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Manhattan Projects
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Started by Nico Esq,

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Nexus

Nexus

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Posted

Came across this "Top 20 Comics of 2013" list from comics writer John Lees (THE STANDARD):

 

http://johnleescomics.wordpress.com/2013/12/17/my-top-twenty-comics-of-2013/

 

This guy is my brother from another mother, because his taste is so damn close to mine. So many cool books on his list. We both agree on #1...MP! I love what he writes about MP, because it's pretty much how I feel about the book. I've cut/paste the review below, but for those who can't deal with the wall of text, just click on the link above. Worth a read!

 

1. THE MANHATTAN PROJECTS

 

It’s a Jonathan Hickman double-header! For me, when it comes to comics, 2013 was the year of The Manhattan Projects. It was always a good comic: it placed very respectably at #6 last year, and almost as early as I’d decided on Saga as my likely #1 comic of 2013, I’d pencilled in The Manhattan Projects at #2. But in 2013, it’s like a switch flipped and the series catapulted from “very good” to “mind-blowingly fantastic.” Literally, right from the start of the year: it was January’s issue #8 specifically that I identify as the series truly hitting its stride and launching into a chain of A+ issues that hasn’t been broken since. The issues released in 2012 were all about setting the stage, introducing us to an alternate vision of 1940s America where the gathering of famed scientists for the construction of the atomic bomb was in fact a cover for numerous other, more dangerous and outlandish experiments, and none of those beloved scientific minds of history were what they seemed. By the end of last year, representatives of America, Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia (not to mention the odd alien planet and alternate dimension) had gathered under The Manhattan Projects and declared themselves beyond the jurisdiction of any one nation. And so, with 2013, we launched into the consequences of this action, with Oppenheimer, Einstein, Feynman, Von Braun and co pitted against an Illuminati-type organisation of figureheads representing entrenched power and the old way of thinking, led by none other than an orgy-loving mason President Truman, and a reanimated A.I. President Roosevelt. Yes, this happened. January’s issue #8 did the unthinkable by making us root for and even grudgingly respect Von Braun, who up until this point (and after it, really) has been portrayed as an unrepentant Nazi , as he battled against the odds against A.I. Roosevelt. Then issue #9 turned the tables with a massacre montage of Godfather proportions, cementing the scientists’ of The Manhattan Projects’ status as rulers of the world. It was also the issue that confirmed for me that, more than any book starring The Avengers, the Justice League or the X-Men, The Manhattan Projects is the best team book in comics. After that, issue #10 saw guest artist Ryan Browne tell an absolutely bonkers story from within the fractured mind of Joseph Oppenheimer, where the absorbed consciousness of Robert Oppenheimer punched horses and witnessed Being John Malkovich type scenes of legions of Oppenheimers engaged in acts of depravity. Issue #11 switched gears again with a poignant character study of Harry Daghlian, the most human of the entire ensemble cast despite being a flaming radioactive skull in a containment suit. Issue #12 then flipped that around into an emotional gut punch that cast scenes from earlier in the series in a disturbing new light. From there, it became clear that, if the first arc of the series was about the team being assembled, and the second arc was about it reaching the height of its power, the third arc was about the team becoming fragmented by threats from within.

 

I can happily rattle off issue-by-issue accounts of what went on without needing to go back to my comics for reference, because I’ve read each issue so often as to know the chronology of what’s happened pretty much by heart. Even without anything else, that alone would probably be enough to justify its #1 spot here. More than any other comic I read this year, The Manhattan Projects held the most reread value for me, where I could repeatedly read the whole thing from the beginning, or jump into issues out of order, and continue to enjoy it and get more from it. That to me says I got more enjoyment from these comics than any other on the list, and to put anything else at #1 would be patently dishonest on my part. But thankfully, there’s so much more evidence to support the title’s claim at the top spot. Every member of the creative team triumphs in their role. Writer Jonathan Hickman’s profile is arguably larger than ever right now, coming off Infinity and with his acclaimed role as master architect of the Avengers line for Marvel, but The Manhattan Projects remains his most fun, accessible book. And it’s so character-driven, too. Each member of the cast is so well-realised that I find myself thinking about where their story will take them or absently doodling them the way I might do about Batman or Spider-Man, and it’s even made me more interested in reading up on their real world counterparts. If East of West is a vast puzzle that is gradually pieced together, The Manhattan Projects is much more about instant gratification, throwing jaw-dropping concepts at us and packing crazy revelations into each issue, only to then detonate that status quo and launch us into something new and even more exciting, like Hickman’s daring himself to somehow manage to maintain this crazy pace. We’ve seen new world orders be formed and dissolved, and central characters have been maimed or killed in the process. It’s a thrill-ride, but doesn’t sacrifice the smarts in the process. Artist Nick Pitarra has grown leaps and bounds over the course of the series, going from an intriguing emerging artist who drew influence from some of my favourites in the field to becoming a master storyteller in his own right. Each issue of The Manhattan Projects is a dense read that I take my time on, and a large part of that is that Pitarra crams into each page visual detail that enriches the narrative and the characterisation, in keeping with the spirit of the -script but quite independent of it. I savour and dwell on each page of a given issue, marvelling at the construction and becoming immersed in this twisted world Pitarra presents to us. I mentioned that I like doodling characters from the comic, and I end up doodling them in a crude approximation of Pitarra’s style, because that’s how those characters look to me… they seem more real in his style than they do as real physical humans in old photographs. And his perfect partner is colorist extraordinaire Jordie Bellaire, who textures Pitarra’s figures just right to give them a cartoonish, spritely weight on the page. Her influence on the aesthetic of the book has become so indelible that she ended up recoloring the early issues she didn’t draw for the trades, because now those early issues just don’t look right without her. Even letterer Rus Wooton was given opportunity to showcase his deft work this year, with one extended sequence in issue #12 really requiring him to take centre stage and shoulder the weight of the narrative. These guys really have come together to form what is for me a comics dream team.

 

I find it galling that The Manhattan Projects doesn’t get more recognition. Of course, those who read it love it, and sing its praises. But I sometimes see major comics news sites not bother to review new issues on the week of its release, and it’s been annoyingly absent on some of the year-end lists I’ve seen. This seemed to be the case with previous list-topper Scalped as well, though its status seems to have grown some since its conclusion. But it’s there loss, as month in month out, I get more enjoyment from The Manhattan Projects than anything on the shelves. On an issue-by-issue basis, it’s a joy. As an extended serialised narrative, it’s a triumph. And there’s so much I’m itching to see from the series in 2014. First on the wishlist: what is the secret origin of Ustinov, and how did he end up as a floating brain in a jar? Will the series maintain its momentum and hold onto the top spot next year? Who knows? If this list has shown anything, it’s that there are no sure things, and that there are always new titles clamouring to grab readers’ attention. But for now, what I can say for certain is that no comic made me love comics in 2013 more than The Manhattan Projects.

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warburger

warburger

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Hi Guys,

 

I am an Einstein collector. Let me share some of my collection.

 

image-3.jpg

The smaller picture contains a piece of wood from Einstein's home in Switzerland.

 

image.jpg

image-1.jpg

When my figure collection was small, they were organized.

 

image-2.jpg

Now, it grew and I have yet to acquire a customized shelf to house them.

 

My ultimate grail would be an autograph from the man himself. I'm saving up for it. It will be the centerpiece of my collection. However, I'm also thinking of another grail piece that will nicely complement my figures and it will combine my love for Einstein and comic books. It's an SS CGC of Manhattan Projects 1 with Einstein's sketch on the cover from the man himself, Mr. Pitarra. If any of you guys are considering selling yours, or if you have doubles, I'm very interested to purchase them. I do have a TMP 1 that I think is a candidate for 9.6-9.8, however, I live in the Philippines and it'll be very difficult for me to send my copy and have it signed, sketched and encapsulated from here.

 

Thanks for the assist and for viewing my collection. :)

 

 

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kapzilla

kapzilla

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Just read the first 2 trades the other day and this is already one of my favorite books, of all time. I'm mad at myself that it took me this long. Really need to get caught up to current.

 

How long is it planned to run?

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Nexus

Nexus

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Just read the first 2 trades the other day and this is already one of my favorite books, of all time. I'm mad at myself that it took me this long. Really need to get caught up to current.

 

How long is it planned to run?

 

Awesome! The third trade is out, too. Gets better and better!

 

As I understand it, the plan is for the series to run around 60 issues. I'll ask Nick again sometime.

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the authority

the authority

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I have been watching auctions on this book and I really like the story, have trades of it and I had been trying to get a graded 1 and I see that not many of this book are showing up online right now.

On ebay for instance there is only 1 blue label 9.8 and then 1 SS 9.8 (well there is a crazy listing at 1100 but has other books too) but it makes it hard to grab one if there is only one selling a week.

I think the covers are fantastic and want to add this to my books I have already. I was talking with the seller and they have 2 more they were sending off this week for grading, but doesn't help my wanting it now though.

 

WTTB !

 

You might try the sales thread on this site. Lots of nice stuff there every day.

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