have in my cosmic-Marvel collection, and typically seems to be the only thing they haven't re-released for the Guardians movie.

No word yet. Hopefully it's reprinted soon because the prices it's going for now are ridiculous. I'm so happy I scooped up the trades last year, I knew this was gonna happen after the old Guardians of the Galaxy trades.

Maybe we'll get an omni like we did for Annihilation.
 

Parch

Member
The horror genre is really diverse. Whether you're into the shock and gore, psychological, or just cheesy monsters, it's been a pretty big genre in comics since forever. I like the old vintage comics from EC. The genre was huge in the 50's and 60's. Dark Horse is currently making a classic style of horror with the Eerie and Creepy titles.

If you like horror books then most writers have comic versions. Anne Rice, Clive Barker, Stephen King, Edgar Allen Poe.

The modern gore stuff is more funny than scary. Crossed is just sick. Avatar Press is making a bunch of gore horror. '68 from Image has made me go wow.

Horror fans who are not into comics are really missing out. Throughout the years there must be millions of horror comics.
 
Still here until thursday

It's torture, this statue is in 3 different comic shops here. I just can't carry it home and I will get bumfucked on shipping and import tax if I bought it online.

Carry it home on your lap. Take pictures of the odyssey.
 
The horror genre is really diverse. Whether you're into the shock and gore, psychological, or just cheesy monsters, it's been a pretty big genre in comics since forever. I like the old vintage comics from EC. The genre was huge in the 50's and 60's. Dark Horse is currently making a classic style of horror with the Eerie and Creepy titles.

If you like horror books then most writers have comic versions. Anne Rice, Clive Barker, Stephen King, Edgar Allen Poe.

The modern gore stuff is more funny than scary. Crossed is just sick. Avatar Press is making a bunch of gore horror. '68 from Image has made me go wow.

Horror fans who are not into comics are really missing out. Throughout the years there must be millions of horror comics.

Creepy is one of my favorites at the moment. I love the throwback style. I really want the big collected volumes that Dark Horse put out.
 

Ephidel

Member
Still here until thursday

It's torture, this statue is in 3 different comic shops here. I just can't carry it home and I will get bumfucked on shipping and import tax if I bought it online.
Mail it home to yourself. You'd have to pay the shipping, of course, but it would let you avoid the tax. If you really want to sell the ruse you can throw a congratulations card into the box in case anyone opens it :p
 
I'm already carrying home 36 books a laptop and a ps3 or I'd consider it. Have you seen the size of the box?

So you're telling me this was less of a vacation and more of a front for tax evasion? If so you're doing it wrong. You should have gone to one of the states without sales tax.
 

Messi

Member
So you're telling me this was less of a vacation and more of a front for tax evasion? If so you're doing it wrong. You should have gone to one of the states without sales tax.

I should have done that. It would be much easier. But the weather is nice here.

You can still get caught for tax in Irish airports.
 
I should have done that. It would be much easier. But the weather is nice here.

You can still get caught for tax in Irish airports.

You're pretty lucky, it's been raining almost every day in South Florida for the past few weeks and it was raining pretty much the whole weekend I was up in Tampa.

Can't believe you bought 36 books, you're totally gonna buy more before you leave aren't you?
 

Messi

Member
You're pretty lucky, it's been raining almost every day in South Florida for the past few weeks and it was raining pretty much the whole weekend I was up in Tampa.

Can't believe you bought 36 books, you're totally gonna buy more before you leave aren't you?

Absolutely, lol. I have a problem.

There is only one solution Messi, stay in America.

In a heartbeat

Edit: my goodness I hate Comics threads outside of comics GAF.
 

Owzers

Member
Avoid the weekend box office thread in the OT unless you want to see a spoilery GOTG gif.

Luckily for me i know a bit about the guardians soooooo it wasn't a surprise, but still! Haven't seen the movie yet Xo
 

Messi

Member
Avoid the weekend box office thread in the OT unless you want to see a spoilery GOTG gif.

Luckily for me i know a bit about the guardians soooooo it wasn't a surprise, but still! Haven't seen the movie yet Xo

GAF has been really shit regarding spoilers in Guardians. Usually they are much better than this.
 
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