I've been drifting back to prose lately. Most of it is fantasy. Oh, I'm still reading comic books, don't get me wrong, but Marvel keeps getting bleaker, and my interest in that is decreasing at a higher rate than my interest in DC is increasing. And my interest in the DC monthlies is primarily the surreal metafiction (Air, The Unwritten, Greek Street...) that's been coming out of Vertigo lately.
My favorite fantasy series these days are urban. Not paranormal romance so much, but adventures centered on wizards and werewolves, peppered with vampires, fae, and djinn? Sure! A little romance on the side is good too. Spices things up a bit. And then there are the reasonably strong female protagonists:
-Carrie Vaughn's Kitty Norville, the snarky werewolf radio talk show host, whose personal growth is pronounced as the series progresses.
-Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson, the coyote shapeshifting VW mechanic with, among other things, a great gift for finding trouble (and getting out of it.) There is also a comic book mini-series, which I would recommend. The trade is coming out in late August, according to Amazon.
-Rachel Caine's Joanne Baldwin, a Weather Warden with slightly more strength than mental acuity. To be fair, though, she has more magic than most Wardens, and I think she's smarter than she lets on. Just started reading the series, though, so I can't know for certain...
Those are my three favorite series so far, but the world of urban fantasy is still pretty new to me, Buffy and Charmed episodes of my youth not withstanding.
And then there are the more traditional fantasy series, not the least of which is George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire. I bring up ASoIaF because, well, let's put it this way. You learn very quickly not to get too attached to characters because NONE OF THEM are safe. POV characters are almost as vulnerable as non-POV characters, and none are exempt from the threats of mutilation, torture, death, or worse. (And believe me, there are fates worse than death in ASoIaF.) I don't think Martin will kill off all of the Starks (none of whom are named Tony or wear high-tech power armor, by the way), but you never know. The point is, I do know what to expect in terms of character death, I have since close to the beginning of the series, and I don't expect it to change.
Character death is somewhat less frequent in the urban fantasy series, but the key protagonists generally don't die, or if they do, they get resurrected pretty quickly for obvious reasons. It's okay to get attached to the leads, at least. The mortality rate for likable supporting characters is naturally higher.
But comic books. I thought I knew what to expect from Marvel, starting out. It's my own fault, really. I thought it was safe to get attached (as much as one can get attached to fictions), in spite of jumping in at the tail end of House of M, because they are comics and... yeah. I don't know why I assumed it was safe.
Of course, it's not safe. I know that now. Of my favorite trio -- I think of them as an unofficial trio, which I know I've mentioned before -- only one is neither dead nor MIA. That would be Sue Richards, who a few months ago I was almost certain they would send the way Janet van Dyne.
And I have no idea what terrible fate they have in store for Jennifer Walters. I'm not sure I want to know.
Ultimately, I'm not sure it's worth it. With the urban fantasies and ASoIaF, I know what to expect, and it's fine. The stories are good, sometimes great, and I can accept them for what they are. But the cape and cowl yarns? Story quality fluctuates depending on creative teams and editorial edicts. The constant isn't the storytelling, but the characters, and it's the characters I seem to follow. If my favorite characters go away, temporarily or (rarely if ever) permanently, then, I suppose, so do I.
Showing posts with label Vertigo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vertigo. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
On 1 February, 2006...
Pre-ordered
FANTASTIC FOUR #534: The Incredible Hulk versus... his own insanity (as usual). And The Thing and the Human Torch. But they're sort of secondary here; right now, it's all about the Hulk. Not a bad story, all in all, but I'm really wondering what's going on with the other half of the Four. The married half. And their child custody issues. Maybe next ish.
[Read Wednesday, February 1st, cloistered in bedroom, late in the evening after watching a performance of The Lion King. The musical, not the movie. As in, on stage. It was pretty cool.]
DOC SAMSON #2: So a living, sentient totem pole is teamed up with Doc Samson ('natch), a female tech geek, and Dr. Strange's apprentice (a sorcerer-in-training who, in the world of J. K. Rowling, might have been sorted into Hufflepuff and kicked out within a year.) to fight against a cult. Fun. Worth a reread or two once I have the whole mini-series to read straight through.
[Read cloistered in bedroom, listening to... the Serenity soundtrack, maybe? I really should write these things down...]
Off-the-rack
NEW EXCALIBUR #4: Okay, I'll admit I wouldn't have picked this one up if it weren't for the fact that my favorite Marvel heroine has a cameo. And now I'm wondering if she shows up in any of the first three issues.
Eh. Anyway, that aside, this is probably the first non-Decimation X-book I've ever read. Strange, how I've been avoiding the comics that correspond to cartoons I used to watch on an irregular basis as a child. X-Men, Spider-Man, Batman... Don't know what that's about. This may also be the last non-Decimation X-book I read, too. I am not hooked. This was fun and all, but I can only handle so many subplots at a time. And this had, what, half a dozen? I wasn't counting. Not back-issue hunting on this one. Maybe, maybe, I'll look into the trade, but for now, I can do without. Only reread worthy for the purposes of subplot counting, or maybe in the context of a trade, if it gets published that way.
Highlight of the issue: Cheesed of Kelsey Leigh take on Captain Britain. Can't really blame her. What ever became of her children, anyway?
[Read after work Tuesday the 7th, in cube, to Riverdance.]
THE EXTERMINATORS #2: New revelations about Draxx, the company that makes Draxx, Henry James, AJ, and the scientist guy whose name I can't remember. I read through this fairly quickly, mostly because I was trying to eat lunch, and really, this book is very graphic on all levels. And by graphic, I mean... disgusting. The story is great, but it's probably best on an empty stomach. Needless to say, I didn't spend time on the imagery. Worth a reread, eventually, in the context of the inevitable trade.
[Read Tuesday the 7th, in cube before work, whilst eating Chinese food.]
Always remember...
I didn't want to have a relapse, but, well, Tommy here was really begging for it.
FANTASTIC FOUR #534: The Incredible Hulk versus... his own insanity (as usual). And The Thing and the Human Torch. But they're sort of secondary here; right now, it's all about the Hulk. Not a bad story, all in all, but I'm really wondering what's going on with the other half of the Four. The married half. And their child custody issues. Maybe next ish.
[Read Wednesday, February 1st, cloistered in bedroom, late in the evening after watching a performance of The Lion King. The musical, not the movie. As in, on stage. It was pretty cool.]
DOC SAMSON #2: So a living, sentient totem pole is teamed up with Doc Samson ('natch), a female tech geek, and Dr. Strange's apprentice (a sorcerer-in-training who, in the world of J. K. Rowling, might have been sorted into Hufflepuff and kicked out within a year.) to fight against a cult. Fun. Worth a reread or two once I have the whole mini-series to read straight through.
[Read cloistered in bedroom, listening to... the Serenity soundtrack, maybe? I really should write these things down...]
Off-the-rack
NEW EXCALIBUR #4: Okay, I'll admit I wouldn't have picked this one up if it weren't for the fact that my favorite Marvel heroine has a cameo. And now I'm wondering if she shows up in any of the first three issues.
Eh. Anyway, that aside, this is probably the first non-Decimation X-book I've ever read. Strange, how I've been avoiding the comics that correspond to cartoons I used to watch on an irregular basis as a child. X-Men, Spider-Man, Batman... Don't know what that's about. This may also be the last non-Decimation X-book I read, too. I am not hooked. This was fun and all, but I can only handle so many subplots at a time. And this had, what, half a dozen? I wasn't counting. Not back-issue hunting on this one. Maybe, maybe, I'll look into the trade, but for now, I can do without. Only reread worthy for the purposes of subplot counting, or maybe in the context of a trade, if it gets published that way.
Highlight of the issue: Cheesed of Kelsey Leigh take on Captain Britain. Can't really blame her. What ever became of her children, anyway?
[Read after work Tuesday the 7th, in cube, to Riverdance.]
THE EXTERMINATORS #2: New revelations about Draxx, the company that makes Draxx, Henry James, AJ, and the scientist guy whose name I can't remember. I read through this fairly quickly, mostly because I was trying to eat lunch, and really, this book is very graphic on all levels. And by graphic, I mean... disgusting. The story is great, but it's probably best on an empty stomach. Needless to say, I didn't spend time on the imagery. Worth a reread, eventually, in the context of the inevitable trade.
[Read Tuesday the 7th, in cube before work, whilst eating Chinese food.]
Always remember...
I didn't want to have a relapse, but, well, Tommy here was really begging for it.
Thursday, January 26, 2006
On 25 January, 2006...
Disclaimer: I am a newbie to the world of comic books, and don't have enough knowledge or experience to discourse intelligently about them, really. But practice does make perfect. Just don't take these as critical reviews -- just reactions. First impressions, mostly.
I'm including notes about where I read each, under what conditions. Environment affects mood, which in turn affects how you read something and what you get out of it as a result. Variables. It's the scientist in me.
Pre-ordered
ULTIMATE X4 #2 (of 2): Oh, the art. The Ultimate FF actually look their age in this. Rhona Burchill doesn't look as creepy as she ought to, but that's a small complaint. Getting a break from Greg Land is a treat in and of itself.
I'd say it was light-hearted for an Ultimate book, but since I only pull one of those right now, it's hard to know for sure. Worth a reread on its own first, then back-to-back with the first issue. If only for another dose of Ultimate Sue's attitude about Ultimate Kitty Pryde.
[First read to "Riverdance: Music From the Show" (Bill Whelan), hastily, during a guiltily-taken work break. Wednesday, in cube.]
SUPER REAL #1: It finally came! I'm not sure how many weeks I had to wait for this one, and I was actually about ready to give up on it. But it came, and it was well worth the wait. The tone of this book is perfect, like a related series of televised vignettes. Makes sense, for Reality TV meets Comic Book. Should hold up to multiple readings, and worth preordering.
[First read after work Wednesday, in cube. Put away Capercaillie (?) midway through.]
ALL-NEW OFFICIAL HANDBOOK OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE A To Z #1 -- ABRAXIS to BATWING: Won't read this in one sitting. First looked at it in-cube on Wednesday. Nice reference. I'll probably look through it more closely before deciding whether to add the full series to my pre-orders.
THE THING #3: What can I say? Dan Slott is at the top of his game. The Savage Bruce robot was a nice touch. Not to mention the resolution of the Thing versus Mechanical Hulk battle. Will The Constrictor go Super-Hero? Will Alicia and Ben get back together? Is Matt Murdoch playing Matchmaker? Only time will tell. I'm done speculating about Slott's plotlines. (No, I'm not. Just... done speculating out loud.)
[First read Thursday evening, cloistered in bedroom. No music.]
Off-the-rack
NEXTWAVE #1: Warren Ellis' tone is strong as ever. And crude. This is good, funny, and completely irreverent. And that's okay.
I have a few questions, though. Wasn't Monica Rambeau nice once upon a time? And is this canon? If so, was MARVEL MONSTERS: FIN FANG FOUR non-canon? Because I'm confused as to Fin Fang's status as of now. In FIN FANG FOUR, he was shrunk down to more-or-less human sized, depowered, and put to work as an irritable chef in a Chinese restaurant housed (I think) in the Baxter Building. In NEXTWAVE, he's giant, irritable, powered, and not good anymore. What gives? I liked him as a grumpy chef, and may have to invoke Krypto-revisionism on this point.
And shouldn't they credit Hokusai for The Great Wave on the cover?
Still, a fun book. I'll probably wait for the trade, though.
[First read Thursday evening, cloistered in bedroom. No music.]
Dollar bin
GUARDIANS #1 (Marvel): Published September, 2004; written by Marc Sumerak; art by Casey Jones; colored by David Self; lettered by Dave Sharpe. As far as I can surmise, based on Comiclist.com, this series only lasted a mere four (or, if they finished off the arc, five) issues. If anyone knows different, let me know, because the concept isn't bad.
A group of kids, play-acting at being space-based superheroes, investigate a shooting star, only to find a dog attacking a cute, E.T.-like alien. They rescue the alien, and "Captain" Vince continues to play-act in the presence of the alien, who takes the fantasy as truth. Said alien rewards Vince with a medallion, and leaves.
Cut to present day. The friends have disbanded. Vince has been expelled from college for attacking an assistant professer. Everybody, including his childhood friends, think he's delusional about the falling star incident. Meanwhile, in another part of the universe, the aliens are having problems, and we close with the lead alien heading determinedly for Earth, presumably for help from the "Guardians."
Not a bad concept, and I kind of dig the art. Very clean, young style. But not worth back-issue hunting for, either. I doubt there's even a trade. Oh well.
[First read before work, Thursday, whilst eating lunch and listening to Riverdance again. Headache.]
HERO double feature -- Issues 1 & 2 (DC): Published June, 2003; written by Will Pfeifer; art by Kano; colored by Dave Stewart; lettered by Ken Lopez; Cover by John Van Fleet. I'm told this series, what exists of it, is collected in trade. Not interested, though. It's a bit too dark for me.
Very dark. Guy with a hard-knock life in a dying town is in a phone booth, talking to a counselor on the other end of a suicide hotline. The guy contemplating suicide recounts how he came upon a strange artifact that gave him various superpowers, and how he manages to screw up with those superpowers. Dark. I feel bad for Jerry, but... No. I can do without.
[First read Thursday evening, cloistered in bedroom. No music.]
MIDNIGHT MASS #1 (DC Vertigo): Published June, 2002; created and written by John Rozum; pencilled by Jesus Saiz; inked by Jimmy Palmiotti; colored by Noelle Giddings; lettered by Ken Bruzenak; separations by Digital Chameleon. This looks to be an eight-issue limited series, and god I hope that A. they finished the series and; B. they stuck them in a trade. Because this is good.
The first comic books I cut my teeth on were, for the most part, horror. It's way too early for nostalgia, but it's nice to look back once in a while, even if the time frame is better measured in months than years.
Jenny (a common name, even in comics) has just been hired as an assistant to the Kadmons, a husband and wife (I think) team of paranormal investigators. The town of Midnight, Massachusetts is, of course, haunted, and Jenny encounters ghosties and ghouls before she even starts working for her new employers.
And she has a secret of her own. Something the Kadmons don't know about, that probably should have been disclosed. We don't know it either. Next issue? I hope so. Buffy meets Vertigo. Love it. I do hope there's a trade.
[First read Thursday evening, cloistered in bedroom. No music.]
I'm including notes about where I read each, under what conditions. Environment affects mood, which in turn affects how you read something and what you get out of it as a result. Variables. It's the scientist in me.
Pre-ordered
ULTIMATE X4 #2 (of 2): Oh, the art. The Ultimate FF actually look their age in this. Rhona Burchill doesn't look as creepy as she ought to, but that's a small complaint. Getting a break from Greg Land is a treat in and of itself.
I'd say it was light-hearted for an Ultimate book, but since I only pull one of those right now, it's hard to know for sure. Worth a reread on its own first, then back-to-back with the first issue. If only for another dose of Ultimate Sue's attitude about Ultimate Kitty Pryde.
[First read to "Riverdance: Music From the Show" (Bill Whelan), hastily, during a guiltily-taken work break. Wednesday, in cube.]
SUPER REAL #1: It finally came! I'm not sure how many weeks I had to wait for this one, and I was actually about ready to give up on it. But it came, and it was well worth the wait. The tone of this book is perfect, like a related series of televised vignettes. Makes sense, for Reality TV meets Comic Book. Should hold up to multiple readings, and worth preordering.
[First read after work Wednesday, in cube. Put away Capercaillie (?) midway through.]
ALL-NEW OFFICIAL HANDBOOK OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE A To Z #1 -- ABRAXIS to BATWING: Won't read this in one sitting. First looked at it in-cube on Wednesday. Nice reference. I'll probably look through it more closely before deciding whether to add the full series to my pre-orders.
THE THING #3: What can I say? Dan Slott is at the top of his game. The Savage Bruce robot was a nice touch. Not to mention the resolution of the Thing versus Mechanical Hulk battle. Will The Constrictor go Super-Hero? Will Alicia and Ben get back together? Is Matt Murdoch playing Matchmaker? Only time will tell. I'm done speculating about Slott's plotlines. (No, I'm not. Just... done speculating out loud.)
[First read Thursday evening, cloistered in bedroom. No music.]
Off-the-rack
NEXTWAVE #1: Warren Ellis' tone is strong as ever. And crude. This is good, funny, and completely irreverent. And that's okay.
I have a few questions, though. Wasn't Monica Rambeau nice once upon a time? And is this canon? If so, was MARVEL MONSTERS: FIN FANG FOUR non-canon? Because I'm confused as to Fin Fang's status as of now. In FIN FANG FOUR, he was shrunk down to more-or-less human sized, depowered, and put to work as an irritable chef in a Chinese restaurant housed (I think) in the Baxter Building. In NEXTWAVE, he's giant, irritable, powered, and not good anymore. What gives? I liked him as a grumpy chef, and may have to invoke Krypto-revisionism on this point.
And shouldn't they credit Hokusai for The Great Wave on the cover?
Still, a fun book. I'll probably wait for the trade, though.
[First read Thursday evening, cloistered in bedroom. No music.]
Dollar bin
GUARDIANS #1 (Marvel): Published September, 2004; written by Marc Sumerak; art by Casey Jones; colored by David Self; lettered by Dave Sharpe. As far as I can surmise, based on Comiclist.com, this series only lasted a mere four (or, if they finished off the arc, five) issues. If anyone knows different, let me know, because the concept isn't bad.
A group of kids, play-acting at being space-based superheroes, investigate a shooting star, only to find a dog attacking a cute, E.T.-like alien. They rescue the alien, and "Captain" Vince continues to play-act in the presence of the alien, who takes the fantasy as truth. Said alien rewards Vince with a medallion, and leaves.
Cut to present day. The friends have disbanded. Vince has been expelled from college for attacking an assistant professer. Everybody, including his childhood friends, think he's delusional about the falling star incident. Meanwhile, in another part of the universe, the aliens are having problems, and we close with the lead alien heading determinedly for Earth, presumably for help from the "Guardians."
Not a bad concept, and I kind of dig the art. Very clean, young style. But not worth back-issue hunting for, either. I doubt there's even a trade. Oh well.
[First read before work, Thursday, whilst eating lunch and listening to Riverdance again. Headache.]
HERO double feature -- Issues 1 & 2 (DC): Published June, 2003; written by Will Pfeifer; art by Kano; colored by Dave Stewart; lettered by Ken Lopez; Cover by John Van Fleet. I'm told this series, what exists of it, is collected in trade. Not interested, though. It's a bit too dark for me.
Very dark. Guy with a hard-knock life in a dying town is in a phone booth, talking to a counselor on the other end of a suicide hotline. The guy contemplating suicide recounts how he came upon a strange artifact that gave him various superpowers, and how he manages to screw up with those superpowers. Dark. I feel bad for Jerry, but... No. I can do without.
[First read Thursday evening, cloistered in bedroom. No music.]
MIDNIGHT MASS #1 (DC Vertigo): Published June, 2002; created and written by John Rozum; pencilled by Jesus Saiz; inked by Jimmy Palmiotti; colored by Noelle Giddings; lettered by Ken Bruzenak; separations by Digital Chameleon. This looks to be an eight-issue limited series, and god I hope that A. they finished the series and; B. they stuck them in a trade. Because this is good.
The first comic books I cut my teeth on were, for the most part, horror. It's way too early for nostalgia, but it's nice to look back once in a while, even if the time frame is better measured in months than years.
Jenny (a common name, even in comics) has just been hired as an assistant to the Kadmons, a husband and wife (I think) team of paranormal investigators. The town of Midnight, Massachusetts is, of course, haunted, and Jenny encounters ghosties and ghouls before she even starts working for her new employers.
And she has a secret of her own. Something the Kadmons don't know about, that probably should have been disclosed. We don't know it either. Next issue? I hope so. Buffy meets Vertigo. Love it. I do hope there's a trade.
[First read Thursday evening, cloistered in bedroom. No music.]
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