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Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

#151
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Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

52 #19 - Booster Gold's decendant Daniel Carter gets "enlisted" for some B&E, and appears to have been set up for something bigger by Booster's robot. A light on Supernova's identity is finally being shined upon by Cassie. Didn't much care for the Lobo subplot this issue, but it did leave us hanging for next week (which is the good thing about a weekly title).

Also picked up Ex Machina and Fables, but haven't read them (still behind on my reading for those titles).

"Jee-sus, it's like Iwo Jima out there" - Roger Sterling on "Mad Men"
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#152
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Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

I got "Absolute Dark Knight" and it's just as classy as I thought it would be. Beautiful representation of the art, and now I can retire my tatered TP from years ago. I guess the only complaint is it's so damned heavey it's going to be awkward when reading while on the can. (It should be no surprise that comics are best enjoyed in the privacy of the throne room )

I caught up on an older title that I had set aside and forgot about:

Nick Fury's Howling commandos"
this was a monster book from earlier this year. I got 3 issues and it was fucking terrible. I wanted to claw out my eyes and inject liquid crack directlyinto my brain afterwards in order to forget about it. It boggles me that Marvel can publish such good books like most of the ultimate line, and get others so horribly wrong at the same time. It's just shameful.
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#153
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Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Russell G
I guess the only complaint is it's so damned heavey it's going to be awkward when reading while on the can. (It should be no surprise that comics are best enjoyed in the privacy of the throne room )

I managed to use my Marvel Omnibuseseses for toilet reading without too much trouble

Quote:
Nick Fury's Howling commandos"
this was a monster book from earlier this year. I got 3 issues and it was fucking terrible. I wanted to claw out my eyes and inject liquid crack directlyinto my brain afterwards in order to forget about it. It boggles me that Marvel can publish such good books like most of the ultimate line, and get others so horribly wrong at the same time. It's just shameful.

Sounds like Marvel was trying to rip off the Creature Commandoes...
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#154
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Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

I've never read creature commandos, but they might of been. It was god awful from the story (SHEILD recrutted a bunch of monsters) to the art, which was just ugly as hell. I could only read the 1st 1 and a half issues. It was dumber than pretty much anything I can think of.
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#155
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Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

Astonishing X-Men 17 - a bit trippy with Kitty going nuts to protect her child, and it ends with a bang.

Birds of Prey 98 - As the ladies rope in "Batgirl", they are left with more questions, and Yasemin proves to have a lethal appetite.

Civil War 4 - while the death of a minor character wasn't all that eventful for me, I did like the split in the Reed household. The art looked really 'thick' and not as tight for some reason.

Still need to get to 52 and Superman.

"Jee-sus, it's like Iwo Jima out there" - Roger Sterling on "Mad Men"
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#156
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Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

Heh. Funny thing is, I read the post about the Howling Commandos before I read today's Blade. They are in it. Vampire SHIELD agents, or something.

Bit confused about CW4.


Warning Spoiler! Click to show
Fake Thor? I guess it's supposed to be confusing. We saw DB Thor in the Road to Civil War, so we figured this was him. I guess DB Thor will come along and kick Clone Thor's ass. Since, surely, the ongoing series will not be about some clone.
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#157
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Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

The new Ultimate Fantastic Four creative team's first arc continues to be horrible. I hope it ends soon and I hope it's not indicative of the quality of their run. Their recent annual wasn't too bad, so maybe they can improve. If not, I hope they get the boot sooner rather later.
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#158
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Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

1) Wetworks...I used the love Whilce's art. Seemed very short for my money. Whim pick-up though.

2) Superman 656...enjoyed the story more than the art. not sure why Pacheco is very popular.

3) Civil War #4...writing regular Captain America like Ultimate Captain America, and absolutely doing something I hate worse than before...stacking the deck when trying to play fair. Reed and Tony have been written in opposition to their established characters, and this Captain America belongs in All Star Batman and Robin. Killer art.


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Can you clone a god? Copout and a half.
Hey buddy...did you just see a real bright light?
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#159
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Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

Fairly big week, and I didn't even buy all the titles I wanted. I picked up and fully intended to buy Capt. America (my first since the Gruenwald era, so I guess the Civil War is working for Marvel), but I somehow didn't end up with it. I got:

Amazing Spidey, Ultimate Spidey, CW Frontline, CW Young Avengers/Runaways, Heroes for Hire, She-Hulk, Black Panther.

I'm going to have to drop a bunch of titles once the crossover is over. $3 a book is just too steep. I used to have a DVD budget, but it's all going to these now.
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#160
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Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

Also a big week for me, and haven't had time to read them:

Jack of Fables, Superman, Uncle Sam, Ultimates, Batman, 52, She Hulk, and Supergirl and the Legion. I decided not to do any of the CW crossover titles unless I was already reading the book, and so far, I don't feel like I've missed too much.

"Jee-sus, it's like Iwo Jima out there" - Roger Sterling on "Mad Men"
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#161
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Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

Since I'm behind, this is just bits of what I've read:

Jack of Fables 3 - I just like the whimsical qualities of the setting, and the devil-may-care attitude of Jack.

Uncle Sam 3 - I liked the intro of the Black Condor and how they start integrating him again with the gang. The appearance of the SHADE counter-group was not expected, but pretty much by-the-numbers in comic book terms.

52 - Doc Magnus is on the run, and Luthor is now convinced that Supernova isn't Kon-el. Whether it proves true or not, I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Detective Comics - another 1-shot story, but it didn't do much for me.

Y The Last Man 50 - continues to chug along, but always surprising us with more revelations from the doctor's past.

Supergirl and the Legion - a fluffy issue of romance and insecurities. I'm not sure if this title is for me anymore.

Action - a good end to the Auctioneer storyline and puts Superman back on the "to be trusted" list for now.

She-Hulk - another round of She-Hulk getting herself into in a case of galactic justice.

"Jee-sus, it's like Iwo Jima out there" - Roger Sterling on "Mad Men"
Patcave | 2006 Films | 2007 Films | Dragon*Con 2009 | Heroes Con 2009

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#162
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Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

I've been catching up on "Supreme Squadren", having finally read the "nighthawk" and "Hyperion" Mini-series. Now it drops the "MAX" label and I'm concerned it's going to get dumbed down as a result.

I'll probably get my new books later this week.
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#163
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Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

I don't think there are any Spider-Man readers in this thread, much less followers of the Marvel Adventures line, but Spidey will be pulling an Audrey Hepburn next month--back in black. One issue only, I'm guessing. Personally, I think Peter David is doing a better job on MA than on Friendly Neighborhood.
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#164
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Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

Quote:
I don't think there are any Spider-Man readers in this thread,

I don't think anyones reading any of the books I get!

Black suit? this might be a year long marketing thing to draw in movie fans. Isn't Spidey wearing black in the next film?

I mainly read Supereme Squadron and the Ultimates from Marvel, so I'm not totally familiar with "Marvel Adventures". Is that were they redraw classic stories for younger readers? If so, then I'm not sure of the point. not to slag your favorite book or anything, .It's just a case of most of those stries are readilly available in their original form at a decent price.
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#165
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Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

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Black suit? this might be a year long marketing thing to draw in movie fans. Isn't Spidey wearing black in the next film?

Yeah, he wears the suit in the movie, and it was mentioned that it will appear in the main books next year. From the wording of the blurb, I think PAD is just having it appear briefly for one issue. It could be tied in and go longer, though.

Quote:
I mainly read Supereme Squadron and the Ultimates from Marvel, so I'm not totally familiar with "Marvel Adventures". Is that were they redraw classic stories for younger readers? If so, then I'm not sure of the point. not to slag your favorite book or anything, .It's just a case of most of those stries are readilly available in their original form at a decent price.

Marvel Adventures is for younger readers, but it tells all new stories set in their own continuity. Disappointingly, there is no real continuity even between MA titles. Johnny Storm appeared in MA Spider-Man, and he was much different than the MA Fantastic Four's Johnny Storm. Anyway, I think the real goal with the line is to make books that are throwbacks to the way comics used to be. Sort of. I can't see the line ever doing things that Stan did back in the '60s, like drug abuse issues and the like.

Quote:
not to slag your favorite book or anything

Heh. It isn't my favorite book, but it is kind of fun to read. A couple of months ago, Spidey met Man-Thing. I haven't seen Man-Thing in years!

It is kind of embarrassing to have to walk up to the kiddie book carousel, but the people at my LCS don't really give a damn.
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#166
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Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

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It is kind of embarrassing to have to walk up to the kiddie book carousel, but the people at my LCS don't really give a damn.

Your lucky. You should of seen the ribbing I took when I started collecting those "Little Lulu" reprints from Dark Horse.
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#167
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Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

Got Civil War: Frontline, Ultimate Power, and Ultimate X-Men.

UP is a nice-looking book, with Land showing once more that he is the best there is at drawing the ladies. I doubt if Sue will look this good again in the regular UFF. Land still has a tendency to use odd expressions on his characters. They are always giving real toothy smiles, regardless of the situation at hand. He did this a lot during his UFF run. I still hate his take on Johnny's hair, though. The story wasn't bad, but it hasn't been earth-shattering yet. I don't know much about the Squadron Supreme, so fans might know more about what's going on.

UXM was interesting. We meet the Ultimate Cable--no spoiler, since it says "Cable: Part 1" right on the cover--but he's got a surprising identity in this incarnation. And, what's up with Kitty?

CSN talked a little about that weird Avengers/Guiding Light crossover. It's going to be an eight-page backup in several books that most of you will never read. Marvel Flip Magazines and Marvel Adventures books seem to be the main vehicles. I believe Civil War: Choosing Sides was the only mainstream book to carry it, and it's a completely optional one-shot.
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#168
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Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

Here's a recent look at Greg Land's penchant for using photo-referencing in his artwork, which tends to make the character look inconsistent from panel to panel sometimes. There's another link that I'll add later with more examples. That being said, I still like his artwork.

"Jee-sus, it's like Iwo Jima out there" - Roger Sterling on "Mad Men"
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#169
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Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

The panel of the Storms' mother with her mouth open was one of the exact examples of a bizarre expression I was talking about. I've seen some other animated gifs showing the original photo and his trace.
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#170
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Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

Here's another bit on Greg Land's photo-referencing.

"Jee-sus, it's like Iwo Jima out there" - Roger Sterling on "Mad Men"
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#171
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Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

I'll echo what Patrick said. The sad thing is that Land's work on Nightwing was really good -- and original. I'm disappointed that Land has turned into nothing but a swipe artist. There isn't a single page of his that I look at now that truly feels like comic book art, and not just a picture of some girl with a big "4" drawn on her chest to establish that she's the Invisible Woman.

Alex Ross would be due similar criticism, except for the fact that a large majority of his reference is from him personally staging people in costumes. I consider that setting up your panel before you draw it, instead of just tracing a magazine.

It's disappointing how much of the industry looks to constant reference for their work. I've seen Matt Haley and Matt Clark (to name just two) drawing from Victoria Secret catalogues when doing commissions for fans at shows. Funny thing is that when Rob Liefeld drew a Batgirl for my portfolio, he didn't reference anything.

Doug
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#172
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Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

I first became of aware of this reading one of the ultimate issues. I think actually it was "The Ultimates", in which the face of Bruce Banners woman looked exactly, and in an odd way like the Jennifer Connoly who played her in the hulk. they were clearly traced out off of stils from "Requim For A dream" and some others.

I have no problem with photo referance for poses and percpective, but full on tracing faces just doesn;t work. It makes the characters look dead. It doesn't matter how nicely coloured they are either. I guess that's why my taste is more drawn to the Michael Allreds, Eddie Campbells and Los Bros Hernandez'z of the comic world, as they all understand the value of the line.

Just because we have the technology to make photo realistic characters on a budget doesn't mean we should. Clean line art and colours well always work for.

except with Alex Ross though, but then he understands how to make a character feel soulful with his art.
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#173
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Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

Count me as another that thought Land had a lot of potential based on his earlier DC work but has since gone downhill. Photo-reference is a normal part of drawing for most artists but guys like Land are just straight up tracing. Still, I guess you can't blame them if fans are rewarding them with big sales.

I'm not really an Alex Ross fan anymore. I really liked his work on Marvels but his work seemed to get stiffer with each new project. As painters go, he's one of my least favorite now.

Received a couple of DC Archives this week: Kamandi vol. 1 and Enemy Ace vol. 2. What gorgeous books (aside from the dustjackets )!
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#174
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Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

I still haven't picked up my comics, but "Absolute Sandman" just arrived in the post. It's even classier then"Absolute Dark Knight". The book itself is so neat, looking like an old style book of magic or something, that I'm going to be tempted to ditch the slipcase. Very wonderful, now I just hope the other volumes come out at a decent pace so I have a complete collection.
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#175
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Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

I still enjoy Greg Land art, but it's nothing like his non-feathered look of comics past. I think his style changed during his 3 year stint on Sojourn. I do have quite a few of his pages of original art, but it's mainly from about 4-7 years ago when he was working for DC.

Books from the past 2 weeks:

Ultimate Power 1 - I'll reserve judgment after a few more issues as this one was purely setup from the Ultimate universe.

52 Week 23 - Decent issue with Isis's brother in the mix. I did like Dave Johnson's art in the issue, more more vitality to the storytelling.

Gen 13 vol. 4 #1 - This issue threw me for a loop just because I don't know if this a total retcon/reboot of the original Gen13 crew (Fairchild, Roxie, Rainmaker, Grunge, and Burnout).

Mystery in Space 2 - Comet finds himself rejuvenated and seeks out an old friend. The Weird was really weird.

"Jee-sus, it's like Iwo Jima out there" - Roger Sterling on "Mad Men"
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#176
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Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

do yo know were Ultimate Power "fits"? I got it and "Ultimates 12" this weekend, but it looks like theres still one more "Ultimate Vol 2" coming out before it's done. I was guessing that continuity wise, Ultimate Power would be after Ultimates Vol2, or is it part of that "Ultimate Secret" stuff I have kicking around and haven't read yet?

Actually thinking about it: f**k the Ultimate verse! If it's goign to be this confounding I'll spend my money on more absolute collections or something and just download these. :Z

I'm really enjoying catching up on the "supreme power" universe having finally read the "nighthawk" and "Hyperion" mini-series. While it's lost it's edge a little from moving from the "MAX" label, it's still a pretty good read. I don;t know why they did move it from the "MAX" label. It still appears to be seperate from the standard Marvel Universe continuity, and to work it into continuity, with all that has come before would be stupid and contradictory. But then, this is Marvel, so I'm sure it well happen

Other books I got and can't wait to read:

Dork 11 (or was it 12?) Evan dorkin is always funny, this should be no exceptiion

ALBION #6, finally the mini-series ends so I can read the whole thing.

Harvey Pekar : The Quiter, I've always like pekars work, so the childhood story should be pretty good. I'm also getting the new vertigo "American Splender" series which should be pretty good.

Batman Chronicals book 2 : I love these golden age reprints in chronological order. I think I missed superman vol 2 though...

Crying Freeman Vol 3: It's a little too porno for mytaste, but I might as well finish the series, I;m sure there's only about 30 more volumes or so, it is manga.

"Some samurai manga from Dark Horse who's title is complex and lost on me at the moment" Looks good.

Banana Fish Vol 16: The most homo-erotic book I read. I've been following it for so long, I can quit it!

I think that's it. Other then "Eternals" which I'm waiting to finish before reading.
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#177
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Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

I have no idea of the continuity timeline for Ultimate Power in relation to the other Ultimate titles, mainly because the first issue focused on Ultimate FF, and Supreme Power. It was jarring to see Land's interpretation of the Squadron Supreme after knowing only the Gary Frank version of the team members.

"Jee-sus, it's like Iwo Jima out there" - Roger Sterling on "Mad Men"
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#178
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Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

The God War arc in Ultimate Fantastic Four continues to be horrendous, and OMG, it continues for three more issues. I hope there is a new creative team when the dust clears. As it turns out, Mike Carey wrote issues 19 and 20 as well, which were also awful. His annual 2 was the best of his bunch, and it was no great shakes. I'd really hate to drop this book, but if it looks like this guy's going to be on there for a while, I'll have to do so.
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#179
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Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

I dropped UFF after Millar/Land's run, I guess I'm not missing much on that title.

"Jee-sus, it's like Iwo Jima out there" - Roger Sterling on "Mad Men"
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#180
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Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

I bought Anita Blake blind, and didn't particularly enjoy it. I guess I went in thinking "bad girl comic," but it really seems to be aimed at a female audience. Maybe it's just all the male vampire stripping going on.

I guess you can't have every answer in a first issue, but I didn't have a clue what was going on. Anita hates and kills zombies, but she raises zombies from their graves . . . why? Judging from her pale skin, maybe she's undead herself. Who knows. Unfortunately, I'm not curious enough to return to find out.

I won't list all the titles I bought today, because I don't remember them all offhand. Nothing was particularly satisfying.
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