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[Lombaszko]

Animal Man is a must, and the omnibus is small, beautiful, and contains the entire run, so it's worth the money.

Seven Soldiers is excellent and truly is a major event that is self-contained and stars unknown heroes. Read it if only for Klarion the Witch Boy. And Frankenstein.

Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth is a must-read if you enjoy Morrison's Batman stuff. It's his first Batman-anything, and holy fuckballs, is it great and boundary-pushing...

Fantastic, thank you. I think I'm going to go with that Animal Man omni. I have Arkham Asylum and it's so cool to see what he was doing there and how similar themes have carried all the way through his Batman run. This and the prose he wrote from the Joker's perspective during later Batman stories (I forget which trade I read it in) are like study guides to understanding his take on the Batman world.

Also, his Supergods book is like a cheat sheet for reading his stuff. He explains how he sees the different heroes and I found it really helpful understanding his different takes on Superman. I can't wait to read his Earth One Wonder Woman eventually, in Supergods he talks a bit about her and he has a fondness for the way in which the character was inspired.

Thanks again for replying to my trade question everyone!

 

[tim1138]

Animal Man is a must, and the omnibus is small, beautiful, and contains the entire run, so it's worth the money.

Seven Soldiers is excellent and truly is a major event that is self-contained and stars unknown heroes. Read it if only for Klarion the Witch Boy. And Frankenstein.

Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth is a must-read if you enjoy Morrison's Batman stuff. It's his first Batman-anything, and holy fuckballs, is it great and boundary-pushing.



Nobody should ever dive into The Filth without having combed the depths of The Invisibles. It'd be like diving into an ocean with no prior swimming experience. Also, the ocean is filled with aquatic bears who are both angry and horny.

Yeah, reading his stuff as he produced it brings about the leit-motifs that are consistent throughout his work and allows you to both understand and appreciate how he's developing them. The Invisibles is pretty much a rosetta stone for everything that comes after, but it's a very tough read in the beginning. The Arcadia arc is super rough and not in any way encouraging of new readers to stick with it. That said, stick with it, do your research, try to get your hands on the original letters columns written by Morrison himself, and open your damn mind.

I remember having my mind blown when I figured out where Morrison was going with his origins for Klarion. He's such an underutilized character and it's always nice to see Morrison take on a Kirby creation.

 

[Filthy Slug]

I never realised Arcadia was so badly thought of until way after I'd read it. I read it at about 16/17 and figured this must be what adult comics are like. I dug the inclusion of De Sade and I dug the baddie with no face. On retrospect that arc is very Sandman indeed innit. I think the book really gets going towards the end of that first volume with KM being tortured and the old ones returning. Always loved how fucked up those Lovecraftian monsters would get, so gross.

I need to track down those lettercols for sure, it would be fascinating to read the reactions to it as it was happening. I might just see if I can Digitally Byrne Steal(tm) them since I have all the trades.

The book starts off so fucking well, with Dane, Barbelith, the bum and the badge, but then you get into this dense Romantic writers-era arc that is interesting, if you understand the historical characters and the time period, but really not conducive to keeping a readers' attention so early on. You don't get a feel for the characters (who are malleable in some ways but still, there are personal moments with them that are excellent) and you're kind of just lost in the madness. I'm pretty sure if he reflects on the arc within the letters columns and basically admits that the Arcadia arc was too overwhelming, in a bad way, as the first real arc.

The way I see it--you own the materials, you've invested time and money into the book, but you need a way to access certain older, archival letters columns that are vital for understanding how to masturbate using Chaos Magick. Sometimes you have to be the Man of Steal and Flex your google Muscles in seed-y places.

 

[BenjaminBirdie]

The book starts off so fucking well, with Dane, Barbelith, the bum and the badge, but then you get into this dense Romantic writers-era arc that is interesting, if you understand the historical characters and the time period, but really not conducive to keeping a readers' attention so early on. You don't get a feel for the characters (who are malleable in some ways but still, there are personal moments with them that are excellent) and you're kind of just lost in the madness. I'm pretty sure if he reflects on the arc within the letters columns and basically admits that the Arcadia arc was too overwhelming, in a bad way, as the first real arc.

The way I see it--you own the materials, you've invested time and money into the book, but you need a way to access certain older, archival letters columns that are vital for understanding how to masturbate using Chaos Magick. Sometimes you have to be the Man of Steal and Flex your google Muscles in seed-y places.

Are the letter columns included in the Comixology versions?

 

[Filthy Slug]

Are the letter columns included in the Comixology versions?

Good question--not sure, as I'm a Luddite when it comes to digital comics.

I wonder if anybody here has the digital issues of The Invisibles?

I know the omnibus reproduces two columns--the famous Chaos Masturbation one and a Mark Millar one (they used to be such good friends!). Definitel doesn't contain all of them, though.

I remember having my mind blown when I figured out where Morrison was going with his origins for Klarion. He's such an underutilized character and it's always nice to see Morrison take on a Kirby creation.

The thing with the Grundys. It was so genius. Also, my first exposure to Frazer Irving, who was perfect for Klarion.

 

[Kipp]

Man, every time Grant Morrison gets brought up I get the strong urge to read more Grant Morrison stuff. Just browsed Grant Morrison's stuff on IST and noticed that there's a damaged copy of The Invisibles omnibus for $70 that has the dust jacket misaligned and thus creased inside of the shrinkwrap. And I don't even like dust jackets anyways...
And I got my price error orders of Animal Man omnibus and Hellboy Library Edition 1 cancelled so I'm itching to buy something.

So is The Invisibles hard work to read? That's the impression I've been getting of it from reading what you guys have said. I enjoy depth and all that, but I don't particularly like it when my leisure activity is hard work.

Edit: Haha. Oh goodness: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXBePJ42kdE

 

[doniewhalberg]

Dat Aja

lol

Aja delays killed all momentum for Iron Fist too.

Why is Aja so slow? Does he draw photoreal and then painstakingly rub out all the lines or something? He's incredible and his sense of proportion and body language is second to none but shit... there's not that much on the page, work faster ya lazy bum

Was he always this slow? It's been awhile, but I bought the first arc of immortal iron fist in floppies back in the day, I don't remember significant delays. I guess there was the different artists kicking off each issue for the various eras but still. Was this always so bad?

 

[Filthy Slug]

Man, every time Grant Morrison gets brought up I get the strong urge to read more Grant Morrison stuff. Just browsed Grant Morrison's stuff on IST and noticed that there's a damaged copy of The Invisibles omnibus for $70 that has the dust jacket misaligned and thus creased inside of the shrinkwrap. And I don't even like dust jackets anyways...
And I got my price error orders of Animal Man omnibus and Hellboy Library Edition 1 cancelled so I'm itching to buy something.

So is The Invisibles hard work to read? That's the impression I've been getting of it from reading what you guys have said. I enjoy depth and all that, but I don't particularly like it when my leisure activity is hard work.

Edit: Haha. Oh goodness: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXBePJ42kdE

I understand what you're saying but I find that the time and effort I put into Morrison's work is rewarded with incredible stories that nobody else can put together. He's a language that you have to learn, and once you do the legwork to understand the basics, you start building on your fluency, and you start speaking that language with other people familiar with it, and you help each other understand.

Initially, I want to say "it sucks that he's not instantly accessible, like Gaiman" but then I realize, I'm kind of happy it's that way, because I've never met a fan of Morrison's work that wasn't passionate about it all, and I think that passion comes from the effort you yourself have to put in to be able to read his works and understand that they're not "weird" messes of stories, and that they are incredible works.

 

[slightconfuse]

All this Morrison talk. Time to reread 7 soldiers !

 

[Jedeye Sniv]

Man, every time Grant Morrison gets brought up I get the strong urge to read more Grant Morrison stuff. Just browsed Grant Morrison's stuff on IST and noticed that there's a damaged copy of The Invisibles omnibus for $70 that has the dust jacket misaligned and thus creased inside of the shrinkwrap. And I don't even like dust jackets anyways...
And I got my price error orders of Animal Man omnibus and Hellboy Library Edition 1 cancelled so I'm itching to buy something.

So is The Invisibles hard work to read? That's the impression I've been getting of it from reading what you guys have said. I enjoy depth and all that, but I don't particularly like it when my leisure activity is hard work.

Edit: Haha. Oh goodness: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXBePJ42kdE

It's kinda hard to read, but then at the same time it isn't. As I say, I read this when I was a kid so it was really a primer on counterculture for me. I'd see references to Illuminatus! and V.A.L.I.S and de Sade and the poets and then go read up on those too, I was pretty much a blank slate going into it. So really I'd say it's not hard work at all if you're an inquisitive person who is interested in maybe digging a little deeper into the work. But even at surface level it's an excellent conspiracy thriller with psychotic James Bond moments and awesome transvestite magic.

 

[Kipp]

I understand what you're saying but I find that the time and effort I put into Morrison's work is rewarded with incredible stories that nobody else can put together. He's a language that you have to learn, and once you do the legwork to understand the basics, you start building on your fluency, and you start speaking that language with other people familiar with it, and you help each other understand.

Initially, I want to say "it sucks that he's not instantly accessible, like Gaiman" but then I realize, I'm kind of happy it's that way, because I've never met a fan of Morrison's work that wasn't passionate about it all, and I think that passion comes from the effort you yourself have to put in to be able to read his works and understand that they're not "weird" messes of stories, and that they are incredible works.

Good to know. Thanks for that. Sounds like something I'll at least read eventually.
I have read Morrison's Batman run (and thus Final Crisis as well), so I've got a very general sense of the unorthodox way he likes to tell stories (mostly how he likes to write in a way where you feel like you missed a page or two and are suddenly completely lost). I do realize that his Batman run is probably nothing compared to The Invisibles though. Haha

It's kinda hard to read, but then at the same time it isn't. As I say, I read this when I was a kid so it was really a primer on counterculture for me. I'd see references to Illuminatus! and V.A.L.I.S and de Sade and the poets and then go read up on those too, I was pretty much a blank slate going into it. So really I'd say it's not hard work at all if you're an inquisitive person who is interested in maybe digging a little deeper into the work. But even at surface level it's an excellent conspiracy thriller with psychotic James Bond moments and awesome transvestite magic.

Cool, thanks.

 

[doniewhalberg]

Just read the first issue of S.H.I.E.L.D., instantly more crazy than the entirety of Secret Warriors haha, feels a lot more in line with his creator owned writing. Avengers volume 1 and New Avengers volume 1 arrived today too, so I should have a good evening ahead of me. Is there a particular volume 1 of those two that I should read before the other?

 

[tim1138]

So I grabbed Queen and Country Definitive Edition vol 1 at a Friends of the Library used book sale a few weeks back for $1. I've not read any of it but generally like Rucka, so figured it was worth a gamble. I'm about 70 pages in and it's pretty good, does it hold up over the life of the series?

 

[Jedeye Sniv]

So I grabbed Queen and Country Definitive Edition vol 1 at a Friends of the Library used boom sale a few weeks back for $1. I've not read any of it but generally like Rucka, so figured it was worth a gamble. I'm about 70 pages in and it's pretty good, does it hold up over the life of the series?

IMO it only gets better as you get used to the series and the characters. Have you started the arc with the... erm... different art yet? I remember being horrified by it when it was coming out, but having flicked through it again it looks pretty awesome. Just not Q&C. The important thing to remember when reading it is that the final arc takes place AFTER the first novel, so you need to read the book before finishing the final arc. I think it was a massive mistake for him to do it that was since something really fucking major happens in the book that is then super confusing when the arc starts. But the novels are fantastic stuff if you like the comic, so you should only be pleased and excited to read them.

edit: (what I actually came into the thread for) I read Hawkeye 16 on my commute home and damn it was wonderful stuff, I don't know what y'alls bitching about. The Adventures of Kate is pretty much the secret best female-superhero book out there. I love the screwball silliness of the character and how it bumps up on some really serious stuff, the Brian Wilson-inspired character was just heartbreaking and the whole thing was super sweet and emotional. I'd say that was my best book from last week.

Also read All-new X-Men and hooo yes Immonen back is a wonderful treat. Is it just me, or is this guy actually the best? Like, seriously. Can draw the shit out of anything, draws light unlike anybody else in the whole industry, has a sense of weight and physically and speed like manga but is still well in the western supe milieu. Draws a brilliant Iceman too. Uses weirdly straight lines and hard angles on characters and it still looks natural. The little stuff, those little chunks of light reflecting off a costume or how he draws movement like it's a liquid coming off the subject. He figured out how to draw lens flare without DRAWING LENS FLARE or using a dumbass photoshop filter. Dude is a ledge.

 

[Rafa=FedKilla]

Screw lists, what are ya'll most looking forward to this week. For me its Earth 2 Annual. I just can't shake this book, even though this evil Superman storyline is not my thang.

 

[KoruptData]

Screw lists, what are ya'll most looking forward to this week. For me its Earth 2 Annual. I just can't shake this book, even though this evil Superman storyline is not my thang.

Black Science #3. I really enjoyed the first 2 so I hope the trend continues.

 

[Messi]

Screw lists, what are ya'll most looking forward to this week. For me its Earth 2 Annual. I just can't shake this book, even though this evil Superman storyline is not my thang.

I can't wait for SAGA

 

[SpiderJerusalem]

So I grabbed Queen and Country Definitive Edition vol 1 at a Friends of the Library used book sale a few weeks back for $1. I've not read any of it but generally like Rucka, so figured it was worth a gamble. I'm about 70 pages in and it's pretty good, does it hold up over the life of the series?

holy crap$1? thats awesome!

Screw lists, what are ya'll most looking forward to this week. For me its Earth 2 Annual. I just can't shake this book, even though this evil Superman storyline is not my thang.

I think Justice League Dark or Red Lanterns

 

[phazedplasma]

Can't wait for Black Science. Hope it continues the wild ride

 

[Splatt]

Was he always this slow? It's been awhile, but I bought the first arc of immortal iron fist in floppies back in the day, I don't remember significant delays. I guess there was the different artists kicking off each issue for the various eras but still. Was this always so bad?

It was even worse.

He managed to do first 6 or so issues and after that it was all fill-in, with a couple of Aja pages.

He pretty much ruined Iron Fist finale.

Instead of getting his glorius art

Spoiler

of Danny kung fu punching a train

, we got some 2$ knockoff.

 

[TetraxShards]

Screw lists, what are ya'll most looking forward to this week. For me its Earth 2 Annual. I just can't shake this book, even though this evil Superman storyline is not my thang.

Top three this week
1. Furious - loved the DHP strip, loved the preview, can't wait for this book

2. Uncanny Avengers - the preview said it all, it's THE MAIN EVENT. Jarnbjorn vs. Mjolnir. Thor wrecking shit and hopefully we see more of the Chronos Corps.

3. Star Trek - normally not into gender-swap stories, this could be interesting. The book's been solidly entertaining whenever I pick it up (apart from their version of "Mirror, Mirror" which crushed me as the original is one of my favourite stories ever in any medium).

 

[tim1138]

holy crap$1? thats awesome!

Yeah my local library has great used book sales. Usually they run for a week and nothing costs more than $4 and then on the last day you get as many books/CDs/dvds as you can fit into a brown paper grocery bag for $5.

Screw lists, what are ya'll most looking forward to this week. For me its Earth 2 Annual. I just can't shake this book, even though this evil Superman storyline is not my thang.

Either the Earth 2 annual or JL Dark.

 

[Shin Johnpv]

Screw lists, what are ya'll most looking forward to this week. For me its Earth 2 Annual. I just can't shake this book, even though this evil Superman storyline is not my thang.

I have a top 3, Earth 2 Annual, World's Finest Annual, and the Batman and Robin Annual. I think all 3 should be pretty damn solid.

 

[Rrongfield]

Screw lists, what are ya'll most looking forward to this week. For me its Earth 2 Annual. I just can't shake this book, even though this evil Superman storyline is not my thang.

Both Thunderbolts #21 and Serenity. I'm eager to see the "Post-Hell on Earth War" Hell in T-Bolts. I also really need the latter to be good.

Also Uncanny Avengers because that book is on fire.

 

[TetraxShards]

I caught up with Rat Queens today. As a lapsed D&D player and lover of good comics, this book is bloody great.

We say it so often but it bears repeating, the new Image is great. And there's still all those new books they announced at Image Expo to come.

 

[Messi]

I caught up with Rat Queens today. As a lapsed D&D player and lover of good comics, this book is bloody great.

We say it so often but it bears repeating, the new Image is great. And there's still all those new books they announced at Image Expo to come.

Shut the fuck up, Gary

 

[tim1138]

IMO it only gets better as you get used to the series and the characters. Have you started the arc with the... erm... different art yet? I remember being horrified by it when it was coming out, but having flicked through it again it looks pretty awesome. Just not Q&C. The important thing to remember when reading it is that the final arc takes place AFTER the first novel, so you need to read the book before finishing the final arc. I think it was a massive mistake for him to do it that was since something really fucking major happens in the book that is then super confusing when the arc starts. But the novels are fantastic stuff if you like the comic, so you should only be pleased and excited to read them.

Nah the art hasn't changed yet, I'm still fairly early in what I'm guessing is the first arc.

Spoiler

Chance killed the Russian dude and now the MI5 are using her as bait because of the bounty.

 

[Dysun]

Screw lists, what are ya'll most looking forward to this week. For me its Earth 2 Annual. I just can't shake this book, even though this evil Superman storyline is not my thang.

Superior Spider-Man 26 easily. The beginning of the end for Spock and Goblin Nation

 

[crimsonspider89]

Too many to choose.

TOO MANY.

All I got to say.

 

[Unai]

Guys, I'm thinking about start buying my comics from comixology. Up to now, I'm pretty much buying phisycal comics only.

That been said, I ask you guys: How likely it is that in 5 or 10 years comixlogy wont exist anymore? If they disappear, would someone figure out a way to let we read the comics we already bought?

I'm a PC gamer, so I'm going digital in gaming for years. But I don't trust comixology as much as I trust valve, and since I'm buying 30+ titles a month it is a hell lot of money to spend on something I may not enjoy some years from now.

 

[Messi]

Guys, I'm thinking about start buying my comics from comixology. Up to now, I'm pretty much buying phisycal comics only.

That been said, I ask you guys: How likely it is that in 5 or 10 years comixlogy wont exist anymore? If they disappear, would someone figure out a way to let we read the comics we already bought?

I'm a PC gamer, so I'm going digital in gaming for years. But I don't trust comixology as much as I trust valve, and since I'm buying 30+ titles a month it is a hell lot of money to spend on something I may not enjoy some years from now.

Yeah answer this digital gaf. Where will you be when your guided view deserts you. In 10 years I'll still be able to read Harley Quinn #1 by taking it out of its box.

 

[tim1138]

Guys, I'm thinking about start buying my comics from comixology. Up to now, I'm pretty much buying phisycal comics only.

That been said, I ask you guys: How likely it is that in 5 or 10 years comixlogy wont exist anymore? If they disappear, would someone figure out a way to let we read the comics we already bought?

I'm a PC gamer, so I'm going digital in gaming for years. But I don't trust comixology as much as I trust valve, and since I'm buying 30+ titles a month it is a hell lot of money to spend on something I may not enjoy some years from now.

Honestly, I don't even worry about that. I rarely reread a comic from 5 months ago, let alone 5 years ago. Anything that made that kind of impression on me I'll double dip and get the trades (see: Manhattan Projects, Grant Morrison comics). To be perfectly blunt, I'd be more amazed if print single issue comics still exist in 5-10 years.

 

[TetraxShards]

Yeah answer this digital gaf. Where will you be when your guided view deserts you. In 10 years I'll still be able to read Harley Quinn #1 by taking it out of its box.

I buy the trades of anything I want to keep. Single issues just aren't worth the clutter, and they don't look good on a shelf.

 

[Freezasaurus]

IST shipment came in today.

Got the first PAD X-Factor Collection, Uber Enhanced HC, and a couple of manga volumes. Bleach Vol.59 and Deadman Wonderland Vol.1...

Now I'm just waiting for my Planetary omnibus that I ordered over the weekend.

 

[BuddyJoeHooker]

I got my Planetary omnibus today!

But my DCBS order hasn't arrived yet...

 

[Freezasaurus]

I got my Planetary omnibus today!

How's the paper in the omnibus? I saw it at the bookstore today, but it was shrink-wrapped. Still, I thought it would be a bit heavier.

 

[KoruptData]

What are some impressions of this Planetary Omnibus that everyone is getting? Does it involve the DCU?

 

[Splatt]

Yeah answer this digital gaf. Where will you be when your guided view deserts you. In 10 years I'll still be able to read Harley Quinn #1 by taking it out of its box.

In 10 years I'll be running my own comic company called CB which is short for "Comic Books".

Rafa will be chained in company basement, writing WolverineBatman ripoffs until he starts worshipping Alan Moore's almighty sock snake god.

 

[Freezasaurus]

What are some impressions of this Planetary Omnibus that everyone is getting? Does it involve the DCU?

Planetary was an older series from when DC was still publishing things under its Wildstorm imprint.

If you haven't read it and know naught about it, just buy it. You really should.

 

[Messi]

In 10 years I'll be running my own comic company called CB which is short for "Comic Books".

Rafa will be chained in company basement, writing WolverineBatman ripoffs until he starts worshipping Alan Moore's almighty sock snake god.

I wanna work there

 

[BuddyJoeHooker]

How's the paper in the omnibus? I saw it at the bookstore today, but it was shrink-wrapped. Still, I thought it would be a bit heavier.

I think it's the same they use in other hardcovers like the new 52 stuff, and it is surprisingly light.

 

[Unai]

Yeah answer this digital gaf. Where will you be when your guided view deserts you. In 10 years I'll still be able to read Harley Quinn #1 by taking it out of its box.

Honestly, I don't even worry about that. I rarely reread a comic from 5 months ago, let alone 5 years ago. Anything that made that kind of impression on me I'll double dip and get the trades (see: Manhattan Projects, Grant Morrison comics). To be perfectly blunt, I'd be more amazed if print single issue comics still exist in 5-10 years.

I buy the trades of anything I want to keep. Single issues just aren't worth the clutter, and they don't look good on a shelf.

After researching a little bit I came across this plugin for chrome. It let's you download the comics in CBR format instead of read it online. I tested and it seems to work just fine. It is not piracy because the option to download only appears in the comics you bought.

Well, I think I'll let my physical subscription expire in a few months and move on to digital. Comic books are taking way to much room in my house.

 

[Splatt]

I wanna work there

I think we have room in the basement for another superstar writer...

 

[KoruptData]

BC is reporting that Wally West will be African American and the comments about it are predictable.

 

[Owzers]

BC is reporting that Wally West will be African American and the comments about it are predictable.

Are the comments....about...him being fast?

 

[GrandHarrier]

BC is reporting that Wally West will be African American and the comments about it are predictable.

Makes sense both from the angle of making two Flashes unique and work at the same time as well as the rumors of the "Wests" in CW's Flash being black.

 

[Freezasaurus]

BC is reporting that Wally West will be African American and the comments about it are predictable.

Did people freak out when they made Earth 2 Hawkgirl black?

 

[ReiGun]

BC is reporting that Wally West will be African American and the comments about it are predictable.

It's been too long since we've had a shit storm about nothing, I feel. Pull that trigger, DC.

 

[Toa TAK]

It's been too long since we've had a shit storm about nothing, I feel. Pull that trigger, DC.

When was the last one?

Alan Moore?

 

[GrandHarrier]

Incidently we already have a history of Black Flashes.