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Post by droidofages on Jan 22, 2009 11:05:28 GMT -4
January 21stRagmop – I mentioned this one in a list of recommended reading HERE, for people interested in trying out non-superhero comics. Writer/artist Rob Walton (Pork Knight, Grendel: Devil's Hammer) lampoons everything from dinosaurs and evolution, to religion, to physics, to conspiracy theories, to women's rights, to the history of capitalism , etc. etc. in this hilarious series, now collected by Planet Lucy Press. If you're looking at the subject matter and wondering where the explosions and car chases are, I assure you, it's not stuffy, dry material. (Despite having essays on capitalism in the back of the 400+ page collection). It's action packed, really funny, stimulating and well crafted. Transmetropolitan - Warren Ellis (Authority, Planetary, Black Summer, Black Gas, Astonishing X-Men... everything) and Darick Robertson (the Boys, Space Beaver, Punisher: Born) bring us this dystopian take on media, politics and social issues of the near future (although most topics tackled are timeless in nature). For fans of the gonzo school of journalism and specifically the works of Hunter S. Thompson, you will quickly find the lead character Spider Jerusalem familiar, informative and entertaining. He literally comes down from the mountain to bring the light of truth to an oppressed and sleeping society with his brand of overbearing, uncompromising, drug-addled soothsaying.
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Post by droidofages on Feb 2, 2009 14:30:06 GMT -4
January 29thCriminal - Ed Brubaker & Sean PhillipsI had picked up the first couple issues of the first story arc in this series when it had its debut, and despite really enjoying it, I kind of lost track of it. Now there are four arcs completed in four affordable, gorgeous TPB's available for purchase, and each one is worth every penny. As far as I can tell, there isn't any kind of important continuity between the arcs. I personally started with volume three and have since picked up the remaining collections, without any confusion or disappointment despite reading them out of order. Besides fans of Brubaker's work on Captain America, fans of pulp crime stories or the noire genre will want to check this series out. Unlike a lot of crime fiction these days with larger than life characters, Criminal tends to use a lot of relatively ordinary people finding themselves in extraordinary situations. This accessibility makes the tragedy all the more tragic, the tension almost claustrophobic, and the fear that much more palpable. Like the dime-store novels that inspired the series, quite often the stories don't finish with a happy ending or a pretty little bow on top either. These are ugly situations that usually lead to ugly endings, but boy howdy is it all presented beautifully. There's a reason these guys keep working together and most likely will continue to do so into the near future. There's a dynamic that delivers a near perfect product and I highly recommend you check it out!
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Post by droidofages on Feb 5, 2009 18:05:55 GMT -4
February 4th:Watchmen - Read it. 'Nuff said.
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Post by droidofages on Feb 25, 2009 23:33:16 GMT -4
February 25thSuperman - Red Son - Another classic from one WMD's favourite writers; Mark Millar. This Elseworlds take on the DC icon alters the trajectory of Kal-El's Earth bound vessel, ever so slightly, and like the proverbial butterfly effect, such a minor tweak results in massive repercussions felt throughout the entire DC Universe. Sometimes, I think we forget that Superman isn't just the impervious, god-like hero in tights fighting bad guys. It's nice to be reminded of how he got to this point in his story. Why is he the way he is? Not how does he get his powers, but what informs his decisions? Where does his personality and character traits come from? It's no small factor that he was found and raised in the relatively conservative, breadbasket of America. The ideals, traditions, religion, politics, environment, people, etc. all have an effect on Clark as he grows up amongst humans, and in the best of stories, these kinds of details are taken into consideration by the writer, even if it doesn't appear overtly in the story. Now imagine the Man of Steel fighting not for "truth, justice and the American way", as any good Kansas boy raised by loving parents would... but for "Stalin, Socialism and the international expansion of the Warsaw Pact." It's amazing how little Millar alters the core of the character though, despite these fundamental changes in politics and world view. As a result, we're not just dressing up Superman in a different costume and giving him a Russian accent. We're given a glimpse of the man (and our world) through a prism of genius writing and beautiful artwork. At the very least, you have to check out Batman in his mouton cowl!
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Post by mannypeters on Feb 28, 2009 17:32:46 GMT -4
I bought Red Son a year or so ago. Really dug it.
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Post by Mike on Feb 28, 2009 18:41:27 GMT -4
You would, you commie!
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Post by droidofages on Mar 9, 2009 13:24:28 GMT -4
March 5ththe Spirit (Darwyn Cooke run) -If you went to see Frank Miller's the Spirit, and came out of the theater happy, this book may not be for you. You probably want to pick up Miller's Sin City or even Brubaker & Phillips' Criminal series. However, if you saw the movie and still can't shower away that dirty feeling, or if you remember the original Eisner books fondly, this is a comic you might want to check out! Halifax's Darwyn Cooke teamed up with J. Bone & Dave Stewart again to deliver a remarkably (short) beautiful run with a classic character under the DC moniker recently. It's clever, charming, exciting and sexy without being dry, schmaltzy, sensational or titillating. Both the writing and the artwork have a timeless quality that allows the initial dozen issues to feel like a classic noir story from the early-mid twentieth century, while simultaneously keeping a relevant foot in the present. If you like fun, quality comics with action and brilliant story telling, made with great talent and consideration, this is the book for you!
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Post by droidofages on Mar 12, 2009 10:38:19 GMT -4
March 11thFell - This series from Warren Ellis and Ben Templesmith is a brilliant mash up of noir-ish detective stories with the macabre. Richard Fell is a big city detective who has been relegated to the tiny, twisted city of "Snowtown". This little berg is referred to as a "feral" city full of violent, desperate and hostile inhabitants who keep Fell busy every second he isn't in the bar. Each issue has a self contained story, and is also an exercise that I think Marvel & DC would do well to notice: Both this book and it's sister publication Casanova, provided a LOWER cover price by reducing the page count, while still providing high quality story telling and art. As a bonus, each issue has a section at the back where the creative team explains their approach for that particular story. One of the tools used to accomplish this purified and affordable form of comic is a strict, nine-panel grid layout. Although the series seems to have stalled as of late, I would highly recommend picking up the first collected volume and joining us fans in waiting for the next installment!
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Post by droidofages on Mar 18, 2009 22:45:45 GMT -4
March 18thA lot of people have been picking up Watchmen as an introduction or re-introduction to comics, what with the movie and all. In fact, in recent weeks, even some long time fan-boys/girls have sheepishly admitted to not delving into that particular masterpiece yet! Almost invariably though, the response after reading it is; "Good. More." Which could actually be heard as; "Good Moore.", but I personally will take it as a desire to consume more comics. And so, for anyone reading this who is wondering where to go after Watchmen, this week's Off The Shelf could help. It actually shares a similar place in comics history with Watchmen in that both of these series (and of course the lesser known Squadron Supreme from Mark Gruenwald which predated them both), have influenced super hero comics to this day, giving us what is commonly refereed to as the deconstructionist take on our icons. Frank Miller is and always will be a comic legend for his remarkable work on a multitude of books, but along with Klaus Janson and Lynn Varley, he produced what is still my personal favourite, and a possible Omega to "Batman - Year One"'s Alpha (also written by Miller): the Dark Knight Returns P.S. - For those of you who have and love this book already, take this as a cue to put it in your "to re-read" pile! P.S.S. - I have a confession: I was so excited for the Dwellies, that I only remembered needing an "Off The Shelf" selection for this week's show as I was finishing reading the new comics on air.
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Post by droidofages on Mar 26, 2009 13:09:54 GMT -4
March 25thBlack Hole - [/b] This beautiful and creepy graphic novel captures the quiet unease of a David Lynch film quite effectively. While seeming and feeling normal, you just know there is something dark and slippery slithering just beneath the surface of this story. The general premise is about a disfiguring disease spreading throughout a group of young people in an average suburban environment, in the late seventies/early eighties. As a character experiences these uncontrolled mutations, they find themselves shunned from the greater community, which in turn, tends to warp the individuals inside as well as out. Charles Burns' writing and art (which kind of reminds me of woodblock printing) easily lulls us into a sense of familiarity with the bright-eyed youth of our main characters at the outset. But as time passes, we find ourselves recoiling uncomfortably as he magnifies the fears of a body changing beyond recognition, and beyond the control of it's owner. This is clearly illustrated in the high school yearbook photos that adorn the inside covers. At the front, we see fresh faces smiling and full of hope... On the inside, back cover, we see the same faces warped beyond recognition.
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