I Read Comic Books discussion
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What are you reading right now?
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What are you reading right now? (March 2023)
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Mod
- Mike: HEK Treasury, Eight Billion Genies #7
- Paloma: Black Cloak #2, Superman (2023-) #1
- Paul: 20th Century Man #6, All of the Marvels: A Journey to the Ends of the Biggest Story Ever Told
Check out the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts to hear our thoughts on what we read! Or listen now at https://ircbpodcast.com/episodes/epis...
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Friday, Book One: The First Day of Christmas ★★★★★This is Paloma's pick for the reading challenge and I was pretty blown away by it. It's set in the 1970's, and the characters were the kids who solved small town paranormal problems but are older now and have moved on with their lives. It's a slow build but all the pieces set in place really nicely for a surprising and cliffhanger ending. I put Book Two on hold as soon as I finished it.
Yesterday's trip to the LCS.Phantom Road #1 <-- New Image book from Jeff Lemire and Gabriel Walta
X-Force #38
Human Target #12 <-- The last issue finally. I'm really digging Tom King's noir look at the old Justice League International.
Emy here, a fellow wonderer. I just finished "It's lonely at the centre of the earth", by Zoe Thorogood and it seems that I'm mildly attracted to this genre. Also, strongly recommend it ♡♡♡! I plan on reading "The many deaths of Laila Starr", by Filipe Andrade, Ram V, in the next few days. Will take some random recommendations if you have & I feel the vibe. Happy spring, everybody~
Batman and Robin, Volume 6: The Hunt for Robin ★★★★
Batman teams up with various heroes chasing Ra's Al Ghul. It's a fun time. I like seeing flashes of other story arcs without context. Like Frankenstein is investigating the disappearance of an entire city in Tibet and Lex Luthor is part of the Justice League.
The reading order I've been using said to read this between Batman Eternal 2 & 3, but I don't think it takes place between them.
Green Lantern by Geoff Johns Book Two ★★★
This was mixed bag. In the middle is the Wanted storyline where I realize this book was written post 9/11 in 2006. I was four years old when it happened, so I don't have the trauma that other people have. I bring it up because moments in this book haven't aged well, like Hal quoting John McCain, the United Nations framing Hal for murder or by his own admission, Hal violating international law six different times. I don't think this would be written today.
Red Hood and the Outlaws, Volume 4: Good Night Gotham ★★★★
Excellent closer to this chapter of the outlaws.
Miles Morales: Spider-Man, Vol. 8: Empire of the Spider ★★★
Closing out Saladin Ahmed's run on Miles, we go to a pocket dimension where Miles' clone has taken over Brooklyn.
Venom, Vol. 1: Recursion ★★★
Second time reading this, b/c I didn't want to be confused when I start vol 2. It made more sense, but there is time travel fantasy-science going on.
Eddie goes to a place outside of time, but the people there still have a past, so I guess it has its own timeline. It's weird.
Hunter x Hunter, Vol. 33 ★★★★
The first volume after the anime ends. Kurapika and Leorio are back. A lot of Ging, not a lot of Gon and Killua is nowhere to be seen. The artwork gets more consistent including some impressive double page spreads.
Last week's adventures in comics, contains a trip into the Year of the Villain one-shots from a few years ago.Blood Syndicate: Season One★★
The worst of the Milestone Redux books. If I hadn't read the original Blood Syndicate 20 years ago I wouldn't even be sure of what was happening in this. Thankfully, it was a shorter version of the orig.
Justice League Vs. The Legion of Super-Heroes★★
Imagine this. Another boring Legion of Super-Heroes comic from Brian Michael Bendis. It's 6 issues of the Legion and the Justice League standing around talking in multiple eras. The Great Darkness in this scenario is just a rift in the spacetime continuum. It's fitting that Bendis ends his DC tenure on the worst thing he wrote while at DC, the Legion of Super-Heroes.
Batman Beyond: Neo-Year★★
This just wasn't good. It's just 6 issues of meandering and then eventually Batman fights some holograms. There's very little story.
Robin & Batman★★★★★
You know good things are going to happen anytime Dustin Nguyen and Jeff Lemire get together. Lemire writes the story of a Robin just starting out and Batman is still unsure if he's ready. His Batman can be a Dick because he's never dealt with children before or even had a childhood himself. But his humanity does break through over the course of this. All that being said, it is a Robin book.
Strange Adventures★★★★
A tale of two Adam and Alanna Stranges. One taking place now on Earth drawn by Mitch Gerads, the other by Evan Shaner flashing back to the war on Rann. Adam seems to be hiding some things about the war, while warning that the aliens who attacked Rann will soon be coming to Earth. Mr. Terrific is tasked to look into the Stranges after an angry fan was murdered. So you have a tale moving forward on Earth while on Rann we get some old-fashioned, sci-fi pulp goodness as Adam and Alanna try to unite the races of Rann to fight back against the invaders.
Superman: Space Age★★★★
An Elseworlds story with Superman and the other heroes going public in the 60's. Each issue takes place in the next decade as we roll through events like the Cold War and Watergate while wait for this world's version of Crisis to happen. I love anytime the Allred's visit DC.
Earth-Prime★★★
Each of the CW shows, most of which have been cancelled by this point get some of the TV shows writers to write an issue, some of which play into a poor 6th issue with Magog. The larger whole never comes together even though some of the solo stories like the Legends of Tomorrow one are fun. If the Arrowverse wasn't quickly ending because of new owners at the CW and the streaming wars, this would have had a bigger impact.
DC's Year of the Villain Special #1★★★
Teasers into DC's big events of 2019 with Scott Snyder's Justice League run and Brian Michael Bendis's Event Leviathan miniseries.
Sinestro: Year of the Villain #1★★★★
Lex Luthor assigns Sinestro with eliminating a race of Celestial like beings from another universe.
Black Mask: Year of the Villain #1★★★
This one didn't tie much into the Year of the Villain event. Lex shows up briefly and offers Black Mask something he didn't even know he want. What was more interesting was Taylor's retelling of Black Mask's origin.
Riddler: Year of the Villain #1★★★
This almost feels like an Elseworlds book because nothing ever came of it. It's a Riddler at a crossroads realizing he's something of a joke, even though he's been written really well at times in the past to be really menacing. It all depends on the writer.
Lex Luthor: Year of the Villain #1★★
Even though Hitch's art is always solid, I'm just not a fan of Jason Latour's writing. Lex was jumping from universe to universe to kill other Lex Luthors but there's no context for why. I guess you're supposed to infer that Apex Lex feels "There can be only one!"
Ocean Master: Year of the Villain #1★★★★
Orm gets his mojo back after living as a homeless Atlantean. He finds some new outcasts to became king of, relating his story to his ex.
Harley Quinn: Villain of the Year #1★★★★★
Mark Russell was the perfect choice for a meta look at the villains of the DC universe. The premise is that it's the annual Doomies awards, held at the Legion of Doom for all the DC villains. It's hosted by Harley Quinn and someone has sent in a threatening letter that they are going to kill everyone there.
Black Adam: Year of the Villain #1★★★★
I really like the times when DC has made Black Adam a hero or antihero. He's at his most interesting when he's willing to do anything to protect Kahndaq as its leader. This is the case here when an Infected Shazam enters the country to try and destroy Black Adam.
Joker: Year of the Villain #1★★
Has nothing to do with the Year of the Villain stuff. It's a look at the Joker from the perspective of a mentally unbalanced henchman. Basically it's just the Joker being crazy for 30 pages. Not really my thing.
Dark Crisis: Worlds Without A Justice League★★
These issues were pretty pointless. It's two Elseworlds stories per issue featuring all of the Justice League members who are supposed to be dead. They don't advance the Dark Crisis story at all nor are they very interesting.
Tales from Dark Crisis★★★
This collects all of the one-shots from Dark Crisis. The stories do help flesh out the regular story found in Dark Crisis.
Batman: Fortress★★★
DC's really leaning into these Elseworlds stories without calling them Elseworlds these days. This one is about a planetary blackout caused by aliens and a missing Superman. Batman's left to figure out what happened to Superman while dodging aliens and breaking into the Fortress of Solitude.
DC’s Terrors Through Time (2022) #1★★★
DC puts it try out teams on its Halloween anthology.
Lazaretto★★
Starts off prescient with a new virus, the dog flu, hitting college campuses (This was in 2018 before we thought things like this could actually happen.) The kids are isolated off away in a dorm and left to fend for themselves as they get sicker.
Timeless (2022) #1★★★★
It felt like this will end up being a lead in to Mackay's Avengers run. It's about a Kang who has conquered everything but can't access one missing moment that's only open to heroes.
Tales of the Human Target (2022) #1★★★★
Three flashback stories from Fire, Guy Gardner and Booster Gold where they came across the Human Target without realizing it for a long time.
The Human Target: Volume 2★★★★★
Tom King and Greg Smallwood need to work together more often. They were able to elevate each other's game to new heights. I love how this noir look at Giffen's and DeMatteis's Justice League International from the 80's went down.
I'm Still Alive★★★
Saviano's graphic novel memoir about the 15 years he's spent in hiding after writing a very popular book about the Italian mafia is OK. It doesn't give you a lot of context about what happened with the book other than the initial death threat. A lot of the book is about how lonely it is living under armed guard. The book shines in the art dept.
Mod
- Mike: That Texas Blood, Vol. 2 and 3, Rogue & Gambit (2023-) #1, The Human Target #12
- Nick: Phantom Road #1, Ice Cream Man #34, COLORLESS Vol. 1
- Paul: Doctor Strange: Fall Sunrise (2022-) #4, Blue Book #1
Check out the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts to hear our thoughts on what we read! Or listen now at https://ircbpodcast.com/episodes/epis...
I started reading PLUTO: Naoki Urasawa x Ozamu Tezuka, Vol.1 (well actually finished Vol.1 which is part of the reading challenge, but I'll keep going with the whole series. I'm so happy I finally got to it. It had been on my to-read manga pile for the longest time because I absolutely love Urasawa but I'm not a huge fan of Tezuka's graphic style. That was the best of both worlds and I'm super excited to read the 7 other volumes!
Venom, Vol. 2: Deviation ★★★★
Artwork is incredible, especially the colors. The big-brain time travel shenanigans made much more sense by the last issue.
Arkham Manor★★★
Wayne Manor has been seized by as city property and turned into a replacement for Arkham. Batman poses as an inmate to solve a string of murders. This book has more going on than you would assume. Sassy Mr Freeze is the best part tho
We Stand On Guard ★★★★★
This was one of the books I heard to read before getting into comics. No surprise, it was great.
The Amazing Spider-Man, Vol. 1: World Without Love ★★★
I've heard the worst things about this, but I wouldn't even call it bad. I think people felt insulted by new status quo established and that soured people on it. Like the 2nd half of Beyond was about Pete getting back on his feet, but doing that dance again.
Except the Mary Jane stuff, that's just bad writing. Also if she has kids, doesn't that age Peter up as well?
Ice Cream Man, Volume 3: Hopscotch Melange ★★★
Each of the issues were fine. I don't care for the lore of the Ice Cream Man, but they still included some great imagery in the "lore" issues.
Mod
- Tia: Parasocial
- Kait: Wingbearer
- Kate: Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
Check out the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts to hear our thoughts on what we read! Or listen now at https://ircbpodcast.com/episodes/epis...
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For Goodness' Sake, Volume 1 through Volume 3 ★★★★★A man cursed by a demon and a woman on a roadtrip in a school bus meet up and eventually deal with their problems together. I discovered the creator, K Lynn Smith, at C2E2 years ago and learned that she lives not too far from me. I love her art and her stories and try to read everything she puts out.
The Girl From The Other Side: Siúil, A Rún, Vol. 12 Dear Side Stories ★★★★★A horned "outsider" raises a young girl in a cabin in the woods. Volume 11 was the end of the series, and I felt like it ended pretty abstract and dark. Volume 12 is a collection of short stories that takes us back to the wholesome beginning of the series.
Today's trip to the LCS. (two week edition due to just getting home from vacation at midnight last night.)The Forged #1 <- Some magazine sized comic from Greg Rucka and Image I thought I'd check out.
Bishop: War College #2
Image #11
House of Slaughter #13
Wolverine #31
Immoral X-Men #2
Nightcrawlers #2
By the Horns: Dark Earth #7
Predator #1
X-Men #20
Batman & the Joker: Deadly Duo #5
The X-Cellent: Season 2 #1
Last week's adventures in comics. Belated on vacation edition. (There's a lot of time to read on the plane.)Symbiote Spider-Man: King in Black★★★
Set back in the day when Peter Parker was wearing the black suit after Secret Wars. Because it's set so long ago, the King in Black tie in seems nebulous. Still it's Spider-Man teaming up with a ton of characters (The Black Knight, Rocket Raccoon, Kang, Captain Marvel (Monica Rambeau edition), the Watcher, Ulik and more) to fight symbiotes so it's entertaining.
King of Nowhere★★★
A man enters a bar in the middle of nowhere where he feels he must be dreaming as he comes across a fish man named Jed, a deer man driving a car, and a bartender with an upside down face. As the mini goes along, your questions are answered.
Loki: Ragnarok and Roll★★★★
Loki gets exiled to Earth because Thor is a real shitty brother and god in general.. There Loki becomes a rock star and the other gods come looking for him after feeling threatened even though they aren't supposed to interfere with mortals.
The Joyners in 3D★★★
The story of a driven famous businessman in the future. While things are going very well at work, he's an awful husband and father. He basically lives a separate life from the rest of his family. This is supposed to be the story about how it all fell apart but that's really just hinted at and left to your imagination.
Insurrection v3.6★★★★
This is my problem with the 4 issue story format Boom likes to use. There's often way too much story crammed in so that you can only see the highlights of the story. That's what happened here. There's a decent story here about androids in the future gaining sentience and revolting against their programming. But this tries to fit this huge story into 4 issues and the last 2 issues become too barebones.
Key of Z★★
A zombie comic that's not really about zombies. There's 2 warring gang factions in New York after the zombie apocalypse. There's also way more people alive than I'd expect NYC to be able to support after a zombie apocalypse.
House of El Vol. 1: The Shadow Threat★★★★
A YA series about 2 Kryptonians teenagers growing up in the days before Krypton exploded. We see how each family is genetically engineered for their roles and how Krypton operates in a caste system. One of the two kids is Lara-El’s cousin.
Rivers of London: Body Work★★★
An original GN entry in the Rivers of London prose novels about a team of London police detectives who investigate supernatural crimes. Yeah nothing that hasn’t been done before but a trope I really enjoy when done well.
John Flood★★★★
John Flood has been experimented on and hasn’t slept in 11 years. The whole process has left him with unique insights that seem insane like stopping a serial killer by finding a lady’s cat. He also is left in a dreamlike state that makes it difficult for him to empathize with people. This was fun.
Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor, Vol. 1: Revolutions of Terror★★★
The Doctor gets a new companion after the stuff with Donna goes down. Gabby Gonzalez is a Mexican American working two jobs to support her family’s businesses in New York while going to night school to be an accountant. Basically her father is controlling and she does what he tells her to. Enter the Doctor and some aliens that eat emotions.
The Secret Loves of Geeks★★★
This was fine but has probably been surpassed in recent years. There are quite a few stories devoted to nonhetero people just so you know. Of course if you read comics at all that shouldn’t really be surprising. I enjoy the various perspectives. What I don’t enjoy are prose stories in comic books and that’s probably half of the shorts.
Dark Souls: The Breath of Andolus★★★
Not a fan of the Shakespearean dialogue at all. The story is pretty basic with this amnesiac knight and a thief looking to kill a dragon.
Kill Audio★★★
This thing is weird as hell. It is by one of the guys behind Coheed and Cambria. It is about this immortal little person in a world that revolves around music. Someone is locking away the fathers of music. There’s all these weird ass characters like a chicken that’s always snorting lines. It’s the kind of out there stuff you’d expect from a rock and roller.
The Last Broadcast★★★
A failed magician gets involved with some urban explorers in San Francisco. They are being hunted by a cult. It’s all extrapolated from real world events with a magician in the 1930s who is shot and died while performing one of his stunts. The art is confounding in that sometimes I quite liked it and sometimes it’s so oft kilter, dark and sloppy that I couldn’t tell what was happening.
Last Reign: Kings of War★★★
Your typical Dystopian future comic where people have lost knowledge of past technology. The Eight have powerful battle suits that they don’t know how to use as they attack the Duke of York who uses mutants in battle.
Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 1: Legacy★★★★
A lot of the previous Guardians feel changed after all of the Annhilation stuff. The galaxy is also in pretty sorry shape. Weak spots are opening to other dimensions and Starlord has assembled a team to help seal them. There both a lot of conflict and a lot of fun in this.
The Rocketeer: The Great Race/a>★★★
The Rocketeer decides to hang up his rocket pack and embarks in a race from California to Paris. Of course, Nazis get involved as well which may necessitate the return of The Rocketeer.
Basilisk, Vol. 3★★
We finally get some much needed backstory of what is going on. Unfortunately it’s all obtuse and doesn’t explain anything well at all. Cullen Bunn built a cool concept that completely failed. Jonas Scharf’s art is the shining star of this story.
Dungeons & Dragons: Forgotten Realms Classics, Volume 1★★★★
If you like sword and sorcery series, this old school title is a lot of fun.
Hellraiser: Bestiary★★★
A bunch of short stories revolving around someone opening a puzzle box and the cenobites showing up to rip them apart.
Hollow★★★
A lesbian light Halloween spin on a modern day Spooky Hollow story.
Godshaper★★
I just don’t get the love for this book. I didn’t care for it much at all. It’s about a world where tech quit working in 1958 and was replaced by everyone having personal gods that don’t really act like gods. They are just familiars that float around them.
Higher Earth Vol. 1★★★
Sam Humphries does his version of a pan dimensional empire. We don’t get a lot of answers until the last issue in this volume.
Higher Earth Vol. 2★★★
Interesting but harder to follow than volume one with a gazillion analogues of the main characters. There’s a lot crammed in here too as it’s pretty clear this was given the early yank.
Caught up on a lot of arcs while traveling on vacation.Golden Rage Vol. 1 ★★
Women are sent to an island when they become barren where they form gangs and not much of import happens. This has been done much more interestingly in the past.
Gun Honey, Vol. 2: Blood for Blood ★★★
Our illustrious Gun Honey is brought out of retirement when she's framed for some murders by someone just as good as she is. There's is a ton of nudity in this so be forewarned.
There Are Too Many Milks: And Other Common Annoyances of Modern Life ★★★
A mildly humorous book that may seem funnier to those just starting out in the workforce.
The Tiger's Tongue Vol. 1 ★★
I'm not sure if this was based on African folklore, but it certainly gave off that vibe. It's about twin princesses who are told they have to compete for the throne, in a Kingdom that ignores its constituents.
Garvey's Choice: The Graphic Novel ★★
A graphic novel version of the 2016 kid's novel. It's written in verse and presented as little one page comics into Garvey's life. It's supposed to be about Garvey finding his muse and losing weight but he never looks any different in the art.
Blacula: Return of the King ★★★
Blackula returns. I honestly expected a bit more from the creators of Killadelphia, a far better vampire comic.
Black Ice ★★
A story about a boy on the run with some kind of ice powers.
The Witches of Silverlake Volume One ★★★
A modern day YA version of The Craft.
Thinking of You (but not like in a weird creepy way): A Comic Collection ★
This is like those old posters with the cat hanging from a clothes line that says "Hang in there". They aren't jokes. They're little pep talks for those with anxiety featuring a featureless blob.
Sins of the Black Flamingo ★★★★
A very queer story about a high-end thief in Florida who steals magical objects. When he tries to rob the wrong person he gets into way more than any person can handle. I will say I'm straight and I thought this was terrific.
Rogues' Gallery, Volume 1 ★★★
Some crazy fanboys plan to rob the actress from the TV superhero show they obsess over.
New Kid Vol. 3: School Trip ★★★
Our illustrious main character is now in 8th grade. Instead of focusing on the school year, this is all about a school trip to Paris.
War Birds ★★★
In the near future, two drones gain sentience and run off pursued by their makers in the Middle East.
Why Are You Like This?: An ArtbyMoga Comic Collection ★★★
Some mildly entertaining comics about a young couple from the Pacific Northwest and their two dogs. The author is an extrovert and her husband is an introvert, like so many other webcomics.
The Snowcat Prince ★★★★
An all ages tale about the Snowcats who are all greedy and lazy except for the youngest brother. He's sent by his brothers to find the long-lost crown which will name the next Erlking. I found it a story that was enjoyable for those both young and old with terrific, vibrant art.
Joe Death and the Graven Image ★
This was just an absolute mess. I lost track of what was even happening. The book kept switching to new characters that didn't seem to have anything to do with the story. Everyone droned on and on, there's so much talking but saying nothing. The art was weird too.
Survival Street ★★★
A near future where corporations have completely taken over after being declared legally the same as people. This analogue to Sesame Street was shut down and the muppets all became freedom fighters.
Batman - One Bad Day: The Riddler ★★★★★
The Riddler decides to quit playing games and loses the riddles, just randomly shooting someone. I like what King does here, showing how much more dangerous the Riddler is once he stops playing games and gets down to business. He even has the Batman scared at one point. It's great stuff, aided by Mitch Gerad's terrific art.
Batman: One Bad Day: Two-Face ★★★
A by the numbers Two-Face story. Anyone reading this knows exactly where it's headed as soon as the plot is introduced.
Batman: One Bad Day: Penguin ★★★★
The Penguin is all washed up and beat to hell. With the last of his money he buys a cheap gun and one bullet. Then he goes on a mission to get his empire back.
Batman: One Bad Day: Mr. Freeze ★★★
A flashback One Bad Day story with Batman and the original Robin going after Mr. Freeze at Christmas. It puts a different spin on the relationship between Victor and Nora Fries and I'm not sure I cared for it.
Batman: One Bad Day: Bane ★★★
This runs the gamut of Bane's history. Bane is now an actual wrestler down in Mexico. Bane had thought all traces of Venom had been destroyed until someone shows up trying to sell him some so he hits the road to put a stop to it. What I didn't get here was Batman and Bane's current relationship. Bane killed Alfred. That's not something that Batman would ever forgive so I didn't get the redemption arc. I probably missed a retcon or something though.
Have been slowly chopping books off my list and I stumbled upon a few from Aftershock Comics that I really enjoyed (or were quickly added to my "to-read" list)Babyteeth, Vol. 1: Born - Babyteeth, Vol. 4: Grave
Hell is a Squared Circle
Re-reading Animosity, Vol. 1: The Wake so I can check out the spin-offs!
Black-Eyed Kids, Volume 1: The Children
Bulls of Beacon Hill #1
Dogs of London #1
Volition, Vol. 1
+ about 10 other titles that all look and sound awesome.
Any recommendations for which Aftershock titles are must-reads (if any)?
Mod
- Mike: Cuckoo, Earthdivers #3 through #5, Notes from a Sickbed
- Danny: It's Lonely at the Centre of the Earth, Superman: Lost (2023-) #1, Fantastic Four (2022-) #5
- Brian: The Last of Us: American Dreams, The Nice House on the Lake, Vol. 1
Check out the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts to hear our thoughts on what we read! Or listen now at https://ircbpodcast.com/episodes/epis...
You can also find the live recording of the episode at https://www.youtube.com/@ircb or https://www.twitch.tv/ircbpodcast
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Re: Chad: A vacation sounds great. I hope it was a good time! I added a good half dozen of your books to my to-read list!
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Re: Beantown: I read Animosity vol. 1 and enjoyed it, and have since intended to read more. I can't say I'm familiar with many of Aftershock's other titles though, so I'll be interested to hear what you think of them!
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Pixels of You★★★★★A queer book that had a whole lot of worldbuilding in a fairly short page count, and did it really well. Androids are part of the population and an android a human have to work together on a photography project. For such a simple-sounding plot, this story had a lot of emotional depth.
Look Back ★★★★★A manga about how two peoples' journeys into becoming manga creators are intertwined with one another. This story was really good, and emphasizes how small actions can have a big impact on other peoples' lives, but it ends sad.
Shuriken and Pleats, Vol. 1 ★★★★★A manga about a girl who is trained as a ninja but couldn't protect her first "master." Most of the story is about figuring out who she is and what she wants to do for herself. There are only two volumes in this series.
kaitlphere wrote: "Re: Chad: A vacation sounds great. I hope it was a good time! I added a good half dozen of your books to my to-read list!."We had a great time. We head to Mexico every winter for a week but this was our first time on the West coast. No humidity and saw whales every day from the hotel. The only downside is the beaches are terrible unless you are a surfer. Luckily we are content with all the pools. We will probably go back next year, but maybe further South.
kaitlphere wrote: "Re: Beantown: I read Animosity vol. 1 and enjoyed it, and have since intended to read more. I can't say I'm familiar with many of Aftershock's other titles though, so I'll be interested to hear what you think of them!"
I've read a ton of Aftershock stuff and need to go through my lists to give some recs. They put out some terrific content. Babyteeth and Animosity are always at the top of that list though. They are both top notch.
Today's trip to the LCS.X-treme X-Men #4
Batman - One Bad Day: Ra's al Ghul
Nightwing #102
Storm and the Brotherhood of Mutants #2
World's Finest #13
Marauders #12
Beantown wrote: "Have been slowly chopping books off my list and I stumbled upon a few from Aftershock Comics that I really enjoyed (or were quickly added to my "to-read" list)[book:Babyteeth, Vol. 1: Born|363982..."
Astronaut Down is an excellent read. It just finished after five issues, and may be hard to track down. I expect to see a trade paperback in the latter half of 2023.
A Walk Through Hell by Garth Ennis is my all-time favorite AfterShock title. The story ran twelve issues, and is collected in two trade paperbacks, one trade paperback, and a deluxe hardcover. Not for the squeamish, a mix of crime and horror with social commentary. In my opinion, the most serious and best of Garth Ennis.
That's just two, but I could keep going. I read a lot of AfterShock's output. If you want to reply and tell what genres you like I can suggest some more.
The kite runner (a historical graphic novel about friendship, family, relationship and life)
I thought "A Walk Through Hell" was one of the worst things Ennis has ever produced. It made absolutely no sense.
Still plugging along on Savage Dragon and Spawn, started reading the manga Fairy Tail, and I'm excited about the Unstoppable Doom Patrol next week.
kaitlphere wrote: "Re: Beantown: I read Animosity vol. 1 and enjoyed it, and have since intended to read more. I can't say I'm familiar with many of Aftershock's other titles though, so I'll be interested to hear what you think of them!"I really enjoyed the full Animosity series and it never dawned on me to check out the rest of what the company is offering (especially with how easy it is to drown in the big 2/3). I loved Babyteeth as well and would give it a solid 8/10 (could've been higher but the ending felt a tad rushed).
Chad wrote: "I've read a ton of Aftershock stuff and need to go through my lists to give some recs. They put out some terrific content. Babyteeth and Animosity are always at the top of that list though. They are both top notch."
I just finished Babyteeth today and I really enjoyed going along for the ride! I was surprised at how quickly I was down to the last few issues.
Michael wrote: "Astronaut Down is an excellent read. It just finished after five issues, and may be hard to track down. I expect to see a trade paperback in the latter half of 2023."
I will definitely have to check out Astronaut Down. I can say that I am a willing participant with pretty much any genre, but sci-fi and thriller titles usually catch my eye the easiest (which seem to be most of what Aftershock specializes in).
In terms of A Walk Through Hell, I vaguely remember getting halfway through the first issue and realizing that it wasn't the vibe I was seeking that night, so I put it down and it fell down the pit of my backlog. I'll have to give it another go to see if it clicks better.
In addition to Animosity and Babyteeth, I'd recommend Artemis and the Assassin, Bunny Mask, Dark Red, Dreaming Eagle, Hot Lunch Special, Join the Future, The Lollipop Kids, The Man Who F'd Up Time, Out of the Blue, Miles to Go, Scout's Honor, and We Live. I've read around half of their output. They do some really good stuff. They did declare bankruptcy in January so I'm not sure if they will be around for the long haul. Hopefully they can make it through. There is a long list of creators who say they haven't gotten paid yet. I hope that gets worked out shortly.
Been away for 2 weeks but a lot of reading happened (the perks to have access to a library card in another country and access to stuff you can't find at home). So far, I've read : - Regreso al Edén ★★★★★
- MonstruosaMENTE ★★★★★
- Rituales ★★★★
- Vincent ★★★★
- Patria ★★★★
- En camino ★★★★
- Tranquila ★★★★
- Siempre tendremos 20 años ★★★★★
If you have access to them I recommend any of those, especially Monstruosamente (where the author explains his experience with anxiety in an cute/funny way) and Siempre tedremos 20 anos (in which the author tells his own story of growning up in the post-franquism period in Spain. Probably the best book I read this month along with Pluto).
Apart from that, i read the complete PLUTO: Naoki Urasawa x Ozamu Tezuka, Vol.1 series (Such a great read, I'm so happy I finally got to read it thanks to Geoff's pick. Devoured the whole series. If you liked it and haven't heard of it, I strongly recommend the Naoki Urasawa's Monster, Volume 1: Herr Dr. Tenma series by the same author).
Right now, just started to read In Limbo and it is great so far.
Green Lantern by Geoff Johns Book Three ★★★★★
The Sinestro Corps War feels massive in scale, but is made of so many personal battles. And it never lets up. Like the attack on Mogo being about emotionally wounding the whole corps. Or at the first issue, we get to know a couple Sinestro Corps grunts and why they've joined the yellow lantern army.
The art is great. You can yell there was so much work in the alien designs and the Sinestro Corps' homeworld. My only complaint is there's a single color palette of green, yellow/orange and blue. That's seems to happen a lot in Green Lantern Books. I still loved the art, but couldn't ignore that when I noticed it.
Sachi's Monstrous Appetite, Vol. 1 ★★★
Makie has a crush on Sachi, who is actually a giant monster that wants to eat him. But they start dating, so Sachi can protect him from other monsters trying to eat him.
Underwhelming, but it did feel like it was only getting started. I'm not going to continue this unless its on that Kodansha streaming app coming in May.
Dracula, Motherf**ker! ★★★★
I love Dracula's design in this. Would read an entire series of this.
The Seeds ★★
Disappointing. Reading this sometimes felt like pulling teeth.
Hunter x Hunter, Vol. 34 ★★★★★
Hisoka vs Chrollo could be the best fight in the series.
The Amazing Spider-Man, Vol. 2: The New Sinister ★★★
Starts with the 900th issue where Spider-Man must save the Sinister Six from an android and Super Adaptoid with all the powers of the six. Then Spider-Man gets an ugly suit from Norman Osborn to help him defeat the Vulture.
I'm also replaying Marvel's Spider-Man on ps4, which is as great as I remember it.
Max wrote: "Green Lantern by Geoff Johns Book Three ★★★★★
The Sinestro Corps War feels massive in scale, but is made of so many pers..."
Geoff Johns's Green Lantern run is terrific. But pretty much everything he writes is terrific. His Aquaman, Flash, Superman, Shazam and Justice League runs are all very good too. So is his Image stuff he's doing for that matter.
Ann Nocenti wrote The Seeds. She's an awful writer and has been since the 80's.
I've heard mixed things about the current Spider-Man run. I plan on checking it out soon. It can't be worse though than what Nick Spencer did before this. I love the Dan Slott stuff though. It was nice to see Peter grow beyond his sad sack roots.
Chad wrote: "Ann Nocenti wrote The Seeds. She's an awful writer and has been since the 80's." I liked her Longshot book a lot. In hindsight, it was a mess, but the character interactions were enduring and Mojo is still one of the most unique villains I've read.
Max wrote: "I liked her Longshot book a lot. In hindsight, it was a mess, but the character interactions were enduring and Mojo is still one of the most unique villains I've read"You are right in that it's one of her few bright spots and Longshot is one of my favorite X-Men. Mojo is a tedious villain these days though. Every time he appears it's the exact same story.
Last week's adventures in comics.Batman - One Bad Day (2022-) : Clayface★★★★
Clayface leaves Gotham behind and heads out to Los Angeles to try and make it as an actor. I thought the story structure and how it all breaks down was cool.
Batman - One Bad Day (2022-) : Catwoman★★★★
Catwoman comes across a new foil in the Forger. An old broach that her mother owned when Selina was a kid comes up for sale when someone realizes it has a pedigree. So Selina decides to steal it back. I found this to be the best one of these since The Riddler.
Batman - One Bad Day (2022-) : Ra's Al Ghul★★★★★
A really nice bookend for these One Bad Day books between this and Tom King's one for The Riddler. Ra's comes up with a plan to take out the 30 worst heads of companies on the planet and has a plan to carry it out.
Hilda: Night of the Trolls: Hilda and the Stone Forest / Hilda and the Mountain King★★★★★
These are really good stories for kids and kids at heart. Hilda is wild and not afraid of anything but has a good heart. She's nonstop getting into dangerous situations by not thinking things through. It's a bone of contention between her and her mother. The two of them get transported inside the mountains outside Trollburg and have to find their way out while avoiding trolls. (It's Sweden, of course there are trolls.)
Avatar: The Last Airbender Chibis Volume 1--Aang's Unfreezing Day★★★
A slight and short Avatar: The Last Airbender story for younger readers.
Harry Rides the Danger★★
This children's book made no sense to me. Harry wakes up and feels in Danger which seems to be his wolf. He says some lines that make no sense and then it's over. It's almost more poetry than a children's book.
Pearl Volume 3★★★
This is fine. The storytelling can be obtuse at times and sometimes Gaydos makes some odd coloring choices with some of the monochrome pages. This volume seemed to meander without having a strong story to keep this thing going.
Parasocial★★
A limp story about a washed up turd of an actor going to conventions and giving lip service to fans. Eventually he comes across a fan who gives him the Misery treatment. Erica Henderson's artwork is weak, looking even worse for wear by doing her own coloring. It's terrible.
Paper Planes★★★
A modern tale of relationships between Dylan who is nonbinary and Leighton who is asexual. They are sent to some kind of camp for misbehavior and we see their relationship in flashbacks throughout the story. They were younger than expected as they just enter high school at the end of this. The conflict in the story isn't because of their sexual natures, but because Dylan comes from the wrong side of the tracks.
House on Fire★★★
A simple story of a man going out to find medicine for his wife during a pandemic. No, it's not COVID, but it obviously pulls from that time. Don't expect any answers. It's a snippet of their story so we don't get a lot of worldbuilding, just a snapshot of this one day in their life.
Missing You★★
A children's comic about a family presumably surviving the loss of their mother. The kids find an injured fawn and decide to nurse it back to health. I find this all kinds of problematic as normal people are not trained to take care of wild animals, let alone little kids. More than likely the fawn would have just died.
Lost and Found: A Heart of the City Collection★
I couldn't even make it halfway through these "comics" before giving up. They are way more concerned with telling a moral lesson than telling a joke.
Cottons: The Secret of the Wind★★★
There's a lot of worldbuilding here but not a lot of storytelling to explain why. You just have to have faith that it may be explained in a later book. It's about a vale full of rabbits who work at a carrot factory to make cha. The foxes are evil and want the factory for some reason even though they couldn't presumably run it or even get into the underground factory.
Batman/Superman: World's Finest Vol. 2: Strange Visitor★★★
In the 2nd arc of this flashback series, Superman and Batman come across a boy from a parallel dimension with an origin similar to Superman. He has some issues with getting too emotional though as he fights the Key and the Joker.
Lazarus Planet★★★
This is basically a sampler of the new titles DC is starting up in the next year as part of it's Dawn of DC initiative for 2023. It's all hands on deck as pretty much every creative team at DC gets a chance to tell a lead in story for a new character. The premise is that the goo from the Lazarus pits rains down across the Earth giving out super powers to mainly new characters.
Into the Dark Dimension: A Marvel: Crisis Protocol Novel★★★
The end of the prose trilogy with Dormammu threatening the universe. Actually in this one, he's taken over all dimensions with only a few heroes unaffected. Everyone else now worships Dormammu.
Tales from Earth-6: A Celebration of Stan Lee★★★
A celebration of when Stan Lee came to DC and did the Just Imagine event 20 years ago. He reimagined the DC universe through his eyes only keeping the names of the characters. The best stories are front-loaded by Michael Uslan and Lee Weeks and then one by Mark Waid and Kevin Maguire. It's interesting to revisit this Earth for the first time in decades but by no means essential.
DC's Legion of Bloom★★
DC's quarterly book this go around is about spring and flowers returning along with making it through the winter. There's even more try out creatives than usual in this one. The art and stories are OK but nothing special either.
Muros: Within Magical Walls: The Case of the Cemetery Girl★★★
A solid beginning to a new Filipino comic filled with their mythology. It's not as good as Trese but along the same lines.
Triage★★★
A nurse meets up with her doppelgangers from other dimensions while someone is trying to murder them. They are given a way to hop between dimensions when this person arrives on the Earth they are on.
Excellence, Vol. 1: Kill the Past★★
Thomas does a great job of writing about a son angry at his father but that's all there is. The rest is all very vague even though the inner monologue goes on and on. There's not enough worldbuilding in it for me. There's rules for magic that all seems very arbitrary. There is no why. It just is.
This week's trip to my LCS.Dark Knights of Steel #10
Parker Girls #6
Something Is Killing the Children #30
Strange Academy Finals #5
Thor #32
Invincible Iron Man #4
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- Mike: Homunculus
- Kara: Cat's Cafe: A Comics Collection
- René: Bakuman, Volume 1: Dreams and Reality
Check out the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts to hear our thoughts on what we read! Or listen now at https://ircbpodcast.com/episodes/epis...
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Re: Max: This is the first I'm hearing of a Kodansha app! That's exciting, I read quite a bit of Kodansha.
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My Sister, the Cat Vol. 1 ★★★★An adorable anthology of stories about an adopted human boy in a cat-person family and how much his little sister (who seems to be just a cat) loves him. If I read more of this series, I would take more time to read it. The stories are largely stand-alone and are fairly predictable but very cute.
The Well ★★★★★I love this! It's got all the beats of a hero's journey, as well as a physical journey and local mythology being proven true. It's fantasy YA that was probably a bit predictable but I really enjoyed the ride. It reminded me loosely of Witchy, Volume 1.
Through a Life ★★★★★This is Paul's pick for this year's reading challenge. For being a comic mostly without words, this story brought me to tears. What was happening in the story was clearly represented with two panels on each spread, one to show the actions of the protagonist, and the other to show what he was looking at. The emotional beats in the story were very clear and there was a certain parallel in the emotional journey of the story from the beginning to the middle, then from the middle to the end.
kaitlphere wrote: "Re: Max: This is the first I'm hearing of a Kodansha app! That's exciting, I read quite a bit of Kodansha."Yeah, I saw it on Anime News Network. It's going to be called K Manga and supposed to launch May 10th
kaitlphere wrote: "This is Paul's pick for this year's reading challenge. For being a comic mostly without words, this story brought me to tears.”Very little makes me happier than when others enjoy my recommendations. So happy you enjoyed my pick!
Finished my last read of the month and i can't recommend it enough for readers of all ages:When Stars Are Scattered is a fantastic read retelling the story of one of the co-author and his brother, growing up as refugees in Dadaab, Kenya's biggest refugee camp. It was touching, interesting and just a great read overall.
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