Comic Book Chatter

This is the place where you can conflab about all the other stuff besides videogames
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Alex79
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Re: Comic Book Chatter

Post by Alex79 »

Just read A History Of Violence by John Wagner in about an hour. It's the graphic novel the 2005 movie was based on, published by a now defunct DC imprint specialising in hard boiled, crime noir type stuff. Same label Road To Perdition was on.

It's a great book, horrific in places, but really had me gripped to the end. Its 300 pages, but quite a quick, easy read. Would definitely recommend. I do like crime graphic novels for a change from the usual stuff I read, wish there were more good ones about.

Incidentally, I've never seen the movie adaption. Might check it out.
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duskvstweak
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Re: Comic Book Chatter

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Alex79uk wrote: March 1st, 2021, 9:16 pm Just read A History Of Violence by John Wagner in about an hour. It's the graphic novel the 2005 movie was based on, published by a now defunct DC imprint specialising in hard boiled, crime noir type stuff. Same label Road To Perdition was on.

It's a great book, horrific in places, but really had me gripped to the end. Its 300 pages, but quite a quick, easy read. Would definitely recommend. I do like crime graphic novels for a change from the usual stuff I read, wish there were more good ones about.

Incidentally, I've never seen the movie adaption. Might check it out.
This is a rough reminder I haven't read or watched HoV. My bad! The movie has great reviews, looking forward to yours.
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DeadpoolNegative
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Re: Comic Book Chatter

Post by DeadpoolNegative »

Word of warning: Aside from the first act, A History of Violence the movie differs massively from the graphic novel. That doesn't mean it's not good, just be prepared.

--Dan
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Alex79
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Re: Comic Book Chatter

Post by Alex79 »

Action Comics #1 (first Superman appearance) has just broken the record for most expensive comic ever sold, making £2.8m at auction.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-56669924

Yikes!

I'll wait for the trade paperback... :lol:

In other comic news, just started an interesting book - Alec: The Years Have Pants by Eddie Campbell (art on From Hell among others). It's an autobiographical 'slice of life' anthology, and makes a nice change from the usual. Not quite reaching the heights of the last graphic novel autobiography I read (Blankets by Craig....someone?) but enjoying it so far.
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duskvstweak
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Re: Comic Book Chatter

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I saw the Action Comics news! I guess I should have bought it when it was new!
Has anyone checked on Nic Cage to see how he's doing?
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Miririn
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Re: Comic Book Chatter

Post by Miririn »

Is anyone else into Japanese comics? It's a real passion of mine (keep having to prune collection due to literally not having shelf space) - I have had a horrible addiction for two decades now.
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Alex79
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Re: Comic Book Chatter

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Miririn wrote: April 14th, 2021, 10:38 am Is anyone else into Japanese comics? It's a real passion of mine (keep having to prune collection due to literally not having shelf space) - I have had a horrible addiction for two decades now.
It's not something I've ever really explored to be honest. I did have a few Death Note books years back, but found the size (standard paperback size) and reading right to left a bit strange at the time so sold them on. I'm sure the reading right to left thing wouldn't be an issue now, I was much younger and less patient then, so I'm sure it becomes second nature after a few pages really.

I've also got a full Akira collection, but not got round to reading it yet.

Is there anything you'd recommend?
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Alex79
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Re: Comic Book Chatter

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duskvstweak wrote: April 12th, 2021, 5:32 pm I saw the Action Comics news! I guess I should have bought it when it was new!
Has anyone checked on Nic Cage to see how he's doing?
Ha, I had no idea what you were on about till I looked it up and read all about his stolen comics! Didn't realise he was such a fan!
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Miririn
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Re: Comic Book Chatter

Post by Miririn »

Alex79uk wrote: April 14th, 2021, 10:55 am
Miririn wrote: April 14th, 2021, 10:38 am Is anyone else into Japanese comics? It's a real passion of mine (keep having to prune collection due to literally not having shelf space) - I have had a horrible addiction for two decades now.
It's not something I've ever really explored to be honest. I did have a few Death Note books years back, but found the size (standard paperback size) and reading right to left a bit strange at the time so sold them on. I'm sure the reading right to left thing wouldn't be an issue now, I was much younger and less patient then, so I'm sure it becomes second nature after a few pages really.

I've also got a full Akira collection, but not got round to reading it yet.

Is there anything you'd recommend?
Oh man "Akira"!!! You're in for a treat!

It really depends what genres you're into. My particular favourite is shonen manga (ie aimed at teen boys), and of that genre, my absolute favourites are "One Piece" and anything written by Hiromu Arakawa (but especially "Fullmetal Alchemst" and "Silver Spoon"). It's a huge genre with lots of gems, though!

I'm probably rubbish at recommendations though because I have such stubborn personal tastes... :( but I'm pretty omnivorous, I'll read a lot of manga, regardless of genre, if I can get my hands on a copy and it looks interesting. So I enjoy seinen (manga for young adult blokes, lately I love "Golden Kamuy"), shojo (manga for young girls - I was more into this as a teen but still read the occasional series, and I always think "Orange" would be a big hit in the Anglosphere among the "Fault in Our Stars" YA crowd if more teen girls read manga), stuff aimed at adult women (...as an adult woman I should read this more, but things like "Tokyo Tarareba Musume", "Umimachi Diary" and "Nana"), horror ("The Floating Classroom" and anything by Junji Ito are good headstarts if you like horror), gag comics ("Noble Farmer", "Chibi Maruko-chan", "Shirokuma Cafe", "Saint Young Men", "Thermae Romae") etc. Hell, I'll even read sports manga and I don't like watching sports in real life (!)

I don't think you can go wrong with "Akira" and if you like those large-page eighties/nineties classics, and if you like Studio Ghibli, then you might like "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind".

I'm sorry for that super rambly post! I remember reading "Death Note" - it was a lot of fun, really creative (sometimes I forget how out left field it was in some ways because so many shonen manga have imitated it since).
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Re: Comic Book Chatter

Post by Marlew »

I've not read a lot of manga but I've loved everything I've stuck with.

I gave Berserk a go off the back of Dark Souls and Bloodborne and while it's hard to recommend casually because of the extraordinary violence and sexual content, beyond that superficial layer there is a work of staggering beauty and humanity. It's one of my favourite works within any medium.

Beyond that, Akira is probably the most substantial manga I've read, having watched the film previously a dozen times. It only reinforced my admiration and adoration for that abridged version but I would say that the manga is even better. I owe it to myself to get stuck in again because I've likely only scratched the surface.

Gantz is the only other one I stuck with, while taking recommendations for what to read after Berserk. It's got nothing on it, frankly, and the sexualised elements are completely juvenile, but as a nihilistic action romp, teenage fodder, I certainly enjoyed it.

I've since started and stalled with:

YKK - lovely but not tremendously engaging.

Vagabond,Kingdom, Vinland Saga and Claymore - all very competent but one-note after Berserk.

Bartender - very readable, charming, atmospheric, but rather light.

Space Brothers, Monster and 20th Century Boys - clearly very good but I shelved them for an indefinable 'later'.

Oyasumi Punpun - one of the masterpieces of manga from what I've read, I'd put it far above Gantz and not too distant from Berserk and Akira, I just found it a little too raw for my emotional state at the time. I'll definitely go back to it one day.
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Re: Comic Book Chatter

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Perhaps apropos for a video game forum, but Golgo 13, which has run for about fifty years, is an always solid, phenomenally entertaining series. It's more well researched "issue of the day" short stories, as opposed to battling Nazi midgets and clones preserving Hitler's brain like in the video games, but it goes down great.

--Dan
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Alex79
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Re: Comic Book Chatter

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Picked up a few new books recently for my birthday and with some Amazon vouchers I received.

Batman vol. 6 - Bride or Burglar - I've not yet read the Rebirth run by Tom King beyond the first book, but I'm building up my collection for a binge read at some point.

Preacher - Book 5 - I first read Preacher over ten years, mostly on an iPhone whilst on holiday in Lanzerote. They were hooky downloaded copies, so I've been slowly collecting the most recent editions of the books. They're thicker than the originals, with more issues included in each volume. Really nice quality, the covers have an almost velvety smooth feel to them (they don't, but that's the best way I can describe it) and the pages are really glossy and well printed. Quality books.

The Handmaid's Tale - Graphic Novel - my dad has been round this morning and brought me this as a late birthday present (along with the two books mentioned above). Man, this is a nice book. Hardback, smaller than a usual TPB, but really high quality binding and pages.
Looking forward to reading this.

Monsters (by Barry Windsor-Smith) - a present to myself. I'd never heard of this, or the author, until I read a review in the Guardian who named it one of their books of 2021. Again, really nice quality hardback. Slightly oversized, black and white line art, it's really a beautiful thing. Apparently he's been working on it for 35 years, and I think it's got future classic written all over it. In a few years I can imagine it being held in the same regard as Alan Moore's peak stuff, and Frank Miller's Batman Year One and The Dark Knight Returns etc.

Unfortunately, either Amazon or the courier didn't give this book the respect it deserved, and my copy came looking like it had been found in a skip, so I sent it back and am awaiting a new copy. I'd say grab it whilst you can get it cheap (currently £17 or so on Amazon, RRP £25) because I reckon this first edition might become a bit of a collectors item in the future.

EDIT: Oops, that in text link is to an interview with the author. The review is here: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/ ... twar-angst
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Re: Comic Book Chatter

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Read Golden Kamuy Volume One. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but a combination heist/revenge plot set in early twentieth century Japan-- with no superpowers or magic-- wasn't it. Aside from the adventure, it also introduced me to the Ainu, a persecuted people in Japan that I had no idea even existed. It's not as dark as Berserk but it does ramp up the violence pretty quickly, if that isn't your thing.

An interesting read.
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Re: Comic Book Chatter

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Burrrrrton wrote: June 1st, 2021, 12:06 pm I just recently got into comics. I will definitely look at the ones that you recommend. It turned out to be a very exciting experience.
You have such a world ahead of you!
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Re: Comic Book Chatter

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Not a recent one, but I picked up the three editions of Batman: Last Knight on Earth when they came out. I can't say I followed the story completely as it was densely packed with references and characters, but it was enjoyable enough. The writing and art are both very strong, and as I was buying each issue as they released I was genuinely excited to see where the story would go. I'm much more interested in these tightly contained stories over a series that never seems to have an end point in sight.

Similarly, I also checked out Batman: Damned not long again. Yes it's another grim dark take on Batman (because we haven't had enough of those), but it was a good enough story. I was quite taken aback by the strong langauge too. The standout though is the art, it is fantastic. I would happily put prints of some pages on my wall.

My next one is House of M, which I've been putting off for ages, but I really need to get on with it.
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Alex79
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Re: Comic Book Chatter

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I've got those two Batman collections but never got round to reading them yet. I was a bit put off by Last Knight On Earth when I read a review saying it was quite heavy on the more cosmic/supernatural type stuff, whereas I prefer the stories based on Earth in a more grounded setting. Mainly the reason I never liked Grant Morrisons run or any of the Final Crisis stuff.
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Re: Comic Book Chatter

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I'd say Last Knight isn't particularly supernatural or anything like that, I'd say it leans very heavily into sci fi. And it's post-apocalyptic, so contains a lot of the tropes from that genre. There's some fantastical and surreal stuff, but it actually tells a very human story.

Damned is definitely more supernatural, especially as it features John Constantine, Spectre, Swamp Thing and Enchantress. It's a dark horror story.
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Re: Comic Book Chatter

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I'm reading Berserk again after Miura's passing and it's absolutely extraordinary. The greatest manga art ever produced, I reckon. The Golden Age arc is still one of the most powerful things I've ever seen.
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Re: Comic Book Chatter

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Batman: Last Knight on Earth, like Seph said, is a scifi book. Honestly, it feels like three different stories crammed into one, but it sticks the landing.
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Re: Comic Book Chatter

Post by Seph »

I agree, I was glad I read each part on release as it gave me a chance to read through again and piece things together. The pacing was so rapid at times and the story shifts so dramatically that I kept wondering if my editions were missing some pages.
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