1000 books in 2023 2 2

[Cat]

Invincible Compendium volume 3 finished, pushing me well over the 1000 book mark since May 19, when I started keeping track. First year I've actually hit the goal! 

Needless to say, Invincible is a terrific read, if you haven't already read it, what are you doing? Go, get it now! 

[Djedi]

007: For King And Country 5-6

There's some good action and a lot of style in the final issues. I'm a sucker for a good rain scene. While the ending isn't totally satisfying, it did leave me interested in a follow up if that ever happens. Gwendolyn Gann has potential as a character. I wish I had started with 007 but a lot of comics don't tell you they are a sequel. Aside from Gann, the numerous double 0 agents are mostly here to make moments more memorable, like Bond ramming one with a mattress lol. It does work and gives the series a unique feel.

[Ken Aldred]

Fantastic Four : Unstable Molecules 1 to 4 mini-series

Quite an interesting indie, slice-of-life take on the team. A bit different.

2023 total = 568

 

[paperheart]

#434-458

Black Panther #1-18, #166-172

[Ken Aldred]

On 12/7/2023 at 9:21 PM, paperheart said:

#434-458

Black Panther #1-18, #166-172

Which series?

[paperheart]

On 12/7/2023 at 2:39 PM, Ken Aldred said:

Which series?

Ta-Nehisi Coates

[Ken Aldred]

On 12/7/2023 at 10:53 PM, paperheart said:

Ta-Nehisi Coates

Quite good.  Haven't read the latest series by John Ridley.

I had been thinking about going back and reading some of the Christopher Priest run from the late 90s.

[paperheart]

On 12/7/2023 at 3:14 PM, Ken Aldred said:

Quite good.  Haven't read the latest series by John Ridley.

I had been thinking about going back and reading some of the Christopher Priest run from the late 90s.

[Djedi]

Batman / Fortnite: Zero Point

I was surprised by how good Batman / Fornite: Zero Point is. I love how Batman deduces what's going on in the Fortnite world. Him using batarangs as notes to remind himself of what he learned after storm resets was clever. The relationship of Batman and Catwoman in this was a highlight. Without spoiling too much, characters lose memories in the loop but there is a lingering emotional familiarity. There's a lot of smart ideas executed well in the series. It has romance, Batman being a detective, action, just about everything you could want. The focus is primarily on the DC characters being in Fortnite rather than the Fortnite characters. Still, Fortnite characters are shown a lot and get some moments.

The Foundation one-shot is a direct follow up and ending for the Zero Point series. While Batman is still a significant focus, technically two Batmen including The Batman Who Laughs, it's also from the perspective of The Foundation. The Foundation is a major Fortnite character. That was a good choice since it gives more weight to the Fortnite side of the roster. I like how his character is developed and how the Fortnite lore is explained. The story does feel a little rushed but overall I was happy with it.

[Ken Aldred]

Brave and Bold 2007 series 1 to 17

Lot of good bits throughout from Mark Waid, but the 12 issue storyline did drag in places. 
Nice artwork from George Perez and Jerry Ordway.  The later issues were solid but not exceptional team-up stories, though I did quite like the Superman / Catwoman issue.

Final Crisis : Legion of Three Worlds 1 to 5

Pulled out some more George Perez comics, really excellent in places.  With such a large cast involved, the to-and-fro between the different fights was a bit confusing at times. A later scene seemed quite reminiscent of the final battle in Avengers Endgame to a degree, and Geoff Johns uses a similar idea about observing worlds within a comic page that I read earlier in the year in Grant Morrison’s Animal Man run. 
 

22 comics in all

2023 total = 590

Edited December 10, 2023 by Ken Aldred

[Norrin_Radd]

Read Explorers on the Moon (1954).

Tintin's journey to and exploration of the moon.  A fun tale with some great artwork.

Per usual, there is intrigue and conspiracy.  Colonel Boris Jorgen, previously seen in King Ottokar's Sceptre, is the villain.

But all ends well with Tintin back on earth.

[Ken Aldred]

Death of the New Gods 1 to 8 by Jim Starlin.

Under his usual cosmic themes, a murder mystery about trying to identify a god killer.  The deaths were actually rather short-acting as it turned out, and the pantheons soon recovered.

2023 total = 598

 

[paperheart]

#459-473

Black Monday Murders #5-8

Briggs Land #1-6

Usagi Yojimbo (IDW) #1-5

[F For Fake]

On 12/10/2023 at 11:17 AM, Ken Aldred said:

Death of the New Gods 1 to 8 by Jim Starlin.

Under his usual cosmic themes, a murder mystery about trying to identify a god killer.  The deaths were actually rather short-acting as it turned out, and the pantheons soon recovered.

2023 total = 598

 

I was just thinking about this book, as I just read the Tom King series, and I was trying to remember if it was any good ha I remember it being sort of tied in to all of the pre-52 stuff going on with DC at the time, Final Crisis or whatever, and I couldn't recall if it lined up at all. I will have to track this one down and give it a re-read.

[F For Fake]

Well I am still woefully far behind on the year, but I'm tryin to at least make it to 500 before 2023 wraps up.

The Phantom Stranger Omnibus - I figured this at about 65 books, as there are complete issues, but also some features and back-ups. So, it's not an exact count, but it is what it is. I have to admit, some of this was a chore to get through. The early stories are mostly EC-lite horror tales with ironic twists. Things pick up with the Silver/Bronze stories; I've always liked Dr. Thirteen, and he makes a fun foil for the Stranger, though it's pretty much the same plot every issue. I know there are Neal Adams fans out there, but for me, things pick up artwise once Jim Aparo shows up. Anyway, this is a BIG book, and not the most compelling read, but I do have affection for the character and enjoyed it during the fall.

Mister MIracle HC by Tom King (12 issues) - Wow, this was really something. I realize I'm waaaaay late to the game. See, when this book first came out, I bought the first issue, thought it was very intriguing, and decided there and then that I'd hold off and buy it when a collection came out, because it felt like it was going to be a "decompressed" read that would go over better in collected form. So that was a year or whatever, and then the HC came out, and INSTANTLY sold out. It came back in stock a few times, and I just dragged my feet. So anyway, that's my excuse for why it took 5-6 years or whatever for me to read this, and I will say it was worth the wait. I don't have anything original to add here to the pile of plaudits the series has received, will just confirm that it's dazzling, special stuff.

So, by my count, that puts me at about 440 for the year. Can I knock another 60 out in the space of about three weeks? Stay tuned!

[cbalroman]

897-921. The Manhattan Projects #1-25

922-925. The Manhattan Projects - The Sun Beyond the Stars #1-4

(I've got to push these last few weeks of the year to hit 1000...plan on getting it done!)

[Djedi]

Man Goat & The Bunnyman 1-3

Josh Burns did a great job with this variant cover. Floyd the Bunnyman is a bit psycho when he gets his ax but otherwise, he's often an endearing underdog. Phil does act like a jerk in the first issue. We learn in issue 2 that he's the spawn of Baphomet and fears he may be evil because of it. I like how Baphomet is designed with the snakes coming out of his chest, similar to the infamous Baphomet statue. It's more interesting than just another generic Satan. Both lead characters have a lot going on which gives their odd couple heroic duo a lot to play off of.

Most of the comedy is from Floyd and because he's a bunny, it gives it a slight Looney Tunes for adults vibe. One joke does get overused. Still, I enjoyed the lighthearted tone the series has. It balances the Baphomet and cult plot. This is the kind of series that works even if it seems it shouldn't. The art accentuates the personality of the characters, such as the contrast between innocent bunny eyes Floyd and deranged ax wielding killer mode Floyd. You can tell the people making this really like the characters and are having a good time creating something unique.

[cbalroman]

926-961.  Mind MGMT #1-36

962.  Amazing Spider-Man: Gang War #1

963-964.  Amazing Spider-Man vol 6 #38-39

965.  Batman vol 3 #140

966.  Black Hammer: The End #4

967-968.  Daredevil vol 8 #3-4

969-971.  Detective Comics #1077-1079

972.  Fire Power #29

973.  Immortal X-Men #17

974-975.  The Walking Dead Deluxe #77-78

976.  Transformers #3

977. Void Rivals #6

978.  Whats the Furthest Place From Here #16

979.  Wolverine vol 7 #39

980.  X-Men vol 6 #29

981-984.  Batman vol 1 #426-429

985.  Batman vol 1 #428 (Robin Lives!)

 

 

[Cat]

I finished the Invincible Universe Compendium. This contains Atom Eve, Atom Eve And Rex Splode, Guarding The Globe (both miniseries), and the Invincible series. All were a good read with high-quality art. It was nice seeing the full origins of Eve and Rex, and to get the full story of the Guardians, as during the main series there's some characters who are just suddenly there, and you never learn who they are. This fills in those blanks, and does so well, giving them some nice depth and character in a short amount of page time. It also goes into the Guardians' personal lives, which was probably my favourite part of it all. 

Highly recommended for an Invincible fan. 

This is book number 1100 something for me. 

[Norrin_Radd]

Read The Calculus Affair (1956).

A fun Tintin tale of espionage with lots of cool cars and chases.

Tintin, Captain Haddock, and Snowy succeed in solving the mystery and rescuing Professor Calculus.