Freezasaurus
Member
God Hates Astronauts? Yeah. It's completely random at times.
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COMICS! |OT| December 2015. Let's save the world, you and me, together. Ready?
- Thread starter Tyrant Rave
- Start date
God Hates Astronauts? Yeah. It's completely random at times.
Stray bullets is completed. 42 issues for 42 bucks
At least buy the first issue
Tyrant Rave
Banned
Yeah I only read the first trade but Stray Bullets is real good
Freezasaurus
Member
It is, but I prefer my comics less depressing. Walking Dead is less depressing than Stray Bullets.
Yep, that is the tone of the comic for its entirely too short run.
Manhattan Projects is an alt-history take on the actual Manhattan Project, but it presumes all the scientists were assholes and is not beholden to real world science or physics by any means. You can skip The Sun Beyond the Stars, there's only been like three issues released and it is constantly delayed. The original series is a self contained story, so you can read it in its entirety and be just fine.
Then he can read the comicgaf book club...
Brian Fellows
Pete Carroll Owns Me
I think there is an Agents of Atlas one off #1 yet to come but that should be about it.
Freezasaurus
Member
Now there's a title I haven't heard in a while.
La Maquinon
Member
Decided to cut my ongoings to 15. And, if after trying a #1, I want to add a series, I'll drop one of my 15 to make the space. Really want to keep a tight list. Not just for finances, but because I think I'll enjoy my books more if I'm not reading so many at the same time. Besides, I have a lot of trades and old issues I need to make the time to catch up on. I'll still likely have a few mini-series on my list at any given time.
I'll most likely drop Rat Queens at the end of the arc. Probably drop Detective Comics. If Clean Room and Extrordinary X-Men don't impress in their first arc, they'll go, too.
I'll most likely drop Rat Queens at the end of the arc. Probably drop Detective Comics. If Clean Room and Extrordinary X-Men don't impress in their first arc, they'll go, too.
Tyrant Rave
Banned
I want to do a mass purge of my ongoings too. Got too much to read as it is and I really don't need to keep up with anything I don't love.
Loved it all. Del Mundo slayed as usual.
ViewtifulJC
Banned
The best post in this thread, free
Don't let the negativity bring you down, generally you seem to like event books. Much like myself.
TetraxShards
Member
My Top Ten of 2015, kinda rambly but I hope you'll enjoy:
#10: The Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows
Stop it! Quit talking about me like I'm not here! I'm not a thing! I'm not a collectible -- like a Barbie or a Pokémon! I know what I am! I'm the girl who saved the day!
AKA Dan Slott wins back the crowd after Spider-Verse, by doing the thing we thought we'd never see again. Peter Parker, married and a father. What could have been Marvel telling us why we can't have what we want for five issues became, for me, the surprise of the sprawling Secret Wars event. By eliminating a good chunk of the other heroes, the stakes are upped significantly, as Spider-Man's own daughter shows him how to be a hero again, and encourages him to be the hero we all know he is. A series that is very much in the tradition of Great Responsibility, but is never boring or trite, and drawn classically by Adam Kubert.
#9: Doctor Who: Four Doctors
He can only ever be himself. He can only ever be....fantastic.
Titan's first full year with the Who license was a resounding success, despite the danger of over-extending. Everything has mostly been quality, but this weekly summer crossover drawing Ten, Eleven, Twelve and their comic book companions together was easily the finest hour. Written by longtime fan and TV show writer Paul Cornell, Four Doctors sees the Time Lords drawn together to a cafe in France, where their meeting will spell doom for the universe. For me, there is one sequence where the book elevated itself beyond a standard tie-in. Seeing where the Doctors could have gone terribly, terribly wrong (Ten lets Wilf die and becomes The Time Lord Victorious, Eleven pauses the universe permanently to avoid his death at the hands of River Song, and Twelve never forgives Clara after her betrayal, and well, you'll have to see that one for yourself.....) was chilling stuff, and reminded me of He Jests At Scars, one of the best of the Big Finish audios. Stirring stuff, and the 10th Anniversary of the New Series celebration that the show itself couldn't manage.
#8: Gotham Academy
What does she know? History. The Gates. The Cobblepots. Boring dead guys. Nothing about the Joker, I can tell you that much.
What's to know? He's crazy, AND he interrupted my cartoons a couple times a year until we got Webflix.
The series that dares to ask the question: What if weird school in Gotham? Owing a massive debt to many, many YA series, Gotham Academy carved out its' own strange corner of a strange city, becoming the best DC book you're not reading in the process. While the main arc, with plenty of mystery and mayhew, was enjoyable, special mention should be given to the book's Endgame story, where the student body, while locked up for safety over the course of Endgame, swap spooky stories and legends of a certain Mistah J. Batman ruled DC in 2015 (what else is new), but this book was weird, funny and still very much in Snyder's Gotham. Give it a try.
#7: Rumble
Son, I'm sitting here, trying to explain how the world is completely different from what you know, and I see you just staring at that lady, still worrying about getting laid!
The best Hellboy comic since, well, Hellboy and BPRD, Rumble is basically a pub joke told really well. A scarecrow warrior god walks into a bar..... and it only gets crazier from there. It's weird and wonderful urban fantasy, with all the colour and verve that you can only get from a really vibrant comic. The blood, the dirty jokes, the moments of pure tenderness in a city gone mad and drawn into a war it never wanted, Rumble is the latest jewel in Image's weighty crown.
#6: The Valiant
With the death of each Geomancer, the Nameless One marked my face, and an age of great darkness followed. But light endured....
A miniseries designed as a way for new readers to explore the Valiant world, The Valiant sees the Eternal Warrior gather a team of the best and brightest heroes (so, pretty much everyone) to battle the Immortal Enemy, and save the life of the current Geomancer, who's an elementalist who previously worked as PR for a fracking company. Lemire and Kindt, who have crafted so much of the new Valiant, are on fire here and Paolo Rivera's work is stunning, easily the equal of his run on Daredevil. His characters have so much, well, character, with so little added. The action sequences are superbly staged, every panel has impact, every blow has weight and meatiness to it. The best possible intro to the Valiant Universe, and it's all quite brilliant. Worth it for Bloodshot alone, who looks like he should be in a 90s Image book, but has some amazing dry humour in places.
#5: Avengers: Ultron Forever
When the call goes forth, there will always be Avengers.
The lesser-known of Marvel's two Age of Ultron movie tie-ins, nexto Remender's disappointingly flat Rage of Ultron, Ultron Forever pits a team of Earth's Mightiest Heroes from the past (Simonson-era Thor, 60s Hulk, Rhodey as Iron Man), the present (New Thor, the current Vision and Black Widow) and the future (Danielle Cage, Luke and Jessica's daughter, now grown up and her era's Captain America) against a scheming Doctor Doom and a future ruled by Ultron. Despite the timey-wimey setup, it's the most traditional Avengers book in 2015, and thus probably the best one out there right now. The whole thing is held together by the legendary Alan Davis, who brings his deft character touches to a story epic in scope.
#4: Star Wars: Darth Vader
....I have a son. He will be mine. It will all be mine.
For the sales part of the comics industry, like many other industries, 2015 was the year of Star Wars. The main series, with Jason Aaron and a cavalcade of stellar artists, was strong but Vader to me was the standout. Picking up after the Dark Lord's encounter with Luke during the Skywalker Strikes arc of the main book, Vader spends his time assembling his own team of operatives, being cussed out by Palpatine, avoiding being killed by one of the Emperor's new GMed goons and generally being the badass we all loved as kids. Salvador Larroca's art is best described as functional, but Gillen brings the heat with some superb scenes that you could imagine being delivered by James Earl Jones himself. The future of Star Wars at Marvel looks bright, and the rumoured move to post-Empire material next year can only bring more good things.
#3: Loki: Agent of Asgard
There's a new chapter coming, and I'm not going to be who I was. I won't ask you to be, either. But I'm still me, I'm always me. You can take that how you likesee me how you want to, I can't control that. But I could use a friend. Are we good?
The final chapter (for now, at least), in the story that started with Kieron Gillen's Journey Into Mystery, Loki: Agent of Asgard brings an end to Loki's attempt at the Hero's Journey. And they stick the landing, well mostly. Twisty, turny, packed with moments that would cause you to drop the book with laughter and then cry bitterly within two pages, this was Ewing at his finest. The book was bogged down by an AXIS crossover, but otherwise, every issue was a thrill as the plot (and plotting) thickened. Also, they plugged Silver Surfer (which barely missed this list) in the last issue, that was nice of them.
#2: Transformers: More than Meets the Eye
On this ship, a minor breakdown is practically a rite of passage.
More than Meets the Eye is the book that if this was Better Than It Has Any Right to Be, would win by light years every year. What should be Star Wars With Robots is actually a heady mix of the cabin-fevered best bits of Battlestar Galactica, mixed with the Loads & Loads of Characters approach of the likes of the Abnett'n'Lanning Legion of Super Heroes. The book gathered steam after the underwhelming Dark Cybertron crossover for the 30th, and while Robots in Disguise disappeared under the weight of needing to tie in with toys, MTMTE carried on dissecting why giant robots go to war, why the line between Autobot and Decepticon is thinner than you think, and why grown men still love this franchise after it has trampled on us repeatedly for 30 years. MTMTE is Transformers at its' brilliant, genre-melding best, with James Roberts at the helm it looks to only head to new heights as we head towards issue #50.
#1: All-New Archie
What was that about?
Food.
What do they want?
Stability.
Don't we all?
Archie comics shouldn't work in 2015. They should be consigned to history, along with cassettes and VHS. In the hands of talented creators though, anything can happen. Archie established themselves as a revitalised force with their tremendous horror offerings (Archie vs. Predator was also this year and was excellent). With Mark Waid on words, and the one-of-a-kind Fiona Staples reintroducing us to the world of Riverdale, it was clear from a few pages in that magic was afoot. Crafted as a very modern book, but rooted in classic Mark Waid silver age sentiment, Archie was a book that told a simple story, based around the #lipstickincident. However, the story was so well told, the characters established so quickly and brilliantly, every issue so far has been enthralling and full of heart and hilarity. My favourite book of the year, and I eagerly anticpate where it goes next.
#10: The Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows
Stop it! Quit talking about me like I'm not here! I'm not a thing! I'm not a collectible -- like a Barbie or a Pokémon! I know what I am! I'm the girl who saved the day!
AKA Dan Slott wins back the crowd after Spider-Verse, by doing the thing we thought we'd never see again. Peter Parker, married and a father. What could have been Marvel telling us why we can't have what we want for five issues became, for me, the surprise of the sprawling Secret Wars event. By eliminating a good chunk of the other heroes, the stakes are upped significantly, as Spider-Man's own daughter shows him how to be a hero again, and encourages him to be the hero we all know he is. A series that is very much in the tradition of Great Responsibility, but is never boring or trite, and drawn classically by Adam Kubert.
#9: Doctor Who: Four Doctors
He can only ever be himself. He can only ever be....fantastic.
Titan's first full year with the Who license was a resounding success, despite the danger of over-extending. Everything has mostly been quality, but this weekly summer crossover drawing Ten, Eleven, Twelve and their comic book companions together was easily the finest hour. Written by longtime fan and TV show writer Paul Cornell, Four Doctors sees the Time Lords drawn together to a cafe in France, where their meeting will spell doom for the universe. For me, there is one sequence where the book elevated itself beyond a standard tie-in. Seeing where the Doctors could have gone terribly, terribly wrong (Ten lets Wilf die and becomes The Time Lord Victorious, Eleven pauses the universe permanently to avoid his death at the hands of River Song, and Twelve never forgives Clara after her betrayal, and well, you'll have to see that one for yourself.....) was chilling stuff, and reminded me of He Jests At Scars, one of the best of the Big Finish audios. Stirring stuff, and the 10th Anniversary of the New Series celebration that the show itself couldn't manage.
#8: Gotham Academy
What does she know? History. The Gates. The Cobblepots. Boring dead guys. Nothing about the Joker, I can tell you that much.
What's to know? He's crazy, AND he interrupted my cartoons a couple times a year until we got Webflix.
The series that dares to ask the question: What if weird school in Gotham? Owing a massive debt to many, many YA series, Gotham Academy carved out its' own strange corner of a strange city, becoming the best DC book you're not reading in the process. While the main arc, with plenty of mystery and mayhew, was enjoyable, special mention should be given to the book's Endgame story, where the student body, while locked up for safety over the course of Endgame, swap spooky stories and legends of a certain Mistah J. Batman ruled DC in 2015 (what else is new), but this book was weird, funny and still very much in Snyder's Gotham. Give it a try.
#7: Rumble
Son, I'm sitting here, trying to explain how the world is completely different from what you know, and I see you just staring at that lady, still worrying about getting laid!
The best Hellboy comic since, well, Hellboy and BPRD, Rumble is basically a pub joke told really well. A scarecrow warrior god walks into a bar..... and it only gets crazier from there. It's weird and wonderful urban fantasy, with all the colour and verve that you can only get from a really vibrant comic. The blood, the dirty jokes, the moments of pure tenderness in a city gone mad and drawn into a war it never wanted, Rumble is the latest jewel in Image's weighty crown.
#6: The Valiant
With the death of each Geomancer, the Nameless One marked my face, and an age of great darkness followed. But light endured....
A miniseries designed as a way for new readers to explore the Valiant world, The Valiant sees the Eternal Warrior gather a team of the best and brightest heroes (so, pretty much everyone) to battle the Immortal Enemy, and save the life of the current Geomancer, who's an elementalist who previously worked as PR for a fracking company. Lemire and Kindt, who have crafted so much of the new Valiant, are on fire here and Paolo Rivera's work is stunning, easily the equal of his run on Daredevil. His characters have so much, well, character, with so little added. The action sequences are superbly staged, every panel has impact, every blow has weight and meatiness to it. The best possible intro to the Valiant Universe, and it's all quite brilliant. Worth it for Bloodshot alone, who looks like he should be in a 90s Image book, but has some amazing dry humour in places.
#5: Avengers: Ultron Forever
When the call goes forth, there will always be Avengers.
The lesser-known of Marvel's two Age of Ultron movie tie-ins, nexto Remender's disappointingly flat Rage of Ultron, Ultron Forever pits a team of Earth's Mightiest Heroes from the past (Simonson-era Thor, 60s Hulk, Rhodey as Iron Man), the present (New Thor, the current Vision and Black Widow) and the future (Danielle Cage, Luke and Jessica's daughter, now grown up and her era's Captain America) against a scheming Doctor Doom and a future ruled by Ultron. Despite the timey-wimey setup, it's the most traditional Avengers book in 2015, and thus probably the best one out there right now. The whole thing is held together by the legendary Alan Davis, who brings his deft character touches to a story epic in scope.
#4: Star Wars: Darth Vader
....I have a son. He will be mine. It will all be mine.
For the sales part of the comics industry, like many other industries, 2015 was the year of Star Wars. The main series, with Jason Aaron and a cavalcade of stellar artists, was strong but Vader to me was the standout. Picking up after the Dark Lord's encounter with Luke during the Skywalker Strikes arc of the main book, Vader spends his time assembling his own team of operatives, being cussed out by Palpatine, avoiding being killed by one of the Emperor's new GMed goons and generally being the badass we all loved as kids. Salvador Larroca's art is best described as functional, but Gillen brings the heat with some superb scenes that you could imagine being delivered by James Earl Jones himself. The future of Star Wars at Marvel looks bright, and the rumoured move to post-Empire material next year can only bring more good things.
#3: Loki: Agent of Asgard
There's a new chapter coming, and I'm not going to be who I was. I won't ask you to be, either. But I'm still me, I'm always me. You can take that how you likesee me how you want to, I can't control that. But I could use a friend. Are we good?
The final chapter (for now, at least), in the story that started with Kieron Gillen's Journey Into Mystery, Loki: Agent of Asgard brings an end to Loki's attempt at the Hero's Journey. And they stick the landing, well mostly. Twisty, turny, packed with moments that would cause you to drop the book with laughter and then cry bitterly within two pages, this was Ewing at his finest. The book was bogged down by an AXIS crossover, but otherwise, every issue was a thrill as the plot (and plotting) thickened. Also, they plugged Silver Surfer (which barely missed this list) in the last issue, that was nice of them.
#2: Transformers: More than Meets the Eye
On this ship, a minor breakdown is practically a rite of passage.
More than Meets the Eye is the book that if this was Better Than It Has Any Right to Be, would win by light years every year. What should be Star Wars With Robots is actually a heady mix of the cabin-fevered best bits of Battlestar Galactica, mixed with the Loads & Loads of Characters approach of the likes of the Abnett'n'Lanning Legion of Super Heroes. The book gathered steam after the underwhelming Dark Cybertron crossover for the 30th, and while Robots in Disguise disappeared under the weight of needing to tie in with toys, MTMTE carried on dissecting why giant robots go to war, why the line between Autobot and Decepticon is thinner than you think, and why grown men still love this franchise after it has trampled on us repeatedly for 30 years. MTMTE is Transformers at its' brilliant, genre-melding best, with James Roberts at the helm it looks to only head to new heights as we head towards issue #50.
#1: All-New Archie
What was that about?
Food.
What do they want?
Stability.
Don't we all?
Archie comics shouldn't work in 2015. They should be consigned to history, along with cassettes and VHS. In the hands of talented creators though, anything can happen. Archie established themselves as a revitalised force with their tremendous horror offerings (Archie vs. Predator was also this year and was excellent). With Mark Waid on words, and the one-of-a-kind Fiona Staples reintroducing us to the world of Riverdale, it was clear from a few pages in that magic was afoot. Crafted as a very modern book, but rooted in classic Mark Waid silver age sentiment, Archie was a book that told a simple story, based around the #lipstickincident. However, the story was so well told, the characters established so quickly and brilliantly, every issue so far has been enthralling and full of heart and hilarity. My favourite book of the year, and I eagerly anticpate where it goes next.
You should know by now that I like what I like (which is most things lol, dem low standards) and nothing anyone says changes that in the slightest. Don't get me wrong, I love discussing things, but I really don't care if someone says something is bad, like that doesn't affect me at all. Maybe it should? But it doesn't. I'm the same with games and whatnot.
Then again I always had the capacity to say "this thing is shit but I like it anyway" which most people tend to not have, it's usually "I like this therefore it's good"
TetraxShards
Member
I like to think I have this, but I think in my case it's more "I know this thing is good, I just don't like it myself."
I like a lot of stuff that is objectively bad though. My tastes outside of comics are pretty shocking, and even in comics I've enjoyed so many books that did terribly (Exiles is legit my fav series of all time, and I love Avengers Arena/Undercover as well).
You should let me help you drop books, together we will make your pull list great again.
Freezasaurus
Member
JC, is there any comic you like more than Stray Bullets?
ViewtifulJC
Banned
ViewtifulJC
Banned
that's right, Grant Morrison/Johnathan Case's Doom Patrol. It's the GOAT comic tbh. With the greatest last page ever.
Tyrant Rave
Banned
Nice write-up! I read the beginning of Ultron Forever and I liked it, I need to get around to reading the rest.
Yep. One of my favorite comics. It's amazing.
La Maquinon
Member
The pages you posted are fantastic. I'll need to read that book.
Small list this week.
Lazarus #21
Rat Queens #14
Wolverine #3
Maybe the Ikebana one-shot. Too bad the first issue of the new Deadpool/Cable mini is five freaking dollars. The preview looks good.
Star Wars TFA was so amazing. I was blown away. Last Star Wars I saw in the theatre was that Phantom Menace garbage.
Freezasaurus
Member
TFA was better than all three prequels combined.
But I will say that overall, I enjoyed The Phantom Menace. Just not as a Star Wars movie, because it really didn't feel like one.
my name is ed
Banned
damn those morrison feels
I mean disassociative identity disorder isnt like a sure thing but I will allow this
BKatastrophe
Member
Bullseye's always been a creep. There's a run of Elektra (I haven't read it, but a friend of mine has) where he's apparently the equivalent of an internet fanboy stalker. Stalking Elektra.
Man fuck Bullseye.
wait there is a comicgaf book club? Stray bullets is definitely a comic worth discussing
Yep there was one. It was the second book club. Had its own thread and everything. The first one was fairly successful we read Strangers in Paradise.
ViewtifulJC
Banned
best new member tbh
Freezasaurus
Member
SiP was kind of difficult because there were no page numbers. Also it was hard to stop because it was so good.
I see comicGAFhas good taste.
so what is going to be the next series for book club?
also lol JC, didn't know he was a huge fan of Stray bullets. I just bought all of Sunshine and Roses last week.
Freezasaurus
Member
Hopefully something that I've already read so I don't have to keep up with something else.
Barring that, I've never read Scalped and would like to.
La Maquinon
Member
I only read the first volume of Scalped but I'd love to read the rest. Or, like you, ideally the book club would focus on a series I already own. Can't imagine investing in a complete long running series. Though I bet a book club would be a lot of fun.
We could gather a bunch of suggestions and then vote on it, maybe?
my name is ed
Banned
Sandman: Overture
This is probably the most essential book of 2015. Which is a bit crazy because it just didnt feel like the comic buying public was all over it like it should have. Some people just care more about average ass event tie ins I guess.
Look, this book has JHWIII showing masterful versatility in subjects and styles. He's the absolute perfect artist for Sandman. JHWIII is somehow able to make an alien flower look like the Lord of Dreams. I'm probably gonna have to go through at some point and figure out how many styles JHWIII uses in the book. It has to be at least a dozen and each is magnificient.
Gaiman returns to his signature character and provides a worthy prequel to the classic series. Make no mistake, this isn't Gaiman writing 1602 or Eternals, two series that were interesting but never felt all that great. This is Gaiman at home.
Prequels can be tricky. In many ways you are restricted. No matter what, the prequel has to end where the original starts. Sandman had quite a cast that developed and changed over its original 75 issue run. To be able to write many of those characters into the story and keep their original personas rather than a muddied mix of original/developed is an impressive writing feat.
Expectedly, we start off with Dream as we knew him most. Cruel and 'married to his duties.' I say married to his duties because he always used them as excuses to run away from shit. However, he's more vulnerable and soft here. More naive and less aware. It feels like a natural place Dream would be at prior to Sandman.
Overture also manages to make a prequel feel like a worthy exploration of the universe of the Endless. While key characters from Sandman are part of Overture, it never feels like a retread with a *wink wink* towards the reader. We get some development on ideas that flashed in the original series and it is really cool where Gaiman takes them.
As good as Overture is, its not quite as good as Sandman's highest highs. Story wise, it does what it can really well but there is an inherent restriction in creating a sequel to series like Sandman. Overture dances within those restrictions so you absolutely should check it out.
Did I mention Dave Stewart colors it? He colors whatever JHWIII doesnt paint. If you're familiar with Stewart you already know what a beast he is at colors. He never overpowers linework, only raises it while creating atmosphere and striking mood. Todd Klein provides the lettering. He's been a master letterer for a long long time and continues his defining work in overture. Many characters have visually different speech bubbles, fonts/typefaces, visualization. The lettering isnt invisible but rather a key part to the art and storytelling.
Look, its a damn good book with four of the most celebrated storytellers working in comics. I've got either really good things to say about it or semi neutral things to say about it. The deluxe collection is aces. There are plenty of extras. A lot of interviews, process pieces, notes and all that good shit. Its got good print quality. Best of all, you can throw that dustjacket in the trash. The cover is very nicely printed right on to the hardback!
Freezasaurus
Member
Don't believe so. It's already two trades in with more coming.
TheDarkKnight774
Member
Awesome write up Ed
I bought my brother the deluxe edition for Christmas. Great book. Williams was killing it, spread page after spread page
I bought my brother the deluxe edition for Christmas. Great book. Williams was killing it, spread page after spread page
Poodlestrike
Banned
Oh, I'm sure we could find something. The 90s were a dark time.
my name is ed
Banned
Thanks for writing up your top 10! Rumble also made it to mine. Might be the next one I make a full post about.
Thanks! Thats pretty awesome you got it for your brother as an Xmas book. Was he a fan of the series?
I've been giving family comics for Xmas more lately. I got my mom, my aunt, my sister and a cousin comics for Xmas.
I dunno man, I'm no prude, I usually don't even care about this type of stuff (you know, that Maddie Pryor Goblin Queen dress is sexy, there I said it) but Tigra is rubbing me the wrong way for some reason (no pun intended). Maybe it's this artist in Avengers The Initiative giving her giant breasts and the tiniest bikini. Or, you know, the cat girl trope.
Sibersk Esto
Banned
TheDarkKnight774
Member
Yea. He was a fan of sandman back in the day. He's not big into comics but he did read a series here or there. And has recently gotten into the walking dead.
Leave my waifu alone