Register a SA Forums Account here!
JOINING THE SA FORUMS WILL REMOVE THIS BIG AD, THE ANNOYING UNDERLINED ADS, AND STUPID INTERSTITIAL ADS!!!

You can: log in, read the tech support FAQ, or request your lost password. This dumb message (and those ads) will appear on every screen until you register! Get rid of this crap by registering your own SA Forums Account and joining roughly 150,000 Goons, for the one-time price of $9.95! We charge money because it costs us money per month for bills, and since we don't believe in showing ads to our users, we try to make the money back through forum registrations.
 
  • Post
  • Reply
Mr Wind Up Bird
Jan 23, 2004

i'm a goddamn coward
but then again so are you
Mixing things up a little bit. I've posted about it before but why not again?? I like to post.



Title:: Stargazing Dog
Writer/Artist: Takashi Murakami

Brief description: Told from the point of view of a dog named "Happie", the book follows a man who, after a string of bad luck and a divorce, finds himself homeless and living out of his car. The man and his dog make a final little road trip down to southern Japan.

Why I like it: I've never cried more reading a comic than I have reading Stargazing Dog. It's not a particularly complex story, and maybe it's just a little manipulative, but it twists my cold, empty heart into a knot every time I read it. If you're a dog person at all reading it is like having someone punch you in the chest.

Issue that is a good jumping on point: Single trade, easy to find.

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

Alhazred
Feb 16, 2011





Title: Thorgal
Created by Jean van Hamme and Grzegorz Rosinski
Publisher: CINEBOOK LTD
Brief description: A boy from a doomed civilization from beyond the stars grows up in viking society. They name him Thorgal Aegirsson after their gods.
Why I like it: It's an epic viking saga with laser guns (or sun swords as they're called in the comics). The art is pretty kick rear end too.
Issue that is a good jumping on point: Child of the Stars collects the origin of Thorgal.

Bitchin Kitchen
Jun 2, 2006
Capital!
Thanks for pointing out Fatale to me, guys! I got the first two issues today and it was super awesome. Sean Phillips was one of my favorite Hellblazer artists so I'm looking forward to some horror. That alt. cover to issue one really sold me. I want a poster of it.

al-azad
May 28, 2009



Good news for me! Not only is Orc Stain #7 coming out tomorrow but my FLCS had the first trade buried under a mountain of other Image TPBs. I scooped that thing up quick.

fritz posted:

I just learned that there's a new Jason out that I haven't read :
http://www.fantagraphics.com/browse-shop/athos-in-america-dec.-2011-2.html!

So i guess :

Title : (var)
Author : Jason
Publisher : Fantagraphics
Why I like it : It's clever and witty and low-key, just a nice smooth comics-reading experience.

Good Jumping On Point Just read any of them, jesus, it's not a series or anything. My favorites are The Last Musketeer and The Iron Wagon. (I could have sworn he did a 39 Steps adaptation but I must be confusing him with someone else)

My favorite is I Killed Adolf Hitler. Despite the title, it's actually a good love story.

Vincent
Nov 25, 2005



arinlome posted:

Title: Locke & Key
Publisher: IDW
Brief Description:Locke & Key tells of Keyhouse, an unlikely New England mansion, with fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them, and home to a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all.
Why I Like It: Locke & Key is a unique horror comic that relies on an interesting plot and well developed characters rather than gore and cheap thrills. Joe Hill is one of my favorite authors and he brings the same caliber of writing to his work in comics.
Good jumping on point: Locke & Key has less than 30 issues, but it has a very linear story arc. I recommend starting with issue 1 and going from there.
I've been hearing about how good Locke & Key is (and it's drawn by a very good chilean artist so that's a plus) so I've been meaning to pick it up, but I read Joe Hill's short-stories book, 20th century ghost and really disliked his writing. Have you read the book? and if so, is the writing on the comic similar?

StumblyWumbly
Sep 12, 2007

Batmanticore!

Vincent posted:

I've been hearing about how good Locke & Key is (and it's drawn by a very good chilean artist so that's a plus) so I've been meaning to pick it up, but I read Joe Hill's short-stories book, 20th century ghost and really disliked his writing. Have you read the book? and if so, is the writing on the comic similar?
What did you not like about his book writing? I've read both and I enjoyed Locke & Key more than 20th Century Ghosts, but I'm not much for the pure horror story he was writing in Ghosts.

In the comic, Hill doesn't over write, he doesn't over narrate, and he lets the artist tell a his fair chunk of the story.

Locke & Key is really good.

Starks
Sep 24, 2006

fritz posted:

And hell let's do this:

Title: Frank
Author : Jim Woodring
Publisher : Fantagraphics


Found a used copy of the Frank book the other day and thanks to seeing this thread I decided to get it and holy hell it is awesome. 350 pages of amazing art, it's like a nightmarish version of my dad's childhood cartoons. Thanks for posting about this because I probably would never have picked it up off the shelf otherwise! Also features a foreword by Francis Ford Coppola which kind of took me by surprise. How is the newer Frank stuff?

al-azad
May 28, 2009



Try and get your hands on Visions of Frank. It's a DVD containing a series of short animations by Japanese animators and they're balls crazy.

Dacap
Jul 8, 2008

I've been involved in a number of cults, both as a leader and a follower.

You have more fun as a follower. But you make more money as a leader.



So what are everyone's thoughts on the first issue of Saga?

Len
Jan 21, 2008

Pouches, bandages, shoulderpad, cyber-eye...

Bitchin'!


Dacap posted:

So what are everyone's thoughts on the first issue of Saga?

I thought it was interesting. I'm gonna stick around to see where it goes for sure though.

al-azad
May 28, 2009




Blacksad
Publisher: currently Dark Horse
Why I Like It: Gritty detective stories starring basically humans with animal heads. The hand painted art is realistic and highly detailed while remaining incredibly expressive and cartoon-like.
Good Jumping On Point: Dark Horse collected the entire series in one book that's currently in print. The fourth book "A Silent Hell" hits stands July 24.

al-azad fucked around with this message at 03:34 on Mar 15, 2012

InnercityGriot
Dec 31, 2008

Dacap posted:

So what are everyone's thoughts on the first issue of Saga?

I really liked the art, and the story has potential to be interesting, but this is my first Brian K. Vaughn comic and the dialogue rubbed me the wrong way a bit for reasons I can't particularly identify right now. Is his dialogue an issue generally or am I being weird?

cyberpunksurvivor
Dec 29, 2011

I am opposed to homosexuality for political reasons
Hey who's a good novel writer to compare Brian K. Vaughn to? I'm not too well read so all I'm thinking right now is Kurt Vonnegut.

Dacap posted:

So what are everyone's thoughts on the first issue of Saga?
I liked it. I'm a huge fan of Vaughan, and I'm digging this Star Wars meets Game of Thrones vibe.

cyberpunksurvivor fucked around with this message at 21:27 on Mar 15, 2012

moot the hopple
Apr 26, 2008

dyslexic Bowie clone
Michael Chabon, perhaps? I can't think of any immediate thematic parallels in their respective works at the moment, it might be I put them together in my mind because they've collaborated together before.

Nawid
Mar 27, 2011
I think of him as Whedon but good.

^burtle
Jul 17, 2001

God of Boomin'



Star Wars meets Game of Thrones? Did we read the same comic?

Len
Jan 21, 2008

Pouches, bandages, shoulderpad, cyber-eye...

Bitchin'!


^burtle posted:

Star Wars meets Game of Thrones? Did we read the same comic?

Supposedly the overall feel of it is going to be that.

LCQC
Mar 19, 2009


Title:: Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth by Chris Ware
Publisher: Pantheon Books
Brief description: Jimmy Corrigan is the semi-autobiographical story of a man's relationship and reunion with his estranged father, and that father's childhood and relation to his own father. Won the Guardian Prize in 2001.
Why I like it: Jimmy Corrigan is a total sucker-punch. It's an emotionally honest, and sharp, story about dads (and the lack thereof) and family. If you have a dad, or don't, or have any emotions about father figures in your life you'll find something here. Graphically, its in landscape format, expect clean lines, dark colours and innovative panelling. It's really a unified work, think Dan Clowes or Chester Brown, its all one man, and it all fits together.
Issue that is a good jumping on point: Its all in a nice thick giant postcard format, here, or in this crazy thing.

LCQC fucked around with this message at 06:53 on Mar 16, 2012

al-azad
May 28, 2009




Title:: Courtney Crumrin
Publisher: Oni Press
Brief description: The adventures of a troubled girl and her encounters with the supernatural. Her uncle, Aloysius, is a sorcerer and her mentor of sorts but he has terrible people skills so Courtney has to deal with unmentionable horrors by herself. Being a 12 year old kid, this usually results in things never going as planned or something tragic happening and Courtney having to adapt to it.
Why I like it: Ted Naifeh has a serious talent for bittersweet stories. Bad things happen to good people and good people sometimes do bad things (volume 2's ending, holy poo poo) but each story ends on a satisfying note even if it's not the happy ending you expect. Courtney's that rare "precocious, magical child" archetype that actually acts like a child: she's brave but selfish, sometimes cruel, naive about the world, and kind when she wants to be. It's surprisingly dark and regularly features children in peril, murder, and tragic events but not once does Naifeh rely on sensational violence, gore, sex, or profanity to get his point across, just sharp writing and excellent pacing.
Issue that is a good jumping on point: The first three volumes are out of print but cheap and common: The Night Things, The Coven of Mystics, and The Twilight Kingdom. Two one-shot GNs continued the story after that: The Fire Thief's Tale and The Prince of Nowhere. Courtney Crumrin Tales is a hard to find side-story that expands on Aloysius but isn't a necessary read.

A new full color series is being released this spring and I'm pretty excited about it.

cyberpunksurvivor
Dec 29, 2011

I am opposed to homosexuality for political reasons
Is Blue Estate any good? 'Cause I just saw the cover and I want this comic and a Caucasian real bad...

bairfanx
Jan 20, 2006

I look like this IRL,
but, you know,
more Greg Land-y.
So, I said I was going to talk about King City and then promptly forgot to. No matter, though, because I did anyway, over at Comics Bulletin.

If you haven't read it, you really owe it to yourself to read this book. It'll make you laugh and cry. It's over 400 pages for $20. You're going to have a hard time beating 20 pages on the dollar anywhere else, and this stuff is pure gold.

Soonmot
Dec 19, 2002

Entrapta fucking loves robots




Grimey Drawer
God drat, is Prophet a weird loving book. I cannot wait until there's a few more issues in the can and I can read them straight through. This is wonderful.

Did anyone pick up Rebel Blood? I'm not really sure what my thoughts are on it. It seemed disjointed but held my interest.

Dr. Hurt
Oct 23, 2010

bairfanx posted:

So, I said I was going to talk about King City and then promptly forgot to. No matter, though, because I did anyway, over at Comics Bulletin.

If you haven't read it, you really owe it to yourself to read this book. It'll make you laugh and cry. It's over 400 pages for $20. You're going to have a hard time beating 20 pages on the dollar anywhere else, and this stuff is pure gold.

It's 10 bucks if you pick it up through Amazon! Seriously though, King City is some magnificent stuff. The sheer amount of stupid puns, weird world building, and fun ideas he packs into those 400 pages make it completely worth checking out. If anyone's on the fence just give it a shot. Graham is one of the most inventive fresh talents out there right now.

Fly Ricky
May 7, 2009

The Wine Taster

Soonmot posted:

God drat, is Prophet a weird loving book. I cannot wait until there's a few more issues in the can and I can read them straight through. This is wonderful.

I absolutely love this Prophet reboot but I have what might be a stupid question: is there any clue what to expect in future issues? With this week's issue, the current arc/John Prophet finished pretty conclusively. Are we going to have the further adventures of various John Prophet clones? I've only read a couple issues of the original series so I don't really have any clue where it went the first time around.

bairfanx
Jan 20, 2006

I look like this IRL,
but, you know,
more Greg Land-y.

petewhitley posted:

I absolutely love this Prophet reboot but I have what might be a stupid question: is there any clue what to expect in future issues? With this week's issue, the current arc/John Prophet finished pretty conclusively. Are we going to have the further adventures of various John Prophet clones? I've only read a couple issues of the original series so I don't really have any clue where it went the first time around.

It's not really going to have much to do with the original series. And I think the various adventures of the clones would be interesting, but there seems like there are some stories to tell with this John Prophet too.

When I spoke to Graham, he did mention that the arcs would fit the artists, so the clones route does seem pretty likely. I'm curious what he'll be doing for his one-shot in a few issues...

Soonmot
Dec 19, 2002

Entrapta fucking loves robots




Grimey Drawer
That is one of the best parts about the new series. I have no idea where it is going to go from here. Not something i can say about many other series.

GrandpaPants
Feb 13, 2006


Free to roam the heavens in man's noble quest to investigate the weirdness of the universe!

cyberpunksurvivor posted:

Is Blue Estate any good? 'Cause I just saw the cover and I want this comic and a Caucasian real bad...


I'd also like an opinion on this because those covers plus what looks like an homage to Raymond Chandleresque detective stories intrigue me.

McNutty
Feb 25, 2007

Forum cheer squad sez: "Cheer the fuck up your avatar is depressing you left-wing commie ass-smoker. For fuck's sake. Jessus."

bairfanx posted:

So, I said I was going to talk about King City and then promptly forgot to. No matter, though, because I did anyway, over at Comics Bulletin.

If you haven't read it, you really owe it to yourself to read this book. It'll make you laugh and cry. It's over 400 pages for $20. You're going to have a hard time beating 20 pages on the dollar anywhere else, and this stuff is pure gold.

Thanks for this. I was looking the book over at the comic shop and it seemed cool and a good deal. Gonna pick it up after work.

BENGHAZI 2
Oct 13, 2007

by Cyrano4747
I just read the first issue of Prophet. It's pretty great despite me not knowing what's going on. Do I need to read the Liefeld stuff?

Mr Wind Up Bird
Jan 23, 2004

i'm a goddamn coward
but then again so are you

Dickeye posted:

I just read the first issue of Prophet. It's pretty great despite me not knowing what's going on. Do I need to read the Liefeld stuff?
No.

No you do not.

BENGHAZI 2
Oct 13, 2007

by Cyrano4747

Mr Wind Up Bird posted:

No.

No you do not.

Oh thank god.

bairfanx
Jan 20, 2006

I look like this IRL,
but, you know,
more Greg Land-y.

Dickeye posted:

Oh thank god.

Graham's said that it will eventually reference the older work, but you shouldn't need to have any knowledge of it at all.

AmericanBarbarian
Nov 23, 2011
I enjoyed the new collection of King City as much as everyone else here. Amazing stuff, with really original and weird city and world creation that is really reflected in the backgrounds. On one double spread there is a shoots and ladders game track that reflects the various dangerous neighborhoods and blocks in King city. three different branching paths are the places the main characters follow as they split up briefly. With such amazing tiny detail the love Brandon Graham has for his art just illuminates the page.

Has anyone given their opinion on the new Orc Stain #7 issue? This one has such action and Godzilla style city wrecking that it makes it difficult for me to read the comic in one sitting. There are just too many things going on, too many amazing details in the drawing. This is a good thing btw.

friendo55
Jun 28, 2008

al-azad posted:


Blacksad
Publisher: currently Dark Horse
Why I Like It: Gritty detective stories starring basically humans with animal heads. The hand painted art is realistic and highly detailed while remaining incredibly expressive and cartoon-like.
Good Jumping On Point: Dark Horse collected the entire series in one book that's currently in print. The fourth book "A Silent Hell" hits stands July 24.

I was told to try this out in the Recommendations thread and I have to say it's absolutely fantastic. Being brand new to comics, I'm not sure how much weight my opinion really has. But my love for film noir (and to a certain extent, Disney) translates over to Blacksad in a big way. Real excited now for the 4th book out this summer.

choobs
Mar 25, 2004
Never bring a duck to a cock fight.
Just found out Dark Horse is collecting Grendel in an omnibus due in July. This is fantastic, as I read my roommate's collection in college and have been wanting to get the whole series. Looks like the first volume collects all the Hunter Rose material.

Endless Mike
Aug 13, 2003



How is Grendel? I've never read it.

al-azad
May 28, 2009



friendo55 posted:

I was told to try this out in the Recommendations thread and I have to say it's absolutely fantastic. Being brand new to comics, I'm not sure how much weight my opinion really has. But my love for film noir (and to a certain extent, Disney) translates over to Blacksad in a big way. Real excited now for the 4th book out this summer.

Glad you enjoy it. I wish there was a larger market for Euros (well, technically Blacksad is Spanish) but the few companies that publish them in English either die in obscurity or butcher the loving format, Jesus Christ I'm mad.

Big Bad Voodoo Lou
Jan 1, 2006

Endless Mike posted:

How is Grendel? I've never read it.

I'm a huge fan, especially of the Hunter Rose material (which started with the Grendel: Devil By the Deed storyline in the early '80s). He's a cultured, urbane, witty thief, assassin, and crimelord with a code of honor and one of the best costumes ever. Think of Hunter Rose as what Bruce Wayne might have become if he turned to crime because he was bored and privileged and instantly mastered everything else he attempted. (There is actually a Batman/Grendel crossover that points out the parallels between them.)

Anyway, Hunter Rose's arch-enemy is Argent, a horrifyingly ugly and violent wolf-man who works with the police to help take down Grendel, which creates an interesting dichotomy between the disgusting, scary "good guy" and the almost aspirational, seductive nature of the "bad guy" (the true protagonist).

But Matt Wagner (the creator of Grendel) created a much broader mythology than just one mortal man. The Grendel mantle comes to represent the spirit of aggression, and it is passed onto a woman named Christine Spar, then her younger lover Brian Li-Sung, and a few other people. Then Wagner flashes forward thousands of years into a darker, post-apocalyptic future where the Catholic Church and corporations have taken over what was once America (this is better than it sounds, I swear!), and Grendel rises again.

The longest-lasting character from these future stories is the cyborg paladin Grendel-Prime, and his best story is Grendel: War Child, one of the best pure action/sci-fi comics I've ever read. He eventually travels back in time to Gotham City to cause all kinds of tsuris for Batman in the second Batman/Grendel crossover, which feels like a homage to the first Terminator movie.

Big Bad Voodoo Lou fucked around with this message at 15:16 on Mar 31, 2012

Dr. Hurt
Oct 23, 2010

Not really sure which thread this goes in but IDW is going to be doing a Godzilla series called Godzilla: Half-Century War that will be written and drawn by James Stokoe in August. His style is just perfect for Godzilla.


Click for panel-breaking beauty.

I haven't cared about Godzilla in years but if it all looks like this I'll definitely be picking it up.

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

Waterhaul
Nov 5, 2005


it was a nice post,
you shouldn't have signed it.



God :drat:

Everything about that looks amazing.

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • Post
  • Reply