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COMICS!!! |OT| August 2017 | Gwenpool's milkshake brings all the boys to the yard

D

Donniewahlberg

Banned
Captain Skeleton said:
For anyone who's read Black Monday Murders. How much of the archaic-ness is supposed to be understandable because i am lost!
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I definitely found myself jumping back often while I read the first vol, going back to certain charts and diagrams or just going back to earlier scenes. He drops a lot of stuff then doles out more meaning as he goes. By the end of vol 1 I felt like I completely understood everything though, bar the actual mysteries the plot presents that you're not supposed to know yet
 
C

Captain Skeleton

Member
Donniewahlberg said:
I definitely found myself jumping back often while I read the first vol, going back to certain charts and diagrams or just going back to earlier scenes. He drops a lot of stuff then doles out more meaning as he goes. By the end of vol 1 I felt like I completely understood everything though, bar the actual mysteries the plot presents that you're not supposed to know yet
Click to expand...

Ok that's fine. I'm half way through and the Hickograms make absolutely no sense.
 
D

Donniewahlberg

Banned
Captain Skeleton said:
Ok that's fine. I'm half way through and the Hickograms make absolutely no sense.
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Haha I think you'll be in a better place once you finish. I will say I think the book is pretty engrossing and presented in an interesting way, but he maybe goes to the well a few times too many in regards to that kind of writing. It's totally fine/compelling when a writer gives you scenes that lack context and then reveals later what it meant but I find feel like I was back pedalling a little too often? It's clever but on a knife edge between engaging and draining. I might not like it so much next time. I'm totally happy to invest time in a book and not be spoon fed but the writer has to be disciplined and keep up his end of the bargain too.
 
C

Captain Skeleton

Member
Donniewahlberg said:
Haha I think you'll be in a better place once you finish. I will say I think the book is pretty engrossing and presented in an interesting way, but he maybe goes to the well a few times too many in regards to that kind of writing. It's totally fine/compelling when a writer gives you scenes that lack context and then reveals later what it meant but I find feel like I was back pedalling a little too often? It's clever but on a knife edge between engaging and draining. I might not like it so much next time.
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Yeah I totally know what you mean. I've got alot of time for Hickman though. I'm liking how different this feels. It feels like it could be a David Fincher/Netflix show.

LaunchpadMcQ said:
I'm a little ashamed to admit I gave up on that book for the same reason you're struggling with it...
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I've got the first volume so I'll at least read that much. Definitely seems like the kind of comic you have to read more than once.
 
D

dh4niel

Member
I'm glad Black Canary is getting some love in this Green Arrow anniversary thing. She's one of my favourite DC characters.
 
C

Captain Skeleton

Member
Lashley said:
Netflix have bought Millarworld
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giphy.gif

.
 
M

Mafro

Member
Makes a change from him getting movie deals before the comics are even out thanks to his mates. Maybe he'll be less inclined to write movie pitches masquerading as comics now.

Captain Skeleton said:
Yes but what are Netflix gonna do with Millarworld? They're in the digital services gig. Will they be putting the comics up on their website etc etc
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Semi-related, I'm surprised Comixology still haven't done a guided view TV app or something. I'd love that with Chromecast.
 
M

Messi

Member
Mafro said:
Makes a change from him getting movie deals before the comics are even out thanks to his mates. Maybe he'll be less inclined to write movie pitches masquerading as comics now.


Semi-related, I'm surprised Comixology still haven't done a guided view TV app or something. I'd love that with Chromecast.
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Which mates are helping him? I thought it was mostly due to Kick Ass?
 
J

JordanDeGroot

Member
Pfft thankfully Millar seems to be mainly over the period he went through were he thought being vulgar meant being cool but I've no desire to see any of his stuff as tv series. Guess I kind of always want to give him a bit of leeway though as he set up some of the first big comic cons I went to called Kapow in London years ago.
 
M

Mindwipe

Member
Mafro said:
Semi-related, I'm surprised Comixology still haven't done a guided view TV app or something. I'd love that with Chromecast.
Click to expand...

I'd rather have a sale tab on the Android app first thanks.

Or for my CMX sales data not to feed through to Amazon in such a way that all my Amazon recommendations are for books that I already own...
 
J

JordanDeGroot

Member
Donniewahlberg said:
Haha I think you'll be in a better place once you finish. I will say I think the book is pretty engrossing and presented in an interesting way, but he maybe goes to the well a few times too many in regards to that kind of writing. It's totally fine/compelling when a writer gives you scenes that lack context and then reveals later what it meant but I find feel like I was back pedalling a little too often? It's clever but on a knife edge between engaging and draining. I might not like it so much next time. I'm totally happy to invest time in a book and not be spoon fed but the writer has to be disciplined and keep up his end of the bargain too.
Click to expand...

Yeah one of the big reasons I like Hickmans stuff is the deep lore and world building, but can definitely see why it would put people off though. I'm same as you in that by the end of the first volume I could go back and understand most of whats going on and most of the charts through the book. Reading the second arc issue by issue though I feel like this arc has been all mysteries not much pay off, I'm hoping that will come in the last few issues of the arc, but feel like its a series that will read better in trades. By the time a new issue comes out I tend to have forgot a lot of the build up over the past few issues.
 
J

JordanDeGroot

Member
After a few not so great issues thought the latest Black Panther main series issue was back on form again, the more you read of Coates the more you can see his strengths as a writer and his weaknesses. When he writes about society, culture or dialogue between characters its great stuff, but when he has to write action scenes or when he tries to write about the more mystical stuff that this arc has been about he falls flat a bit. The stuff about the guy from the wrecking crew and about being the black Bruce Banner was great.
 
C

Captain Skeleton

Member
Mafro said:
Semi-related, I'm surprised Comixology still haven't done a guided view TV app or something. I'd love that with Chromecast.
Click to expand...

It would be an interesting experiment at least. I imagine it would be one of those things that goes on quietly for a few years then gets canned, like all those Google and Amazon services.
 
Aizo

Aizo

Banned
Mafro said:
Makes a change from him getting movie deals before the comics are even out thanks to his mates. Maybe he'll be less inclined to write movie pitches masquerading as comics now.


Semi-related, I'm surprised Comixology still haven't done a guided view TV app or something. I'd love that with Chromecast.
Click to expand...
I never knew I wanted this.
 
D

Donniewahlberg

Banned
JordanDeGroot said:
Yeah one of the big reasons I like Hickmans stuff is the deep lore and world building, but can definitely see why it would put people off though. I'm same as you in that by the end of the first volume I could go back and understand most of whats going on and most of the charts through the book. Reading the second arc issue by issue though I feel like this arc has been all mysteries not much pay off, I'm hoping that will come in the last few issues of the arc, but feel like its a series that will read better in trades. By the time a new issue comes out I tend to have forgot a lot of the build up over the past few issues.
Click to expand...

That's disappointing to hear, but I'm not shocked. I don't actually read any books by single issue but I can't really imagine reading BBM as anything other than a trade.

Regarding vol 1,
I didn't really want to pass judgement and colour/ruin Skeleton's reading but I'd even go so far as to say the plot isn't actually complex or clever enough to really merit the density and delivery of the book. In the end, I really enjoy it as a bit of a puzzle box, something to pick apart for a few hours and there's a lot of artistry in that from the creators involved, but I'm not sure I found the actual plot I'm left with at the end that interesting or engaging. As with a lot of Hickman's stuff, I find he has a lot of ideas and interesting/compelling ways to present them but lacks the actual investable cast to keep me caring when I close the book. I've hardly thought of it since I finished and likely won't until I reread in anticipation of vol 2
There's definitely a value there but one that will keep me reading to the end? Or even just push me to wait until the end, I'm not sure.
 
W

whatsinaname

Member
tim1138 said:
What a garbage take on Orion
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He's like the bully who's actually just the rich kid who grew up in a mansion. He's like, ”Oh, you don't understand me!" Dude, you grew up on the upper west side, what are you talking about?! Whereas Scott has been through the shit, you know? He knows what's up. So this idea that Orion would come to him and be like, ”You don't know how to deal with pain!" Scott's thinking in that moment, ”Dude, you've never even experienced pain. You've experienced angst. You've experienced the theory of pain, but you don't know what it's like to have Granny Goodness as the only person you love."
Click to expand...

YsFaEJz.png


I mean, if he wants to do his own characterization, that is fine. I didn't mind Orion in Azzarello and Chiang's WW. But if you say

"Kirby set the table for us all, we just get to eat, you know?"
Click to expand...

and then do that with Orion...
 
J

JordanDeGroot

Member
Donniewahlberg said:
That's disappointing to hear, but I'm not shocked. I don't actually read any books by single issue but I can't really imagine reading BBM as anything other than a trade.

Regarding vol 1,
I didn't really want to pass judgement and colour/ruin Skeleton's reading but I'd even go so far as to say the plot isn't actually complex or clever enough to really merit the density and delivery of the book. In the end, I really enjoy it as a bit of a puzzle box, something to pick apart for a few hours and there's a lot of artistry in that from the creators involved, but I'm not sure I found the actual plot I'm left with at the end that interesting or engaging. As with a lot of Hickman's stuff, I find he has a lot of ideas and interesting/compelling ways to present them but lacks the actual investable cast to keep me caring when I close the book. I've hardly thought of it since I finished and likely won't until I reread in anticipation of vol 2
There's definitely a value there but one that will keep me reading to the end? Or even just push me to wait until the end, I'm not sure.
Click to expand...

Yeah I can understand that, I think from maybe reading previous Hickman stuff before I accept the flaws he has and enjoy him more as a big idea writer than a character writer and get that kind of stuff from other writers (terry moore for example). But if you think about it theres not many big idea writers left in comic these days, maybe Grant Morrison as well as a few others so I enjoy the big idea world building stuff.

I think as for the story there is
some good story stuff there and I'm definitely interested to learn more about the founding of the Mammom religion and how it truly works, as well as I find the main detective an interesting character to delve into. Though I think it can get bogged down a bit with all the organisations and banking companies, which though I get as a way the religion works and is brought into the world through can be a bit boring when there rolling of staff lists and whos run what positions in the company for the last 50 years and all that.
 
W

whatsinaname

Member
Just for context. Here's what Kirby said about Orion.

Kirby: Orion is a hunter. A hunter, and a killer. He’s trapped in an environment he never made.

Can you imagine a guy with that kind of frustration? A guy who’s his own monster. He can’t go against his environment, but inside him is something basic and primitive.

I think that is part of life. It’s instinctive in the cop as well as the crook. In time we become our own monster. There will be things you will be ashamed of and yet you’ve done it. And it’s on you like a scab. Orion was so ashamed he used a Mother Box to build a good face. Orion’s face represents you telling your mother you’re going to school when you’re really going to a pool room.

Orion is in very, very heavy territory. What father would want to kill his son and what son would want to kill his father? It takes a lot of maturity to define that kind of relationship.

There would maybe be a search for love, that kind of love is lost in ambition.

We always try to fix our faces. Don’t we look great today? Do we look like the people who built Dachau? No, we look as if it never happened. Do we look like the people who committed atrocities in World War II and all the wars before that? No, we don’t look like those kinds of people.

I think we are living in medieval times. It’s only 40 years ago we cooked people in ovens. How sophisticated is that? We can pat ourselves on the back, and say we’re living in a high tech age, but I think we’re still medieval.
Click to expand...
 
D

Donniewahlberg

Banned
JordanDeGroot said:
Yeah I can understand that, I think from maybe reading previous Hickman stuff before I accept the flaws he has and enjoy him more as a big idea writer than a character writer and get that kind of stuff from other writers (terry moore for example). But if you think about it theres not many big idea writers left in comic these days, maybe Grant Morrison as well as a few others so I enjoy the big idea world building stuff.
Click to expand...

For that's fair. I mean for context, I bought TNN when the trade was originally released and I've read all of his creator owned stuff as it's dropped since bar Secret which I just kind of missed because of all the delays, so I've been with him long enough too, I just felt this book was a bit of stretch at times. I've experienced the same to a much lesser degree with EoW at times and Imo TMP was just the best balance, which is funny since he was being a bit more light hearted there but I really really dug the characters in that run. I do agree though, I think he's an interesting guy to have around and I'll continue to follow his stuff and give everything a shot. He's definitely not my ideal writer but his craft is engaging on it's own terms, which is's something you can say about everyone.

whatsinaname said:
Just for context. Here's what Kirby said about Orion.
Click to expand...

That is a great excerpt. I'm not that familiar with the New Gods (yet) but he sure makes it sound compelling there.
 
Aizo

Aizo

Banned
whatsinaname said:
Just for context. Here's what Kirby said about Orion.
Click to expand...
Doesn't Kalibak literally say what Kirby says there back in New Gods? "Hahaha! You're your own monster!" Something like that?

Yeah, he's raised in heaven... but internally, he has some real shit. How do you come to terms with your father being Darkseid? You don't.
Einchy said:
Got some that I've been wanting to get for a long time.
5bbwUxG.png
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Some really wonderful comics there. Kill or be Killed is probably my favorite. Please post impressions.
 
O

Owzers

Member
iPads with white or black bezels? I have black because I didn't want the white bezel, black border, white comic zebra reading. Is the 10.5 iPad less black bordery on the sides of cmx reading?
 
Aizo

Aizo

Banned
Oh jeez. I might to the comic store to pick up a physical copy of Mister Miracle, too. Kinda far just to buy one comic... but I want it.
 
Lashley

Lashley

Why does he wear the mask!?
Freezasaurus said:
Whooooo Diamond's $150 Thanos is shipping this week.



It's supposed to be 12" tall, I'm kind of dying to see whether that's to the top of his head or the upraised hand. I'll know soon enough.
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I want at least 5 pictures of this when you get him
 
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