Post by droidofages on Jul 21, 2008 15:22:04 GMT -4
Hokay, here's a huge kettle of fish and a can of worms mixed together: What's your favourite comics being published right now?
For me:
ACME Novelty Library - I just can't enough about Chris Ware's work. He is a master draftsman and gets to the weaker aspects of the human condition with cunning accuracy. Everything I've seen of his is a painful masterpiece.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Ware
Action Comics, Superman & All Star Superman - Anyone who's known me for a long time knows that I've never been a huge Superman fan, but recently (the last couple of years) great things have been happening in the Superman comic world. Both Action and Superman have had superb talent on them for the most part. Gary Frank, Kurt Busiek, Renato Guedes, Carlos Pacheco, Jesus Merino, James Robinson... All great talent. And All Star Superman... What can I say? All Star Superman is easily one of my favourite comics of all time with the super-team of Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely. Check out anything these two work together on. dccomics.com/dcu/graphic_novels/?gn=6774
dccomics.com/dcu/graphic_novels/?gn=9353
Astonishing X-Men - The recently concluded Joss Whedon & John Cassaday run was some good, ol' fashioned X-Men story telling. Reminded me of the X-Men I grew up with and John's art is awesome. There's only one issue out of the new Warren Ellis & Simone Bianchi run, but I'm a fan of both of them, so I expect the quality to continue.
www.marvel.com/catalog/?id=1456
Atomic Robo - Sleeper hit of '08. If you like the humour and X-Files aspect of Hellboy, and you like the art and humour of Invincible, check this book out. Not only do you get fun, zany, pulp-like comics, but you get to support a new-ish publisher!
www.atomic-robo.com/
Batman Confidential - This too is another title for us older geeks looking for a taste of what we grew up with. the Rags Morales arc about the Wraith was reminiscent of the Jim Aparo style of Batman story telling, and the current arc with Kevin McGuire's art has been titillating and fun.
dccomics.com/dcu/comics/?cm=10161
Bone - The colour editions of this series are beautiful! The story is so well crafted that this title truly earns the all ages moniker as it is aimed at youth, but will appeal to any fan of strong writing and good story telling. If you or a little person you know like Lord of the Rings type epic adventures, check out this great work from Jeff Smith.
www.boneville.com/bone/
Casanova - Psychedelic James Bond adventures in a Nick Fury meets pulp-sci-fi mash-up. Gabriel Ba's art (first arc titled Luxuria) is great for fans of Mignola, and Matt Fraction is fast turning out to be one of the hot writers at Marvel lately. Real fun, sexy stuff.
www.imagecomics.com/previews.php?start=40
Ex Machina - Fantastic non-superhero superhero book. Although the lead character has powers and abilities, the series focuses on his post-superhero career as a politician. As mayor of NY, Mitchell Hundred faces many hot topic issues like censorship, drug laws and gay rights, with a few flashbacks of his superhero-ing thrown in for good measure. Check out the great photo-referencing for the art from Tony Harris, although like many others who use similar styles, the panels can sometimes seem a little static.
1985/Fantastic Four/Wolverine - Old Man Logan - I am currently only reading 1985 in issues and plan on picking up the other arcs in TPB when they come out. The reason I'm essentially pre-recommending it is because it's a Mark Millar epic. All three titles are tied together in some way as yet unrevealed with 1985 being the past, FF being the present and OML being the future. Plus the artists on all three projects (Tommy Lee Edwards, Bryan Hitch & Steve McNiven to name a few) leave little to be desired as well.
Fell - Haven't seen many new issues in a while, but this sister book to Casanova is a masterpiece. It's from Warren Ellis & Ben Templesmith and is about a cop relegated to some crap-hole, nightmare city called Snowtown. It's twisted and creepy detective stories told in concise, 14 page, $1.99 comics (like Casanova) with the 12 panel layout (not like Casanova). Also, the issues each feature a write up in the back where the creative team gives you some insight into where they got their ideas for that particular issue (same with Casanova). Great for comic nerds like us!
Finder - Carla Speed McNeil weaves an incredibly rich tapestry in this fantasy/sci-fi series. Immediately, there is a sense that this story takes place in a large, many faceted universe and over time, you discover this impression is true as you stray at times from the main character (nomadic shaman-type dude) into the lives of what once seemed to be a supporting cast. Doesn't fall prey to the problem of many sci-fi, fantasy and horror projects where the trappings take center stage over the story. First and foremost, this is great story telling that just happens to take place in a sci-fi/fantasy genre.
the Goon - Holy crap, this comic is hilarious! Zombies, werewolves, "Peaches Valentine" in diapers, mad scientists, Fishy Pete, reoccurring-knife-to-the-eye gags, sodomy babies... the list goes on, but how can I possibly do it justice? There's a reason this series has won awards.
Iron Fist - Surprise hit! I've only read the first arc so far, but everything about this series is good. Great art, great writing and hey... kung-fu.
Jonah Hex - I've been reading Jonah since I was a kid and his return to comics is welcome indeed. This new series is easily one of DC's best titles despite the relatively lower sales. It’s certainly not due to the quality of writing from the team of Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray or the revolving array of stunning art from international talent. Plus, almost every issue is a done-in-one story, so it’s easy to try the title out since it doesn’t really require any previous knowledge or an obligation to buy more to complete or make sense of a story. If you are going to try an issue out, go with #33, or the trade that contains #33 if the issue is no longer available by the time you read this. I suggest #33 because it features the stunning art of Nova Scotia's Darwyn Cooke (creator of New Frontier and recent writer/artist of the Spirit series that you should read instead of going to see Frank Miller's butchered bowel-movement soon to hit the silver screen).
Basically, Jonah Hex is a quilt-work story of a dude who makes Wolverine and Batman look like pussies... and this is coming from a long time fan of Batman & Wolverine. If you were to take away their powers and gadgets, I don’t think they could match the cold, steel resolve or the merciless drive of Jonah Hex... but that’s a whole other thread: “Who would beat who...”
JSA - This is another team I've never been particualrly fond of. I've always been more of a JLA dude, but this series has been consistantly good in both writing and art, and despite my initial suspicions, the incorporation of Kingdom Come into the series has been completely engrossing.
King City/Multiple Warheads - Not much has come out from either series, but for those of us who are wary or ignorant of manga in general, this stuff from Brandon Graham, although technically not manga, should appeal to most fans of sci-fi and fantasy. He has a great sense of design and knows how to marry fun and sexy.
Madman - This one may be a little too existential for some readers (I’m scratching my head occasionally while enjoying this series) but at the very least, you have to marvel over Mike & Laura Allred's art. Sooooo pretty.
Nightly News/Pax Romana/Transhuman/Red Mass for Mars - These four come from the mind of Jonathan Hickman, someone else you're likely to see more of in the superhero genre. He's a great writer, but I'm even more intrigued with his design-heavy artwork featured in Nightly News and Pax Romana. Whether you like it or not, you've got to admit that it's fresh and original. Most of his stories seem to come from current world politics, science, mass media, etc. Nightly News in particular is quite topical.
Planetary - More genius writing from Ellis and beautiful art from Cassaday, although the last issue has been in the making for quite a long time now. When all is said and done, it will be 27 issues, or four TPB's, or two oversized Absolute Editions (assuming they make a second one). Like Hellboy and Atomic Robo, fans of X-Files and pop culture in general will most likely dig this as it starts off as a series of investigations into strange things/happenings. Over the course time though, a larger picture starts to form and hooks you until the end... whenever that actually happens.
Powers - Another sort-of non-superhero superhero book. This one focuses on two detectives that work in a special division of their police force dedicated to metahuman affairs. If you like Dragnet-type dialogue and superhero archtypes along with minimal art a la Mignloa and Ba, then this series is for you. Like Planetary, a bigger picture takes form part way into the series and keeps you coming back for more.
Rex Libris - Hilarious book from James Turner about an ancient Librarian, done with a dry and zany wit, a la Monty Python or Terry Pratchett. The series documents the amazing Rex through his literary misadventures through time and space. Somehow this series is both highbrow and lowbrow at the same time with references for bibliophiles and pop culture addicts alike. Like his previous work: Nil, a Land Beyond Belief, which was a satirical look at nihilism and bureaucracy, Rex has a distinct, vector-graphics-type of look to it that sets it apart from any other work I’ve seen.
Shaolin Cowboy - Like Cassaday, Geoff Darrow isn't know for being prolific, but when he delivers, boy does he deliver. Although you can read an issue in a minute or two, you need to take another half hour or so to pour over every little detail he puts into each and every page. If you like Art Adams, you'll probably like Geoff Darrow. You may have even seen his other, fairly well known works; Hard Boiled and Big Guy and Rusty, both of which he did with Frank Miller as writer.
the Spirit - DC is f*@&ing stupid. They had Darwyn Cooke & J Bone creating a masterpeice of comics and for some reason
let them get away. Yes, Aragones is on it now and the current stuff is still great comics, but in my humble opinion, it is a shadow of the first twelve issues I bought them in floppies, I bought the first half in HC and will buy the second when it comes out, and if they ever collect all 12 issues into a deluxe or Absolute Edition, I will buy that too.
I’d recommend this to fans of 50's noire and crime drama with domino masks. Fans of the 90's Batman cartoon will probably dig this as well, and would find the Batman/the Spirit one-shot (collected in the first HC) to be a great segway. After you get into the Spirit, check out Selina’s Big Score from DC and then New Frontier, as in the future it will surely be on the same pedestal as Dark Knight or Watchmen.
Superf*@&ers - From the lovely mind of James Kolchalka, this irreverat send-up of superhero comics is friggin' hilarious. It's like a "what if the Legion of Superheroes were made up of maladjusted, bratty, self obsessed kids of the current generation" type of comic. Swearing, drugs, sex & video games abound! Like so many other great books, the issues of this series are few and far between, but worth the wait.
the Sword/Girls/Ultra - Ultra was the first of several projects from the Luna Brothers that I’ve gotten into. It’s about a group of three female superheroes who are dear friends, but the story mainly revolves around their personal lives rather than their jobs (superheroing). It’s kind of like Sex in the City, but unlike the TV series, I found Ultra to be quite engaging.
Then Girls hit with a Twilight-Zone-type of tale, chock full of left turns and strange naked ladies. I had no clue where the series was going at any point during it’s run, which was one of the great appeals of the book. If you like the isolation aspect of zombie stories, you'd probably dig Girls.
The Sword is the current series that is a little more from the fantasy genre as it revolves around an ancient sword, accidentally handed down from father to daughter. This artifact not only holds tremendous power but a cool back story that makes its way into the main character's life, affecting her and the people around her dramatically.
Thor - Another character I've never been particularly fond of, but boy-howdy, Straczynski is writing the crap out of this one! The main character is still somewhat of a mystery as the series takes it’s time and develops the supporting cast and environments superbly. Coipel's art has been great too and the issues Marko Djurdjevic did were just stunning. I think it was issue four when Thor faced Tony Stark for the first time since the “Clor” incident in Civil War... That one brief scene in a single comic delivered more tension and a much deeper wound than all of World War Hulk in my opinion. Just great stuff.
the Umbrella Academy - Another runaway hit that nobody really saw coming. Also illustrated by Gabriel Ba, this book is about a dysfunctional super-family is endearing and fascinating at the same time. Who knew that the lead singer of some cheesy emo band (My Chemical Romance) that I personally can't stand, would write one of the best comics of the year? I sincerely look forward to anything else Gerard Way has to offer, especially if Ba is illustrating.
The Walking Dead - Easily the best zombie comic ever made. Blew Marvel Zombies out of the water in my opinion. Like Finder, this series doesn't fall prey to just paying lip service to the trappings that makes it a zombie book. Although it has the gore and occasional boobies, the real appeal of this series, and what lacks in so many other zombie books, is the great story with characters you really become attached to. As a result, when they are killed in some horrific way, (and nobody's safe in the series, including the main protagonists) you actually care about their deaths, rather than cheering them on, unlike the shopping list blood baths in other Walking Dead wannabe titles.
So there you have it! My personal list of some of the titles I currently collect. Perhaps in future posts, I'll list some more current titles, or maybe we can get into a list of best comics of all time. Until then, I'd like to read what you guys think of these titles, or other books that you love.
Excelsior!!!!
J
For me:
ACME Novelty Library - I just can't enough about Chris Ware's work. He is a master draftsman and gets to the weaker aspects of the human condition with cunning accuracy. Everything I've seen of his is a painful masterpiece.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Ware
Action Comics, Superman & All Star Superman - Anyone who's known me for a long time knows that I've never been a huge Superman fan, but recently (the last couple of years) great things have been happening in the Superman comic world. Both Action and Superman have had superb talent on them for the most part. Gary Frank, Kurt Busiek, Renato Guedes, Carlos Pacheco, Jesus Merino, James Robinson... All great talent. And All Star Superman... What can I say? All Star Superman is easily one of my favourite comics of all time with the super-team of Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely. Check out anything these two work together on. dccomics.com/dcu/graphic_novels/?gn=6774
dccomics.com/dcu/graphic_novels/?gn=9353
Astonishing X-Men - The recently concluded Joss Whedon & John Cassaday run was some good, ol' fashioned X-Men story telling. Reminded me of the X-Men I grew up with and John's art is awesome. There's only one issue out of the new Warren Ellis & Simone Bianchi run, but I'm a fan of both of them, so I expect the quality to continue.
www.marvel.com/catalog/?id=1456
Atomic Robo - Sleeper hit of '08. If you like the humour and X-Files aspect of Hellboy, and you like the art and humour of Invincible, check this book out. Not only do you get fun, zany, pulp-like comics, but you get to support a new-ish publisher!
www.atomic-robo.com/
Batman Confidential - This too is another title for us older geeks looking for a taste of what we grew up with. the Rags Morales arc about the Wraith was reminiscent of the Jim Aparo style of Batman story telling, and the current arc with Kevin McGuire's art has been titillating and fun.
dccomics.com/dcu/comics/?cm=10161
Bone - The colour editions of this series are beautiful! The story is so well crafted that this title truly earns the all ages moniker as it is aimed at youth, but will appeal to any fan of strong writing and good story telling. If you or a little person you know like Lord of the Rings type epic adventures, check out this great work from Jeff Smith.
www.boneville.com/bone/
Casanova - Psychedelic James Bond adventures in a Nick Fury meets pulp-sci-fi mash-up. Gabriel Ba's art (first arc titled Luxuria) is great for fans of Mignola, and Matt Fraction is fast turning out to be one of the hot writers at Marvel lately. Real fun, sexy stuff.
www.imagecomics.com/previews.php?start=40
Ex Machina - Fantastic non-superhero superhero book. Although the lead character has powers and abilities, the series focuses on his post-superhero career as a politician. As mayor of NY, Mitchell Hundred faces many hot topic issues like censorship, drug laws and gay rights, with a few flashbacks of his superhero-ing thrown in for good measure. Check out the great photo-referencing for the art from Tony Harris, although like many others who use similar styles, the panels can sometimes seem a little static.
1985/Fantastic Four/Wolverine - Old Man Logan - I am currently only reading 1985 in issues and plan on picking up the other arcs in TPB when they come out. The reason I'm essentially pre-recommending it is because it's a Mark Millar epic. All three titles are tied together in some way as yet unrevealed with 1985 being the past, FF being the present and OML being the future. Plus the artists on all three projects (Tommy Lee Edwards, Bryan Hitch & Steve McNiven to name a few) leave little to be desired as well.
Fell - Haven't seen many new issues in a while, but this sister book to Casanova is a masterpiece. It's from Warren Ellis & Ben Templesmith and is about a cop relegated to some crap-hole, nightmare city called Snowtown. It's twisted and creepy detective stories told in concise, 14 page, $1.99 comics (like Casanova) with the 12 panel layout (not like Casanova). Also, the issues each feature a write up in the back where the creative team gives you some insight into where they got their ideas for that particular issue (same with Casanova). Great for comic nerds like us!
Finder - Carla Speed McNeil weaves an incredibly rich tapestry in this fantasy/sci-fi series. Immediately, there is a sense that this story takes place in a large, many faceted universe and over time, you discover this impression is true as you stray at times from the main character (nomadic shaman-type dude) into the lives of what once seemed to be a supporting cast. Doesn't fall prey to the problem of many sci-fi, fantasy and horror projects where the trappings take center stage over the story. First and foremost, this is great story telling that just happens to take place in a sci-fi/fantasy genre.
the Goon - Holy crap, this comic is hilarious! Zombies, werewolves, "Peaches Valentine" in diapers, mad scientists, Fishy Pete, reoccurring-knife-to-the-eye gags, sodomy babies... the list goes on, but how can I possibly do it justice? There's a reason this series has won awards.
Iron Fist - Surprise hit! I've only read the first arc so far, but everything about this series is good. Great art, great writing and hey... kung-fu.
Jonah Hex - I've been reading Jonah since I was a kid and his return to comics is welcome indeed. This new series is easily one of DC's best titles despite the relatively lower sales. It’s certainly not due to the quality of writing from the team of Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray or the revolving array of stunning art from international talent. Plus, almost every issue is a done-in-one story, so it’s easy to try the title out since it doesn’t really require any previous knowledge or an obligation to buy more to complete or make sense of a story. If you are going to try an issue out, go with #33, or the trade that contains #33 if the issue is no longer available by the time you read this. I suggest #33 because it features the stunning art of Nova Scotia's Darwyn Cooke (creator of New Frontier and recent writer/artist of the Spirit series that you should read instead of going to see Frank Miller's butchered bowel-movement soon to hit the silver screen).
Basically, Jonah Hex is a quilt-work story of a dude who makes Wolverine and Batman look like pussies... and this is coming from a long time fan of Batman & Wolverine. If you were to take away their powers and gadgets, I don’t think they could match the cold, steel resolve or the merciless drive of Jonah Hex... but that’s a whole other thread: “Who would beat who...”
JSA - This is another team I've never been particualrly fond of. I've always been more of a JLA dude, but this series has been consistantly good in both writing and art, and despite my initial suspicions, the incorporation of Kingdom Come into the series has been completely engrossing.
King City/Multiple Warheads - Not much has come out from either series, but for those of us who are wary or ignorant of manga in general, this stuff from Brandon Graham, although technically not manga, should appeal to most fans of sci-fi and fantasy. He has a great sense of design and knows how to marry fun and sexy.
Madman - This one may be a little too existential for some readers (I’m scratching my head occasionally while enjoying this series) but at the very least, you have to marvel over Mike & Laura Allred's art. Sooooo pretty.
Nightly News/Pax Romana/Transhuman/Red Mass for Mars - These four come from the mind of Jonathan Hickman, someone else you're likely to see more of in the superhero genre. He's a great writer, but I'm even more intrigued with his design-heavy artwork featured in Nightly News and Pax Romana. Whether you like it or not, you've got to admit that it's fresh and original. Most of his stories seem to come from current world politics, science, mass media, etc. Nightly News in particular is quite topical.
Planetary - More genius writing from Ellis and beautiful art from Cassaday, although the last issue has been in the making for quite a long time now. When all is said and done, it will be 27 issues, or four TPB's, or two oversized Absolute Editions (assuming they make a second one). Like Hellboy and Atomic Robo, fans of X-Files and pop culture in general will most likely dig this as it starts off as a series of investigations into strange things/happenings. Over the course time though, a larger picture starts to form and hooks you until the end... whenever that actually happens.
Powers - Another sort-of non-superhero superhero book. This one focuses on two detectives that work in a special division of their police force dedicated to metahuman affairs. If you like Dragnet-type dialogue and superhero archtypes along with minimal art a la Mignloa and Ba, then this series is for you. Like Planetary, a bigger picture takes form part way into the series and keeps you coming back for more.
Rex Libris - Hilarious book from James Turner about an ancient Librarian, done with a dry and zany wit, a la Monty Python or Terry Pratchett. The series documents the amazing Rex through his literary misadventures through time and space. Somehow this series is both highbrow and lowbrow at the same time with references for bibliophiles and pop culture addicts alike. Like his previous work: Nil, a Land Beyond Belief, which was a satirical look at nihilism and bureaucracy, Rex has a distinct, vector-graphics-type of look to it that sets it apart from any other work I’ve seen.
Shaolin Cowboy - Like Cassaday, Geoff Darrow isn't know for being prolific, but when he delivers, boy does he deliver. Although you can read an issue in a minute or two, you need to take another half hour or so to pour over every little detail he puts into each and every page. If you like Art Adams, you'll probably like Geoff Darrow. You may have even seen his other, fairly well known works; Hard Boiled and Big Guy and Rusty, both of which he did with Frank Miller as writer.
the Spirit - DC is f*@&ing stupid. They had Darwyn Cooke & J Bone creating a masterpeice of comics and for some reason
let them get away. Yes, Aragones is on it now and the current stuff is still great comics, but in my humble opinion, it is a shadow of the first twelve issues I bought them in floppies, I bought the first half in HC and will buy the second when it comes out, and if they ever collect all 12 issues into a deluxe or Absolute Edition, I will buy that too. I’d recommend this to fans of 50's noire and crime drama with domino masks. Fans of the 90's Batman cartoon will probably dig this as well, and would find the Batman/the Spirit one-shot (collected in the first HC) to be a great segway. After you get into the Spirit, check out Selina’s Big Score from DC and then New Frontier, as in the future it will surely be on the same pedestal as Dark Knight or Watchmen.
Superf*@&ers - From the lovely mind of James Kolchalka, this irreverat send-up of superhero comics is friggin' hilarious. It's like a "what if the Legion of Superheroes were made up of maladjusted, bratty, self obsessed kids of the current generation" type of comic. Swearing, drugs, sex & video games abound! Like so many other great books, the issues of this series are few and far between, but worth the wait.
the Sword/Girls/Ultra - Ultra was the first of several projects from the Luna Brothers that I’ve gotten into. It’s about a group of three female superheroes who are dear friends, but the story mainly revolves around their personal lives rather than their jobs (superheroing). It’s kind of like Sex in the City, but unlike the TV series, I found Ultra to be quite engaging.
Then Girls hit with a Twilight-Zone-type of tale, chock full of left turns and strange naked ladies. I had no clue where the series was going at any point during it’s run, which was one of the great appeals of the book. If you like the isolation aspect of zombie stories, you'd probably dig Girls.
The Sword is the current series that is a little more from the fantasy genre as it revolves around an ancient sword, accidentally handed down from father to daughter. This artifact not only holds tremendous power but a cool back story that makes its way into the main character's life, affecting her and the people around her dramatically.
Thor - Another character I've never been particularly fond of, but boy-howdy, Straczynski is writing the crap out of this one! The main character is still somewhat of a mystery as the series takes it’s time and develops the supporting cast and environments superbly. Coipel's art has been great too and the issues Marko Djurdjevic did were just stunning. I think it was issue four when Thor faced Tony Stark for the first time since the “Clor” incident in Civil War... That one brief scene in a single comic delivered more tension and a much deeper wound than all of World War Hulk in my opinion. Just great stuff.
the Umbrella Academy - Another runaway hit that nobody really saw coming. Also illustrated by Gabriel Ba, this book is about a dysfunctional super-family is endearing and fascinating at the same time. Who knew that the lead singer of some cheesy emo band (My Chemical Romance) that I personally can't stand, would write one of the best comics of the year? I sincerely look forward to anything else Gerard Way has to offer, especially if Ba is illustrating.
The Walking Dead - Easily the best zombie comic ever made. Blew Marvel Zombies out of the water in my opinion. Like Finder, this series doesn't fall prey to just paying lip service to the trappings that makes it a zombie book. Although it has the gore and occasional boobies, the real appeal of this series, and what lacks in so many other zombie books, is the great story with characters you really become attached to. As a result, when they are killed in some horrific way, (and nobody's safe in the series, including the main protagonists) you actually care about their deaths, rather than cheering them on, unlike the shopping list blood baths in other Walking Dead wannabe titles.
So there you have it! My personal list of some of the titles I currently collect. Perhaps in future posts, I'll list some more current titles, or maybe we can get into a list of best comics of all time. Until then, I'd like to read what you guys think of these titles, or other books that you love.
Excelsior!!!!
J
Not only because it lives up to it's name, but also because it apparently, at some point, will feature a little cameo of the thing or person that links the 1985/F4/Wolverine epic mentioned in the list above! The Millarverse is in full effect yo! (Did I just say "full effect yo"? What is this 1993?)