Comic Book Talk

[PanchaMaestro]

I would call the Modern Age of comics the IP Age. Genre Comics main purpose being a testing ground for stories, characters and tones for other medium. Probably really kicked off with the near collapse of the print comics industry and the success of the Raimi SpiderMan films.

The only current genre comics I’m reading at the moment are Absolute Martian Manhunter and Batman and Robin Year One bc I follow the artists. Comics about karate chopping and laser beamings are 96% about the art to me. I guess maybe Saga too if that counts as a genre comic. I sometimes read a few trades digitally just bc I like some of the stories / characters. The genericness of so much of the big 2’s art makes it hard for me to care for long.

 

[Chooch555]

From Daredevil/Punisher: The Devil’s Trigger #1

So, this variant cover is VERY 90's to me (apparently the artist thinks of the suit as dampening all the noise Matt makes, which is at least on brand), and I don't think it's necessarily right for Matt... BUT... hear me out... I actually love this specific sort of throwback bullshit, and if ML wants to give me this as a figure I will pick it up. I'm still sorta sad I didn't grab the black armor suit earlier. And I still want Matt in his red 3 piece from Waid's run (almost total re-use Hasbro, make it happen!).

This really reminds me of a halfway point between Knightfall blue and grey Azrael Batman and first appearance of Superboy post Death of Superman. And I still think both of those costumes are rad.

I've never seen this before, but now I want it. Black armor DD is both a great look and a phenomenal figure. Highly recommend hunting him down if you can.

 

[JakeEkiss]

I've never seen this before, but now I want it. Black armor DD is both a great look and a phenomenal figure. Highly recommend hunting him down if you can.

So it seems this is just a costume for this variant cover and the book itself isn't out until November.

 

[Chooch555]

Ah! Sorry, I assumed I had missed something in the 90's. Let him anchor a new DD wave!

 

[TFitz]

So just read the latest Wonder Woman comic which is a stupid storyline, but regardless, she gets grazed by a bullet and is bleeding. Obviously I know she normally blocks bullets with her bracelets, but how is it a woman who can go toe to toe with Superman, taking his uber-powerful blows, be damaged by a bullet?

 

[SDcomics]

Jack Kirby, widely regarded by many as one of the greatest creators and innovators in the world of comics, was born on this day in 1917. He would be 108 years old.

I've gone on many times before about how much I love this man and what his work meant to me growing up. This time I'll spare you. We're just going to look at some amazing covers.

Happy birthday, Jack! Thank you for everything.

 

[akajomiha]

So just read the latest Wonder Woman comic which is a stupid storyline, but regardless, she gets grazed by a bullet and is bleeding. Obviously I know she normally blocks bullets with her bracelets, but how is it a woman who can go toe to toe with Superman, taking his uber-powerful blows, be damaged by a bullet?

Just took a look at that comic. The Mouse Man...huh. This definitely harkens back to the wackiness of the Golden Age. Good question about the bullets- I don't know all that much about Wonder Woman, but in that very issue she deflected about 25 other bullets with her bracelets, so it seems unlikely that she would get hit at all by a *checks notes* mouse guard...

 

[puckace]

I know Kirby is called the king.

But to me Kirby = greatness.

So much of what I love about comics came from his amazing creativity.

Happy birthday Jack!

 

[yojoebro82]

There's yet another Batman relaunch, this time BEFORE the previous series even ends!

Batman has himself an AI version of his dead butler. Get some therapy, Batman. It's long overdue.

 

[Felonious Monk]

I recently started the Epic Collection of Cap America: Streets of Poison.

Man, Gruenwald doesn't get enough praise for his run on the book. There's a scene where Cap had me actually bust out laughing (which seldom happens to me from comics). It was so awesome. Battlestar and Cap dealing with the same issue at the same time in 2 separate stories, Red Skull vs Kingpin, Crossbones vs Bullseye... All that plus Ron Lim and Mark Bagley working on the book at the same time--and I'm not even 1/3 of the way through the book. A lot of great duality so far.

Of course after I get, like, half of Gruenwald's run in Epic Collections they start coming out with his omnibus editions. The cost is about the same, but I would've saved a ton of shelf space if those came out a couple years earlier. Oh, well.

 

[akajomiha]

Gru Cap was my everything in the 80s. Particularly the Neary/Dwyer/Lim eras. Not to mention Squadron Supreme...

 

[SDcomics]

Lee/Kirby for me!

My little eight year old self was a newly minted member of the Merry Marvel Marching Society!

 

[Felonious Monk]

It's been so great to visit almost all eras of the elder statesman of comics with all these collected editions. I'm so thankful. As a kid I never thought I'd get the chance to read any, let alone practically all the original issues I've wanted. Human Torch, Namor, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and all the rest. Now, if we could only get the Atlas era of Cap (and other books)...

Cap and Spidey were my 2 favorite Marvel characters as a boy which only intensified when we got the live-action versions in the late '70s. When dedicated comic shops opened up within biking distance Rogers was no longer Cap and I was pedantic about the whole situation, so only picked up a CA issue if it tied into something else I collected instead of putting it on my pull list. By the time he came back I was already collecting too many books and never got around to adding it to my list. What mistakes those both were.

Previous to that time it was improbable and almost impossible to find consecutive issues of any comic from local stands. When I look at my early attempts at collecting it is truly laughable. I never had the "gaul" to ask my parents for subscriptions--which I should have. Ha! My first time reading any complete CA solo storyline (I believe) was when the Essential line came out--I don't think I ever had any of his MMW editions. So even though it wasn't my era, the 1st continuing stories I read were Lee and Kirby.

The Golden Age CA Omnibus was a hoot. As a Horror fan I was shocked and delighted to find CA started out in that genre as opposed to a straight up Action/Adventure book--a little mind-boggling, but I'll take it. I really love the wild art from the Simon/Kirby as well as Al Avidson. Avidson in particular had some gorgeous, mind-blowing spreads.

Which brings me back to Gruenwald. I've really enjoyed all that I've discovered in his run, and am really surprised I never heard anyone talk about it at the time and not really much since. It's nice that I'm finally able to read "my era" of comics--if a tad late.

 

[Revox]

I'm only actively reading three books at the moment:

Absolute Wonder Woman - simply brilliant, from someone who was never really fussed about the character generally.

Phoenix - it's pretty middling so far but I'm sticking it out because I have wanted something like this on paper for decades, so hopefully it'll pick up eventually. Jean's up there with Spidey, Batman, and Firestorm in the 'characters I'll always have a soft spot for' stakes.

The Power Fantasy - an alternate take on life sharing a world with beings capable of terrifying levels of destruction. The first issue has a telepath wipe out scores of WH staff from the President down as a conciliatory measure to calm down another superpowered guy from destroying an entire state in retaliation for an assassination attempt. It just gets wilder from there, including a magical pyramid scheme, an angel, and an artist whose mood swings can summon Godzilla* if she gets too upset, which makes meeting art critics a delight, and has her girlfriend treading very lightly 24:7.


* Actually, the way everyone is in abject terror of her losing composure, I get the feeling it may actually be more like Cthulhu, or The Void

 

[Justice]

I've been out of Marvel as a regular reader for a while but I dove back in with House of X but didn't finish that and lost interest. It is just so hard for me to keep interest waiting on a monthly book. My intent was to go back and read it when it was finished so I guess now would be the time to do that.

Anyway an IGN article popped up on my browser yesterday talking about the new X-Men storyline and books coming out in which Doug Ramsey is the heir to Apocalypse's mantle or whatever. I've always had a soft spot for anything Doug related and did enjoy his appearances in X of Swords somewhat recently so now I'm tempted to dive back in. Apparently it's a separate universe/timeline, Age of Apocalypse-style.