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heh, I always thought it was funny that since I was born in raised in Michigan, yes yes I could point out Livonia on a map. Just not the one they meant. But yeah, Lucifer is more than a little fantastic. And Mike Carrey really writes with all his strengths here, especially his best ability--being able to turn the smallest detail into something important to a Dickensian scale. I personally find those sorts of twists fun to see, especially since that flavor is tailor fit to not have you see ending plot points coming.
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Apr 20, 2013 04:54
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Rhyno posted:Lucifer is Carey's finest work, he was given total free reign to do whatever he wanted and god drat did he work some magic. And he did it with Gaiman's blessing and Gaiman loved the whole thing. Bonus style points.
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Apr 20, 2013 04:59
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Batman: Holy Terror, by Alan Brennert and Norm Breyfogle This ain't Miller's mental breakdown comic! This was the first Elseworld to be labeled as such. Oliver Cromwell does NOT die of malaria, and instead rallies and keeps puritan control of America. Years later, the continent is united under the British Commonwealth and the Puritan/Anglican church. Bruce Wayne is about to enter the priesthood when he finds incontrovertible evidence that the state itself ordered the death of his parents... and they're hiding so much more than that. The now Reverend Wayne finds an old costume his father wore for a passion play - the costume of a demon. He then decides to carry out God's vengeance against the state that corrupted His Word. He knows only that a legendary figure - the Green Man - may be able to assist him and put right these wrongs. We'll join Father Wayne deep underground, in the state's secret laboratories...  
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Apr 20, 2013 05:28
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Just to provide a little contrast to the overwhelming praise for Lucifer, it does get extremely twee at points, and there's an interminable subplot about a centaur that wears out its welcome after about 5 pages, but keeps on going. It's good, but depending on your tastes, there are some parts that will have you skipping ahead to get back to the interesting characters.
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Apr 20, 2013 11:00
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I can agree with that, Lucifer highlights a lot of Carey's strengths but also his biggest weakness. His protagonists alwts seem to stop just a half step short of perfect, there's never any tension where they're involved. They always have the perfect plan for any occasion.
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Apr 20, 2013 17:13
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Lucifer is great, but if you read a lot of it in one sitting, you start to notice that all of the characters have the same archly-clever, cutting, world-weary voice. Although if you squint, you can kind of chalk that up to the effect of hanging around the main character. Also, the number of different enemies the characters fight which end up being "a thing from before creation, who wants their turn in the sun" makes them all kind of run together. Still, it's by far the best of the Sandman spinoffs, and the best parts of it are better than Sandman.
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Apr 20, 2013 17:31
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FMguru posted:Lucifer is great, but if you read a lot of it in one sitting, you start to notice that all of the characters have the same archly-clever, cutting, world-weary voice. Although if you squint, you can kind of chalk that up to the effect of hanging around the main character. I personally think the enemy style is an absolute theme to the series-- They all pop up because Louie gets his hands on existence outside of YHWH's creation. The whole series' biggest themes when I think about them are children rebelling from their parents/creators/society. And the easiest way to rebel is to get as far away from them as you can. It's kinda what growing up is all about too. Which is also a theme to the series.
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Apr 20, 2013 20:47
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I think my biggest problem with Lucifer is that after a while the actual character of Lucifer kind of takes a back seat in the series. The ending makes up for it but for a good chunk its the "Supporting cast" show.
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Apr 21, 2013 00:50
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JohnnyCanuck posted:Batman: Holy Terror, by Alan Brennert and Norm Breyfogle I like this a whole bunch, and I'm not generally moved by religion metaphors nor do I like Superman as a character very much. It's blatant but it's done right. It's also a pretty great retooling of Superman-as-Messiah, considering he's really a Jewish hero - not in the books of course, but his origin in the minds of Siegel/Shuster.
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Apr 21, 2013 02:50
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muscles like this? posted:I think my biggest problem with Lucifer is that after a while the actual character of Lucifer kind of takes a back seat in the series. The ending makes up for it but for a good chunk its the "Supporting cast" show. Really, though, that's just following the pattern of Sandman where there are whole arcs where Dream just pops in every now and then.
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Apr 21, 2013 14:16
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FF 6 I want this framed, I love this page.
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Apr 25, 2013 05:42
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The best part is when they are just randomly walking in the background holding hands and Scott asks if this is a thing now and Darla and Jen are just super happy about it.
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Apr 25, 2013 23:55
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What's the context there? I mean I know what's going on in that page, but is there build up to it or is it out of left field? Or is there too much backstory to sum it up and I should go read FF myself?
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Apr 26, 2013 16:15
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Atmus posted:What's the context there? I mean I know what's going on in that page, but is there build up to it or is it out of left field? Or is there too much backstory to sum it up and I should go read FF myself? Left field. You should read FF though.
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Apr 26, 2013 16:43
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TwoPair posted:Left field. You should read FF though. Does FF stand for Fantasic Four?
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Apr 26, 2013 19:41
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Mycroft Holmes posted:Does FF stand for Fantasic Four?
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Apr 26, 2013 19:42
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Mycroft Holmes posted:Does FF stand for Fantasic Four? FF and Fantastic Four are two different books, but you should read them both anyway.
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Apr 26, 2013 19:52
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Go read Hickman's run on Fantastic Four/Future Foundation too.
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Apr 26, 2013 23:08
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I sometimes feel that the current Fantastic Four is a giant sieve he uses to condense the pure heart required to do justice to FF. It's not that Fantastic Four is aggressively *bad* or anything, it just has very little heart. Conversely FF is just pure beating heart attached to good art and a good story. It's almost unfair of Fantastic Four, but it gives us FF so the world is a better place for it.
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Apr 26, 2013 23:14
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It's not that F4 doesn't have heart, it's just very by the numbers, making it hard for people to be excited. FF is a wild pop song, while F4 is a steady waltz. 1-2-3-4. FF is clearly the better book, but I don't think anyone should count out F4.
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Apr 27, 2013 00:09
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The way I always try to describe it is F4 is bout people being heroes, FF is about people being good.
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Apr 27, 2013 00:19
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Die Laughing posted:It's not that F4 doesn't have heart, it's just very by the numbers, making it hard for people to be excited. FF is a wild pop song, while F4 is a steady waltz. 1-2-3-4. FF is clearly the better book, but I don't think anyone should count out F4. Did you deliberately pick a dance/song style that's in 3/4 time?
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Apr 27, 2013 01:59
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By the numbers, waltz, and count out all just came together. I just love the Fantastic Four as the cornerstone of the Marvel Universe, and I think the book is a real gem that shouldn't be overshadowed by the brilliance of FF. It's kind of like how you can enjoy Hickman's Avengers on it's own, but reading New Avengers opens things up even further.
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Apr 27, 2013 05:21
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I really do think - still - that Fraction's F4 suffers by comparison with Hickman's run - not just because Hickman's run was so good (it was) but because Fraction's run, like many of the books that came about as a result of the Marvel NOW! relaunch, had to aggressively try to do something different. To follow up an iconic Captain America run by Ed Brubaker, Rick Remender said "I'm not going to fall into the trap of trying to match Ed's book, it will never happen; I'm going to have to do something different," and that's how we get Cap in Dimension Z. Similarly, Fraction had to look at Hickman's run and say "Ain't no way I'm topping that, or even matching it, so instead of a big, sprawling epic story I'm going to do my best to aggressively pare the book down to its very basics - the Fantastic Four and their kids having Adventures." And they're not bad per se - it's just that they're so stripped-down that they don't develop the kind of emotional resonance Hickman's book had. He's telling stories that are meant to be fun instead of meaningful, and sometimes he pulls it off and sometimes he doesn't... but after the emotional powerhouse that was Hickman's run, the reader feels like something is missing. Then, as a counterpoint, Fraction also gets to write FF - where, since he's using lesser characters and has a lot more creative freedom, he can do pretty much whatever he wants, and so that's the book with the emotional heft - and the better stories, sometimes, because FF isn't overshadowed by Hickman's run - it's so different from what has come before that it isn't overshadowed by poo poo, so there's more freedom to take chances and have fun... plus with Mike Allred playing into the aesthetic of the book the way he does you get a much more freewheeling, independent title. That's a lot of words that basically mean "Fraction's F4 isn't as good as it could be, but I don't think the fault is Fraction's so much as it is the situation he got the book in. But FF is awesome and everyone should read it."
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Apr 27, 2013 05:55
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His F4 just lands in the gigantic pile of "a book about the FF no one's gonna remember" for me. FF is something special, on the other hand.
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Apr 27, 2013 06:07
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I have a copy of FF #6 but it's just some stuff about the inhuman/kree war?
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Apr 27, 2013 06:30
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Mycroft Holmes posted:I have a copy of FF #6 but it's just some stuff about the inhuman/kree war? Good news! A second volume of Future Foundation was released this year, reverting to #1 for the Juanary issue, and with #6 being the most recent! You're only just aware of it? You should probably pick it up now!
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Apr 27, 2013 06:50
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Breetai posted:Good news! A second volume of Future Foundation was released this year, reverting to #1 for the Juanary issue, and with #6 being the most recent! You're only just aware of it? You should probably pick it up now! If I can find a comic book store that isn't two hours away I will.
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Apr 27, 2013 06:54
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Mycroft Holmes posted:If I can find a comic book store that isn't two hours away I will. You can order comics online or over the phone and people will send them to you in the mail!
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Apr 27, 2013 09:26
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Fraction's F4 is right about on par with Dwayne McDuffie's run in that it's perfectly fine, but nothing special except that Fraction doesn't have the handicap of being shoved in the middle of a bunch of universe-wide crossovers.
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Apr 27, 2013 19:26
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My biggest concern with Fraction's F4 is that it isn't Hickman's F4, which probably ruined all future F4 for me.
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Apr 27, 2013 20:14
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Micgael posted:My biggest concern with Fraction's F4 is that it isn't Hickman's F4, which probably ruined all future F4 for me. I really wasn't a fan of F4 until Hickman and I had hopes for Fraction but I'm back to really not a fan of them again, and after a great start even his FF is starting to not interest me. On the positive side though Hickman is rocking on Avengers/New Avengers.
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Apr 28, 2013 01:35
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Mark Waid's Fantastic Four is pretty amazing. Just saying. Also Hickmans Fantastic Four I personally don't think will ever loving be topped, ever. The entire story is " Love overcomes all" which is amazing.
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Apr 28, 2013 02:26
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Hollis posted:Mark Waid's Fantastic Four is pretty amazing. Just saying. Also Hickmans Fantastic Four I personally don't think will ever loving be topped, ever. The entire story is " Love overcomes all" which is amazing. Lee/Kirby 
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Apr 28, 2013 02:27
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Yeah, Waid's F4 is on par with Hickman's, for real. I never thought it'd be topped in the modern age, but, well, Hickman happened.
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Apr 28, 2013 17:12
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bobkatt013 posted:Lee/Kirby That's just a given dude.
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Apr 28, 2013 23:00
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Hollis posted:That's just a given dude. I know but it needs to be remembered that run is the backbone of the Marvel Universe.
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Apr 28, 2013 23:04
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Injustice: Gods Among Us 16    The way Dick is killed is kind of stupid but that makes it more tragic 
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Apr 30, 2013 19:21
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Haha, That Clint Eastwood movie was what those brought to mind...except clint eastwood abloo bloo'd less than Batman.
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Apr 30, 2013 19:39
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Dark_Tzitzimine posted:Injustice: Gods Among Us 16 Haha, Jesus. Every time someone posts stuff from these comics it comes off as hilariously clumsy and stupid, even for superhero comics.
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Apr 30, 2013 20:20
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