Indie Comic Discussion & Recommendation - The Image/Dark Horse/Avatar et al thread.

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > BSS: Bisexual Super Son > Indie Comic Discussion & Recommendation - The Image/Dark Horse/Avatar et al thread.

BENGHAZI 2: Oct 13, 2007; by Cyrano4747

InnercityGriot posted:

I think Image might be my favorite current publisher going, and I think they have some fantastic books currently going or recently collected. King City, Godland, Orc Stain, Fatale and Prophet are all very cool, but my favorite comic is...

Title: Bulletproof Coffin
Publisher: Image
Brief Description: A man hired to rummage through the homes of the recently deceased comes across artifacts from some of his favorite comics and a David Lynch superhero/EC comic series ensues.
Why I Like It: Shaky Kane has been a revelation to me because of this series. I was unaware of who he was prior to, but his artwork in this series seems a bit like Mike Allred's work set to a grindstone, rougher and harsher than Allred's ever looked even in the darker, more violent issues of X-Statix. The colors are sort of perfect, offsetting the dark subject matter with a weird neon palette that makes everything look somewhat sickly and is creepy in ways that very few horror comics achieve, or at least none that I've read.

David Hine also does a fantastic job with the script, giving some worn-out meta-textual tricks new life via a pretty great sense of humor. He also manages to capture the trashy, goofy narration of old-school horror comics pretty well, filling the comics with classy gems like, "the stench of decay rises through the aura of her perfume, like a fart in a bubble bath," and still somehow manages to play it pretty straight. The series packs in some really strange fake advertisements similar to the period ads that show up in Moore's League of Gents, and they function to enhance the mood in sort of the same way as in those books.

The Creators plan to do a bunch more with this little horror/superhero comic setting they've created, and the original series is being followed by the current six issue miniseries entitled Bulletproof Coffin: Disinterred.

Issue that is a good jumping on point: Buy the Bulletproof Coffin TPB because it is VERY GOOD, or just start from Disinterred at issue one if you are cheap, as the current story doesn't continue the events of the first, it simply shares characters/setting.

Holy crap, I just slammed through the first trade in an hour. This poo poo is so good. I need to pick up Disinterred this week.

# ¿ Feb 7, 2012 08:48

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 01:21

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?

# ¿ Mar 25, 2012 23:56

BENGHAZI 2: Oct 13, 2007; by Cyrano4747

Mr Wind Up Bird posted:

No.

No you do not.

Oh thank god.

# ¿ Mar 26, 2012 00:21

BENGHAZI 2: Oct 13, 2007; by Cyrano4747

Darth Nat posted:

Image is really hitting on all cylinders in general these days. Ain't no shame in liking an Image book.

Exception: Spawn.

# ¿ Apr 19, 2012 09:15

BENGHAZI 2: Oct 13, 2007; by Cyrano4747

Six AM posted:

Image is amazing right now. Prophet, Glory, Spaceman, Hickman books, Fatale, upcoming Morrison book, Saga, plenty of other poo poo I missed. Everything I read from Eric Stephenson makes me feel confident about the brand.

What's the upcoming GMo book?

# ¿ Apr 20, 2012 02:44

BENGHAZI 2: Oct 13, 2007; by Cyrano4747

WickedIcon posted:

Is it really that terrible? The impression I got was that, for a comic that basically singlehandedly caused the Dark Age, it's pretty readable.

It's physically readable in that your eyes can look at it and take in the information and so on and so forth.

Is it actually readable? gently caress no. I was going to read Spawn and mock it and I gave up after three issues. It's like concentrated 90s.

# ¿ May 1, 2012 09:11

BENGHAZI 2: Oct 13, 2007; by Cyrano4747

Nevvy Z posted:

Hardcore is pretty loving awesome just so everyone knows.

It's by Kirkman, who has a very similar name and I read it a week ago, and it's about a guy who assassinates people by remotely taking over the body of someone near them. And it's pretty drat cool.

If it's like every other Robert Kirkman book it has characters that sound exactly alike, a cool-ish idea, and terrible execution.

Whatever happened to that book with Macfarlane? The one with the guy that looked like he shot jizz out of his hands?

# ¿ May 29, 2012 02:36

BENGHAZI 2: Oct 13, 2007; by Cyrano4747

Mr. Glum posted:

It's now being made by Joe Casey and Nathan Fox. Kirkman and Liefeld's "The Infinite" is the book that ended over creative differences.

Can't be worse than the shitstack it was originally.

# ¿ May 29, 2012 19:55

BENGHAZI 2: Oct 13, 2007; by Cyrano4747

bairfanx posted:

I've actually been hearing really great things since Casey took over, which, really, is unsurprising.

Huh. Might check it out.

# ¿ May 30, 2012 00:01

BENGHAZI 2: Oct 13, 2007; by Cyrano4747

Is anyone reading Secret, Hickman's other Image book that's coming out right now? Because holy poo poo this is good. It's a crime story, which is weird because it's so not what Hickman does, but any more than that starts to spoil the story. Read it. It's easily as good as Manhattan Projects, despite being just as grounded as Manhattan Projects is bugshit insane.

# ¿ Jun 10, 2012 08:19

BENGHAZI 2: Oct 13, 2007; by Cyrano4747

Waterhaul posted:

James Stokoe posted a bunch of cool pages/sketches/covers on his blog if you like looking at gorgeous pages.

Like this Godzilla cover.

I can't wait for this to actually come out.

# ¿ Jun 23, 2012 21:42

BENGHAZI 2: Oct 13, 2007; by Cyrano4747

LCQC posted:

Burn every one of those books.

Buy King City.

Don't burn all of them, just The Walking Dead.

Actually just burn all but two. Read the second one over and over again. You'll never know the difference.

# ¿ Jul 12, 2012 02:40

BENGHAZI 2: Oct 13, 2007; by Cyrano4747

toomanyninjas posted:

I bought the first issue but dropped it because it felt like it was rehashing themes I'd read 10 years ago in "Planetary." Not saying I thought it was bad, just too familiar. How is it a few issues in?

It's really good and I don't think it's anything like Planetary. It's Hickman's usual weird "let's build a history" thing operating in the framework of the Manhattan Project with a heavy dose of pulp sci-fi.

# ¿ Jul 12, 2012 15:23

BENGHAZI 2: Oct 13, 2007; by Cyrano4747

bairfanx posted:

There's not an obvious overarching plot, but I'm pretty sure MP is the secret origin of Richard Feynman. There will be other things that happen, but I get the impression that everything will be tied to him.

I wasn't too impressed from the first issue, probably at least a bit because I've read more Feynman than the average person and the voice Hickman was using for him didn't seem to fit, even though I think it was only in his notes. I got over that and have been really enjoying the series.

One thing, though: I thought it was another 4 issue mini like Red Wing, but I've seen solicits for more. Is this an ongoing?

Manhattan Projects and Secret are his first creator-owned ongoings.

# ¿ Jul 12, 2012 19:58

BENGHAZI 2: Oct 13, 2007; by Cyrano4747

Endless Mike posted:

I had no idea they were ongoings! Awesome.

Well, TMP is, I'm not so sure about Secrets.

# ¿ Jul 13, 2012 02:37

BENGHAZI 2: Oct 13, 2007; by Cyrano4747

Endless Mike posted:

I just read through The Score over the past two nights and liked it, but not as much as the previous two. Still, it was a fun book, and recommended.

The Score and The Man With The Getaway Face, which came between The Hunter and The Outfit in the original books, are a little uneven because they're trying to transition Parker away from just wrecking the mob's poo poo for trying to kill him and into doing heists, and they hadn't quite found a footing yet.

Still great though.

# ¿ Jul 19, 2012 18:15

BENGHAZI 2: Oct 13, 2007; by Cyrano4747

Hiro Protagonist posted:

How did Fatale turn out? Was the first volume any good?

Fatale is still going and still great, and the first volume is even better read as a whole than as a monthly book. It's a Bru/Phillips book, what do you expect? They have yet to turn out a stinker.

# ¿ Jul 20, 2012 08:03

BENGHAZI 2: Oct 13, 2007; by Cyrano4747

gogisha posted:

Yeah, plus the way the story's told I'll have to keep re-reading the previous issues every time a new one comes out if they take this long. As an aside, I really like the coloring jobs that both Manhattan Projects and Secret are getting. I think the stark contrasts between pages and bright, flat color choices really work for the bizarre/intricate stories being told. But I'm kind of a Hickman fanboy so take that as you will.

The other thing I like about Manhattan Projects is the use of solid red for things that have negative things attached to them (The Oppenheimers, the chair/belt/stick in Feynman's flashback, etc). It's just this really quick and easy way to know THIS IS BAD

REALLY BAD

Secret's "one color at a time" thing is unique as all hell and I'd love for more to come out so I could talk more about it.

# ¿ Jul 27, 2012 22:37

BENGHAZI 2: Oct 13, 2007; by Cyrano4747

bairfanx posted:

I'm more than a little confused by that flashback, because didn't Weiss say something about how he preferred the stick after he went through the gate?

I thought it was very obviously Feynman until that part. :-/

Well we don't see him choose, and neither choice is really a good one. Dude's still getting beaten, it's just degrees of shittiness.

It's definitely Feynman in that flashback though, the face is literally just a smaller version of adult Feynman's head.

# ¿ Jul 28, 2012 03:19

BENGHAZI 2: Oct 13, 2007; by Cyrano4747

Six AM posted:

MP is a great book, but that art is doing everything possible to bring it down a bit. I do like that Hickman is standing behind his boy, though. That is really cool in what sounds like a shameless rear end industry if you pay too much attention to the big two, especially DC.

It's perfect, it's sketchy and weird-looking, which is a good look for an alt-history book full of pulp science. And the two-tone flashbacks are a handy visual metaphor.

# ¿ Jul 28, 2012 17:10

BENGHAZI 2: Oct 13, 2007; by Cyrano4747

Dark Horse's digital app has single issues of BPRD and Hellboy and basically everything for two bucks a pop. I can easily see myself blowing a paycheck on this.

# ¿ Oct 11, 2012 16:28

BENGHAZI 2: Oct 13, 2007; by Cyrano4747

Thunderfinger posted:

Has anyone checked out the Dresden Files comic adaptions and the comic prequel? Are they any good? Are they worth the money?

Just read the books.

# ¿ Oct 20, 2012 05:26

BENGHAZI 2: Oct 13, 2007; by Cyrano4747

Gavok posted:

Out of nowhere, Zandale's girlfriend shouts, "SHUT UP YOU BITCH!" and nails the mom with a frying pan. And not in the cartoony way, but by slamming the edge into her skull so that her eyeball pops out. The dad throttles her, screaming that he'll kill her and Bulletproof accidentally and gorily snaps his father's neck trying to pull him off. Bulletproof shoves the bodies into a car, throws it off a cliff

You think Kirkman has some issues to work out?

# ¿ Nov 16, 2012 06:31

BENGHAZI 2: Oct 13, 2007; by Cyrano4747

Gavok posted:

That's the unfortunate thing. Like, I've reached the point where I realize that Ultimates and Red Son were years ago and now Millar can only be Millar.

Invincible has been consistently pretty good from the aftermath of the Vitrumite War (which itself was boring) to this issue. The previous arc was really good and the final scene reveals that one of the series' heroes committed an act of genocide on another world. Yet it's actually a well-done and natural development based on passion, frustration and a little bit of Ozymandias "ends justifies the means". It wasn't shocking for the sake of being shocking.

Even the current issue is good up to a point. The backstory and even the parents' reaction work. It's the moment the frying pan shows up out of nowhere that I feel like, "Come on, Kirkman. You're loving up. You're better than this."

He's not better than this, though.

# ¿ Nov 16, 2012 18:44

BENGHAZI 2: Oct 13, 2007; by Cyrano4747

Here's the thing: The changes have been happening since the beginning, since Eve got punched through the chest and Mark headbutted a guy's face until it was concave. This isn't some interlude, it's Kirkman being a lovely writer who covers up for it by constantly ramping up the level of violence and gore in order to stay "shocking".

# ¿ Nov 19, 2012 02:52

BENGHAZI 2: Oct 13, 2007; by Cyrano4747

Mr Wind Up Bird posted:

You could read The Massive! It's about a ship sailing around after a total ecological collapse. But I guess the first trade isn't out until march

Also Brian Wood's Conan has spent a lot of time with a pirate queen and Conan on a boat. Good stuff. This is coming out in trade a little sooner as seen here.

Also there's about a million billion volumes of One Piece you could read. I haven't read any myself but I understand it to be pretty good.

Everyone read One Piece. You can get it digitally for five bucks a volume. It rules.

# ¿ Dec 12, 2012 04:41

BENGHAZI 2: Oct 13, 2007; by Cyrano4747

I'm blown away by how stupid the dialog is, particuarly the "nnn...rear end in a top hat" line.

# ¿ Dec 16, 2012 02:43

BENGHAZI 2: Oct 13, 2007; by Cyrano4747

Adam Strange posted:

From Change?

Yes.

# ¿ Dec 16, 2012 03:35

BENGHAZI 2: Oct 13, 2007; by Cyrano4747

Adam Strange posted:

I haven't picked it up yet (waiting for me on Wednesday) but I'm willing to bet the "nnn..." line is an attempt at a Morrison-esque onomatopoeia.

Then it's a particularly horrible one, because the line is literally "W-2 (the black rapper character) is a nn...rear end in a top hat."

# ¿ Dec 16, 2012 19:45

BENGHAZI 2: Oct 13, 2007; by Cyrano4747

fatherboxx posted:

Happy! was garbage

Happy was the best Garth Ennis comic in years and that was kind of the point. It was Morrison doing A Very Garth Ennis Christmas, and it ruled.

Lurdiak posted:

I don't know if it's cool or not, but boy howdy did I hate it. I can see how some would like it, but I can't see how it would be considered something difficult to top. 80s video game references and applying the basic formula of comedy/romance manga and anime to a modern setting with swear words? That can't be the height of someone's creative output.

It's pretty rad to watch a bunch of manchildren fall all over a book about a manchild only for the last volume to go "Also nobody loving likes the character you adore, because he refuses to grow up and that's irritating as gently caress, grow up assholes". Scott Pilgrim Rules.

BENGHAZI 2 fucked around with this message at 05:08 on Jan 13, 2014

# ¿ Jan 13, 2014 05:04

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 01:21

BENGHAZI 2: Oct 13, 2007; by Cyrano4747

moot the hopple posted:

AV Club posted a preview and interview with the creators of The Fade Out. Some interesting workmanship details like Betty Breitweiser's thoughts behind her palette selections and Sean Philips' move to full digital art.

quote:

only decided to do this project right before Sean and I announced our Five Year Deal at Image, though. I was waffling between The Fade Out and a sci-fi idea we were talking about

This better not have bumped Incognito back another year.

# ¿ Aug 11, 2014 14:03

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