RKMBs Forums .::Robegories::. Comic Books A new and original post by Soy (HOLY SHIT)

Been awhile since I started my own thread. It takes a lot of responsibility, and it requires maintenance and care and all of that proper nurturing to make sure the thread blossoms into a nice long series of off-topic ideas. Let's see if I still have that magic touch.

My comic collecting is down when it comes to numbers. But dollar-wise, it is still up there. What the deuce?

Inflation, I guess. Plus, indie comics are more expensive than regular mainstream comics. I don't need the glossy covers or pretty designs (no thank you, Michael Turner), but I like hardcovers and TPBs, if only to keep my shit together. Nice idea, don't you agree? Imagine trying to read all of Watchmen in individual installments. Yes, TPBs certainly help.

Anyways, I still peruse the comic store on a weekly basis. But I don't come out of the store with a comic every week. Sometimes I force myself to pick something up, and sometimes, with a bunch of comics in hand, I put them back on the shelves, after I realize they are crappy issues.

Let's discuss the latter first. I had Batman/Superman in hand. #13. We knew what was going to happen. Scanned the comic. Superman beat up Darkseid. Somehow Supergirl avoided death. Really exciting. Worth 3 bucks? Nope. Back on the shelf. Then there was the Birthright bit. I was debating that one. Nice art, interesting, but not for 30 dollars. It wouldn't captivate me or blow me away.

So what is blowing me away? Let's go with characters first. Adam Strange was always interesting to me, and for that reason I picked up the first issue of the new limited series. Missed picking the second issue (actually had it in my hands, but put it back). Sold out. TPB it is. Might be the same with this return of Hal Jordan thing.

Yeah, a lot of people are pissed, and some people are happy. You know what? Who cares. The story was good. It contained all the earth GLs and relevant characters, and the art was fantastic. Promises to get better. I put it back also. Sold out, also. Not that smart (or am I)?

Anyways, what I did end up buying was Daniel Clowes 20th Century 8-ball. I liked that. It's wacky and the stories are great. Some of you (and you know who you are) will identify with this one. I think the first story on Art School is going to be made into a movie or something.

Also picked up the Question. This looks really promising. Doing away with the 80s-90s stuff, this one goes back to Ditko's Charlton creation (which was a response to Dick Tracy's nemesis, The Blank). The next time we would be exposed to a similar character would be Rorschach. This series, by Rick Veitch, plays on the old ideas of Steve Ditko. I liked it. Nice art too. Great prose.

But let us go beyond the norms, shall we? Just as I mentioned Daniel Clowes, I like Joe Sacco and Harvey Pekar. American Splendor, Palestine, Safe Area Goradze, the Fixer, David Boring, Ghost World, etc. I am currently seeking Sacco's Notes from a Defeatist. Peter Kuper (Spy vs. Spy) has done some fascinating translations of Kafka in comic form.

I guess before you head into this stuff, you might want to check out DCs Bizarro World. Good times.

Eightball's great. Art School Confidential is under film option. "I wanna be your dog." "You and what army?"

The Question was very well written. Not sold on the art, though.

DC has a sequel to Bizarro World on the way.

Grimm, take a look at the cover for Question #3. If you like it, post it here (January stuff). I think it looks great. Asking you, because I loved it, but I want to get someone else's opinion.

I like it better than the first issue cover. More Question centric, rather than "look, the Question's in Metropolis, and there's Superman flying overhead really fast. . ."

yeah, it's basically that. indie/underground/small press creators doing what they do on DC's superheroes. have you not read the first one, Disco?

I've not. I assumed all the stories were about Bizarro.

No, some are, but there's a mix of stuff. Evan Dorkin did the wrap around story, (which is about Mxypltk and Bizarro, and would be worth buying for that alone, imo) but the rest is a variety of stuff. Tony Millionaire of Sock Monkey did a Batman story, for instance.

Sounds good.