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We're going on vacation to Gulf Shores so we didn't splurge on gifts. So of course I ordered myself a half dozen HCs to compensate.
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Dec 26, 2019 15:29
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Wanderer posted:Yeah, I think that's a fair reading. I do like Adam Warren, mostly for his relentless inventiveness; he's got a lot of '90s Warren Ellis going on, where there are tossed-off one-panel ideas all over his work that other writers would use for the basis of an entire story, but for him, they're just world-building. There's a lot about Empowered's universe that I'd like to see him explore at greater length. Empowered is a goddamn masterclass in something being less than the sum of it's parts. The superdead and the alien WMD cache are such cool ideas. But Empowered is not a suitable place to explore them.
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Dec 26, 2019 15:55
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Speaking of Ellis, I've been rereading Transmetropolitan, and it holds up really well. I think I might like it even more than Planetary.
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Dec 26, 2019 17:56
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Tmet holds up better than Planetary, mostly because of the nightmarish reality that has become US politics.
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Dec 26, 2019 17:57
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Planetary's plot of evil Marvel being backed up by shadowy overlords holds up pretty well, maybe even more now than when it was first published.
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Dec 26, 2019 20:31
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Fairly mild on the comics this Christmas on my end, just V For Vendetta and American Barbarian
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Dec 27, 2019 00:50
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Gripweed posted:Empowered is a goddamn masterclass in something being less than the sum of it's parts. The superdead and the alien WMD cache are such cool ideas. But Empowered is not a suitable place to explore them. I still stand by the volume that came out at the same time as Blackest Night being a much better take on that same basic concept.
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Dec 27, 2019 01:02
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El Gallinero Gros posted:Speaking of Ellis, I've been rereading Transmetropolitan, and it holds up really well. I think I might like it even more than Planetary. There's a lot about Transmet that has aged surprisingly well, and a few things that were disturbingly prescient. Darick Robertson did a weirdly good job anticipating a bunch of streetwear trends, and that early issue where Spider attends the fascist rally was if anything not fictional enough.
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Dec 27, 2019 22:27
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It's a little unnerving how accurate some if that poo poo is. How long ago were science journals touting cloned meat? That was a fun background gag.
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Dec 27, 2019 22:33
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Pretty much the only thing about Transmetropolitan that hasn't aged too well are the Transients, they work perfectly fine in the opening arc, but they become more and more of an awkward element the further you go into the comic, all the more so once you get to the final 15 or so issues of the comic where like most of the other sci-fi aspects of the series have been dropped(which personally I feel is one of the comic's only other major flaws), but you still have these weird alien hybrid guys showing up, especially since their only purpose in the comic(outside of Fred Christ) is to be constantly poo poo on by the universe, it's just both really depressing and really awkward, if Transmet ever does get an adaptation I'd honestly suggest dropping them entirely, maybe for the first arc have one of the other weird fictional minorities take their place(perhaps introduce the "sexgang" concept then so it has more impact in the later arc with the gene scanners) Not to mention a certain bit of additional awkwardness that comes from the term Trans having a much more prominent real world meaning in 2019/2020 than it did back when Transmet was originally being published
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Dec 27, 2019 23:40
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Rhyno posted:It's a little unnerving how accurate some if that poo poo is. How long ago were science journals touting cloned meat? That was a fun background gag. Dolly the Sheep was in the late 90s so there was a lot of discussion around the ethics and utility of cloning.
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Dec 28, 2019 00:15
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Was cat grown meat, ready to eat a thing back then? It was one of the background things but I dont know if anyone except madmen had that notion.
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Dec 28, 2019 00:18
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wow eating cats is messed up
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Dec 28, 2019 00:26
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I got the 4 Hellboy omnibuses and the two short story ones! If I'm really enjoying the above, is the BPRD stuff worth reading as well?
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Dec 28, 2019 00:40
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A Strange Aeon posted:I got the 4 Hellboy omnibuses and the two short story ones! The B.P.R.D. books are fairly different in tone, but it's still really good stuff. I'd say buy one volume of Plague of Frogs and see if it's your thing.
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Dec 28, 2019 00:58
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Rhyno posted:Was cat grown meat, ready to eat a thing back then? It was one of the background things but I dont know if anyone except madmen had that notion. I know it's mentioned in passing in Neuromancer, so it'd at least been in the conversation at some point.
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Dec 28, 2019 01:15
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LOL at a journalist who only writes a column for one newspaper being able to make a living, though.
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Dec 28, 2019 07:05
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Vincent posted:LOL at a journalist who only writes a column for one newspaper being able to make a living, though. They make it reasonably clear that Spider's leveraging his past infamy to get a real sweetheart of a deal, and that the City may encompass most of the population of eastern North America if not more. You can kind of see Ellis backpedaling late in the series with "feedsites" as the New Media started to take shape, but it makes enough sense early on.
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Dec 28, 2019 07:34
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Vincent posted:LOL at a journalist who only writes a column for one newspaper being able to make a living, though. It's rare as hell in comparison to the total number of professional writers, but most every major newspaper has several people who do pretty much nothing but write a weekly column.
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Dec 28, 2019 08:49
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David Brooks makes more money being professionally wrong than any one in this thread
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Dec 28, 2019 13:17
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Gripweed posted:David Brooks makes more money being professionally wrong than any one in this thread I need to get into that racket. Since the year and decade (popular perception of "decade", I know it's next year don't be a boor), how have you folks seen your comic reading habits change? For example, I've seen how I'm tending to wait for complete stories or one-and-done books instead of buying week to week or month to month (except in some cases like this new wave of X-men or Immortal Hulk). I've also gone almost full digital (mostly 'cause that way I don't have to deal with translations or overpriced books in english here), started reading way more manga, being more aware of the politics of the comics I consume, going full on bananas for Love and Rockets for a good year (I still love that comic, but I went kinda nutso for it) and trying to read more local comics, plus stuff from different places (not just Big Four American, but different countries and perspectives). All in all, I think it was for the better. How 'bout you all?
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Dec 29, 2019 06:40
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i bought a new computer in october and have been playing games ive missed out on last basically decade lol so im like way behind on most books i was reading
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Dec 29, 2019 06:51
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Vincent posted:How 'bout you all? Thanks to digital, I'm spending a 10th of what I used to spend, and reading 10x more.
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Dec 29, 2019 15:45
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Vincent posted:I need to get into that racket. It's not next year to end the decade; the decade ends on Tuesday. We don't call it the 201st decade so the lack of a zero year doesn't matter. You'll note that decades are referred to along the lines of "the 2010's", including 2020 in that would be inaccurate. I don't think I've changed much in the past decade beyond deciding to use the library services offered by the big two (and I'm growing increasingly unhappy with those). In 2010 I was making a point to read wider and I've continued to do that. The biggest change is I had to spend about five years not really buying anything as I went back to school, but that's recently ended. Maybe the biggest change is that I'm so turned off by nerd culture in general that I'm no longer bothering to engage with that aspect of fandom. It leaves me out of the loop on some things but I think it makes me happier in general.
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Dec 29, 2019 16:46
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I've started toying with digital more and more but haven't made the fill leap. I am buying more trades digitally though when they go on sale because they are stupidly cheap compared to physical copies. I also started using the local libraries more and more to check out comics I was on the fence about that I didn't want to commit to financially. I'm still mostly reading DC, a few Marvel titles here and there but I will say that I am probably reading more Image books now than I ever did before.
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Dec 29, 2019 18:57
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Has anyone ever read Wasteland? It was a mature readers horror anthology comic published by DC from 1987 to 1989, and it was co-written by Suicide Squad scribe John Ostrander and the late improv comedy legend Del Close. I've always been fascinated by the idea of it, because I liked Suicide Squad so much, but especially because I'm a comedy nerd. Before he passed away in 1999, Close taught so many influential figures who came up from the Chicago comedy scene between the '70s and the '90s -- Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, John Candy, John Belushi, Gilda Radner, all the way up to Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Bob Odenkirk. Wasteland ran for 18 issues, but was never collected, and it's something I never see in my local shops' ever-shrinking back issue bins. Horror is one of my least-favorite genres in general, but I'm wondering if this was more of a Twilight Zoney or satirical horror series, given Close's comedy credentials and Ostrander being a drat underrated writer for most of his career. (His Suicide Squad had a lot of much-needed comic relief in it too). I read A LOT of DC books during that era, which was late elementary school for me -- especially my beloved Giffen/DeMatteis Justice League titles. I remember a creepy, Vertigo-esque house ad for Wasteland, featuring a live fish swimming inside an hourglass, with its water slowly dripping away to the compartment below. As a lifelong comic and toy collector, I always enjoy the feeling of having things out there I'm looking to collect that are hard to find, just out of my grasp, things I'd happily purchase if I could find them for the right deal, but I'm not fiending to track them down ASAP or pay inflated prices for them. Maybe in the next decade, Wasteland can give me that feeling again -- but only if it's worth the wait and the hunt!
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Dec 29, 2019 19:02
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Vincent posted:how have you folks seen your comic reading habits change? For example, I've seen how I'm tending to wait for complete stories or one-and-done books instead of buying week to week or month to month (except in some cases like this new wave of X-men or Immortal Hulk). Honestly burned out a bit with all the Big Events, not as much time to devote to them and, mostly, I lost contact with a buddy I had that was really big into comics and poo poo so without her around to bounce Just Released poo poo off, it's a lot less fulfilling to read things.
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Dec 29, 2019 19:30
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I read the SnowPiercer comic. It's not bad, but the movie is so much better it feels kinda pointless
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Dec 29, 2019 19:37
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Big Bad Voodoo Lou posted:Has anyone ever read Wasteland? It was a mature readers horror anthology comic published by DC from 1987 to 1989, and it was co-written by Suicide Squad scribe John Ostrander and the late improv comedy legend Del Close. I've always been fascinated by the idea of it, because I liked Suicide Squad so much, but especially because I'm a comedy nerd. Before he passed away in 1999, Close taught so many influential figures who came up from the Chicago comedy scene between the '70s and the '90s -- Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, John Candy, John Belushi, Gilda Radner, all the way up to Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Bob Odenkirk. I've read a bit of it-- there are some really interesting William Messner-Loebs drawn stories that have kind of a loose, rubbery EC vibe to them. In general the stories I remember are very much in that EC vein-- mostly setting up for a macabre or darkly comedic twist at the end, so yeah, the Twilight Zone is a good reference point. It's not incredibly funny but it has its moments and I think it would be an interesting run to own.
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Dec 29, 2019 19:38
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I just completed a run of Wasteland from the dollar bins like 2 weeks ago! I’ve got to dig my other issues out of storage and then I’ll read it. I’m a big Ostrander fan and looking forward this one. It’s got some funky art too. For me, a decade ago I wasn’t really reading comics. I did as a kid, and then I read stuff like Dark Knight Returns, Year One, Bone, and Maus in the intervening years, but mostly stuck to graphic novels if I read anything. Then a few years ago I got into reading digitally with MU, and three years ago I was given a pretty big late 80s to early 2000s collection. The last couple years I’ve definitely become a bit of a collector. I love scouring the cheap bins and kijiji and finding good deals on stuff that I don’t want to read digitally. At the same time I picked up a 12” iPad, so I read a ton of comics that way too. I’m about 2000 comics into a full marvel universe read. Going slowly, but enjoying it for the most part, other than the glut of horror books.
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Dec 29, 2019 19:57
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Jordan7hm posted:I just completed a run of Wasteland from the dollar bins like 2 weeks ago! What year are you up to?
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Dec 29, 2019 20:01
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Skwirl posted:What year are you up to? I still need to update the books I read while on vacation but I’m about halfway through 74, with a handful of books from 75 read and a handful from 73 to go. ~300 books away from giant size x-men.
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Dec 29, 2019 20:11
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Big Bad Voodoo Lou posted:Has anyone ever read Wasteland? It was a mature readers horror anthology comic published by DC from 1987 to 1989, and it was co-written by Suicide Squad scribe John Ostrander and the late improv comedy legend Del Close. I've always been fascinated by the idea of it, because I liked Suicide Squad so much, but especially because I'm a comedy nerd. Before he passed away in 1999, Close taught so many influential figures who came up from the Chicago comedy scene between the '70s and the '90s -- Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, John Candy, John Belushi, Gilda Radner, all the way up to Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Bob Odenkirk. I had a couple of issues I bought when it was still a recent series. I remember them being decent, but nothing overwhelmingly great. Now I'm wondering if I'd like it more on revisiting it. There's a lot of stuff when you look at the indie boom of the 80's that just flew under the radar and there's no interest in collecting it or making it more widely available. Comics are such a giant medium and so fragmented that there's hidden gems everywhere.
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Dec 29, 2019 21:46
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My fave hidden gems are the weird 90s comics DC was putting out that didn't really seem to belong in DC or Vertigo. Stuff like Major Bummer, Gross Point, and the one about a rock band who were monsters that has a title I can't remember. None of these titles outside of Major Bummer seemed to last very long.
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Dec 29, 2019 22:56
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MB only made it to 15 which is sad, Arcudi said he had a 5 year plan if I remember right.
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Dec 29, 2019 23:01
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Madkal posted:My fave hidden gems are the weird 90s comics DC was putting out that didn't really seem to belong in DC or Vertigo. Stuff like Major Bummer, Gross Point, and the one about a rock band who were monsters that has a title I can't remember. Scare Tactics! DC throughout the 1990s and 2000s had a really solid track record of creating little mini-lines/imprints and then completely failing to stick with most of them for more than a year or so. Scare Tactics was part of The Weirdoverse, which was basically their attempt to redo Vertigo except not Mature Readers/firewalled off from the DCU. Marvel had their fair share of them too, but DC really went all in every 9-12 months it would seem, just in time for Helix/Focus/Paradox/Weirdoverse/Tangent/etc. to replace the last failed initiative. Edge & Christian fucked around with this message at 23:14 on Dec 29, 2019 |
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Dec 29, 2019 23:10
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Did they stop? Except for The Terrifics, 'New Age of Heroes' fizzled right out. 'Young Animal' clung on, just barely. I don't expect 'Hill House' to produce any ongoings, or announce replacement miniseries when the current ones end. Teenage Fansub fucked around with this message at 23:19 on Dec 29, 2019 |
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Dec 29, 2019 23:17
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Big Bad Voodoo Lou posted:Has anyone ever read Wasteland? It was a mature readers horror anthology comic published by DC from 1987 to 1989, and it was co-written by Suicide Squad scribe John Ostrander and the late improv comedy legend Del Close. I've always been fascinated by the idea of it, because I liked Suicide Squad so much, but especially because I'm a comedy nerd. Before he passed away in 1999, Close taught so many influential figures who came up from the Chicago comedy scene between the '70s and the '90s -- Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, John Candy, John Belushi, Gilda Radner, all the way up to Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Bob Odenkirk. I've read issues of Wasteland here and there, but it was never what I expected, given that I was basing my assumptions on those great full page ads in comics ~30 years ago. That one with the kid in the snowglobe was haunting! Edit: there it is! 
Vulpes Vulpes fucked around with this message at 23:36 on Dec 29, 2019 |
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Dec 29, 2019 23:32
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I remember some great Don Simpson stories in there too. I think a lot of the writing has blended together for me-- as I said they were really mostly that kind of brisk set-up-->punchline horror stories EC used to do so well-- but I have pretty crisp memories of the art.
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Dec 29, 2019 23:58
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I wish there was a market for collected editions of that kind of stuff. I'd love to have it on my bookshelf.
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Dec 30, 2019 00:03
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