Weekly Comic Reads

[krikkit13]

I hope this thread gets some good discussion going:

I think it'd be great if people posted something that they recently read and enjoyed with a quick reason - nothing so in depth as what's over in the Discussion Thread. I'm always looking for good new stuff, and I like to pass along something that I enjoyed. It'd be pretty cool if this thread kept rolling with new posts after everybody grabs their weekly issues.

For instance:

I just grabbed The New West

It's a two issue mini from Jimmy Palmiotti and Phil Noto. It's about a samurai sword wielding PI in a post terror attack LA. The attack was like an EMP and has nullified all electronics - no lights, no cars, etc. So everyone rides horses and bicycles, they light candles at night. That sorta thing. The art is great, but occasionally too simple, and the story is intriguing despite some heavy handed exposition. It's not a big commitment, and I'd say its worth checking out.

[Inkthinker]

Not a comic, but comics-related, I'm into Eisner/Miller this past week, which I'm still reading. It's a transcription of a series of conversations between Frank Miller and Will Eisner that were recorded a few years ago, and it's really insightful stuff that's giving me a lot of food for thought on how I try to structure comics.

For instance, I had no idea that Eisner always puts in his dialogue bubbles first and then draws his characters and the surrounding scene around that. It's something I'll try next time I have a talking heads scene to work with.

[krikkit13]

That sounds cool Ink - I think I read about it at the Darkhorse sight a while back.

I was in Virgin records and stumbled across The Black Order Brigade from Enki Bilal and Pierre Christin. It was a bit banged up so the guy at the desk knocked a couple bucks off. I bought it mostly for the art, which is good, as the story is achingly paced. Also, the cover is pretty misleading, as the characters featured there are all 40 years older at the time of the story. Eh. A bit disappointing, but Bilal's art is fantastic, and really has me itching to try out some heavy duty crosshatching.

[misfitX]

the last two neat-o things i found at the comic store were Shaolin Cowboy and the Flight GNs. and you all know about those.

along the same lines of the Eisner/Miller thing though (thanks for giving me something else to buy...), i picked up Alan Moore: Portrait of an Extraordinary Gentleman a while ago. it's a huge tribute to him for his 50th birthday with a bunch of european and american artists and writers doing different things to show their appreciation of Moore's body of work.

at the back is an interesting correspondence between Moore and Dave Sims. Since Sims is a very christian man and moore's a quirky magician, it has some interesting points there. not a lot of it is comic related, but it's an interesting read nonetheless.

plus all the stories about Moore's influence on these artists are very interesting. and some of the art is amazing. even has one pic from the magician himself.

[50%grey]

Just picked up the Sharknife Graphic novel, and the Sharknife 1 shot from the store..



I wish more comics were like this, just in you're face fun without all the extraneous BS.

So yeah Rey's book is my favorite for the month.

[misfitX]

sharknife sounds like awesome good fun. is that the whole synopsis? is there anymore to it?

[Inkthinker]

Sharknife has the potential to be something amazing, but I really hope Rey works on clarifying his storytelling. His pages can be chaotic as hell, and not in a good way.

I love his dialogue, though, and his characters. He's got a great property there, but it's still a leetle rough... just rough enough to make me really interested in seeing where he'll take it.

This week my favorite pickup was Berserk vol. 7... since vol. 4 Miura's artwork really settled into a proper groove, and from here on out it only gets better. This book is everything most fantasy stories just don't have the balls to be. It's brutal, it's raw, and it's filled with action and a guaranteed long-term plotline that develops in ways that (unless you've seen the anime or read the later volumes) are wholly unexpected and emotionally shredding.

[krikkit13]

I haven't gotten to the shop yet, but I'm looking forward to Desolation Jones - anybody pick that up?

[BenitoCereno]

I haven't gotten to the shop yet, but I'm looking forward to Desolation Jones - anybody pick that up?

Desolation Jones is Ellis at his best.

A taste:

"Jones, Jones. Everything goes better with *******."

[edit]Haw! I didn't know that word was blanked out here! That's hilarious. Okay, it's a Japanese porn genre. I don't think I have to be much more specific than that. Also, one of the characters is named Filthy Sanchez. It's good readin'.[/edit]

[Super Rats]

Gunslinger Girl vol 2: It's a different kind of girls with guns story. Instead of trying to titillate you with curves and booby bombs, Gunslinger Girl is more about manipulation and devotion in a relationship. The story is set in Italy. There is an agency that "rescues" adolescent girls and reconstructs them with prosthetics in order to program them into becoming top-notch assassins. These girls have an adult male handler, who train them and direct them during missions. The programming makes the girls devoted to protecting their handlers. This programming is not without its complications. While there is a decent bit of gunfighting, the focus is on the difficult aspects of this relationship from both sides. I find it on the interesting side of disturbing at times.